Meta keywords are a type of meta tag used to provide information about the content of a webpage to search engines. They are placed in the head section of an HTML document and consist of a list of keywords or phrases that describe the page’s content. These keywords are not visible to users, but search engine crawlers can see them.
Types of Meta Keywords
There are two types of meta keywords:
- Broad Match: This type of meta keyword is a general term or phrase that describes the overall topic of the page. For example, a broad match meta keyword for a page about SEO could be “search engine optimization.”
- Exact Match: This type of meta keyword is a specific term or phrase that accurately describes the content on the page. For example, an exact match meta keyword for a page about local SEO could be “local SEO services.”
Importance of Meta Keywords
- Provides context: Meta keywords can give context to the content of a webpage, which may help search engines understand what the page is about.
- Improves user experience: Relevant meta keywords can improve the user experience by helping users quickly understand the content of a webpage.
- May benefit smaller search engines: Although major search engines like Google and Bing do not give meta keywords significant weight in their ranking algorithms, smaller search engines may still use them to some degree.
- Helps with site organization: Including relevant meta keywords can help you organize your site by grouping related content.
- Competitive advantage: If your competitors are not using meta keywords or are not using them effectively, including relevant keywords may give you a slight competitive advantage in search engine rankings.
Tips for Writing Good Meta Keywords
If you decide to use meta keywords, here are some tips for writing good ones:
- Be relevant: Choose keywords that accurately describe the content of the page. Avoid using irrelevant or unrelated keywords, which can negatively impact your SEO efforts.
- Be specific: Use specific terms or phrases that accurately describe the content of the page. Avoid using generic or overly broad keywords, as they may not provide enough context for search engines.
- Prioritize important keywords: Focus on the most important keywords that accurately describe the page’s content. Avoid overloading the meta keywords tag with too many keywords, as this can make it harder for search engines to understand the page’s main topic.
- Avoid keyword stuffing: Do not overuse keywords to manipulate search rankings. This can lead to penalties from search engines and hurt your SEO efforts.
- Keep it concise: Keep your meta keywords list short and focused. Including too many keywords can make the list appear spammy and hurt your SEO efforts. Aim for a few relevant keywords that accurately describe the page’s content.
In conclusion, meta keywords are HTML attributes that once played a significant role in search engine optimization, but their importance has diminished over the years. Search engines, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo, no longer rely on meta keywords as a ranking factor, instead relying on other signals like content and backlinks.