February 10, 2019 SEO 0 comment

Beginner’s Guide To Using Meta Tags For SEO

Meta tags are something that’s often overlooked but are very valuable to both your SEO and clickthrough rate from organic search (the Google search results page) when done right. The two main types of meta tags that are considered most important to SEO are the Title Tag and Meta Name Descriptions, these are hidden in the source code of every page on your website. Find out what they are, why they are so important, and why you need to start using them here.

What are SEO Title Tags are and how to use them

Title tags are incredibly important for your website SEO. They are the title of your website page as seen in the Google search results, helps Google determine which searches to show your pages for and they also have to grab the attention of your target audience. 

Every one of your website pages should have its own unique title tag featuring the keywords you are specifically targeting for that page. The length is approximately 50-60 characters, any more and you run the risk of Google cutting your title tag short. This isn’t always a tragedy, sometimes it’s completely valid to value squeezing in one more keyword to appeal to Google’s algorithm and accept that the end of your title will be lopped off. 

The title tag normally takes the form of:

Keyword Phrase | Keyword Phrase | Business Name

There are three places that the title tag appears.

1.The Google search results page







2. The browser bar when you are on the web page 





3. The preview text when you post on social media 

When writing up your tags, take the time to make a unique one for each page specific to that page’s keyword focus. The idea is to make it as easy as possible for Google to see that your page is relevant to the search and rank you higher for it.

For admin type pages such as disclaimers, copyright, and privacy policy pages, just a basic title tag will do. You don’t really need to optimise these pages as it is very unlikely people will be searching for them and you don’t really want your customers clicking on the disclaimer page as their first impression of your website. Keep it simple, for example:

Disclaimers | Business name

How to use Meta Descriptions and why you need them

Meta descriptions are the mini paragraphs under your title tag in the google search results. They only exist in the source code of your website so you won’t find them anywhere on your page. Aside from on Google, they also show up on social media posts. They have nothing to do with how highly your site is ranked but everything to do with converting potential customers and convincing them to click through to your page.

To write successful meta descriptions, try to include a keyword and a unique selling point to let searchers know exactly what the page will show them, convincing them to click. Remember to keep it short, you have approximately 155 characters of space before the description will be cut off on the results page. Write a unique meta description for each page, and keep in mind that Google may use it and may not, but it is good practice to have them just in case.

By properly utilising SEO title tags and meta descriptions, you are giving Google users the best possible first impression of your business. The title tag has the added benefit of doing wonders for your SEO, so using meta-data well is a sure-fire way to improve your ranking and conversion rate.

If you are keen to learn more about SEO why not download our SEO Starter Kit at https://theseoschool.com or join my Facebook group Get Found Online