68% of all internet activity begins with a search engine. 78% of users never click past the first page of results.
There are several ways to make sure your webpage is the first one they see. They all fall under the blanket term of SEO or search engine optimization.
One of the first questions you need to answer when using it is “what are meta tags in SEO?” Read on to learn what they are, what makes them so important, and how to use them.
What Are Meta Tags In SEO?
Answering a question like “what are meta tags in SEO” starts with defining another term. Metadata is data about data. It describes everything on your webpage.
Meta tags provide search engines with this vital information. They’re found in the HTML code of the page and affect how they rank.
A title tag determines the title you want on the SERP or search engine results page. The meta description summarizes the content of the page and appears below the title.
Heading tags seperate and organize your content. They go from H1 to H6, with H1 being the most important.
A robot meta tag provides extra information for search engines. They tell them whether or not to index the page, cache it, or follow its links.
Viewports are the visible area on a webpage. A viewport tag determines how large it will be and how it looks on different devices.
These are only a few of the most important meta tags in SEO. You may need others, such as alt text or canonical tags.
Benefits of Meta Tags
The importance of meta tags in SEO efforts can’t be overstated. They impact how your webpage looks and ranks in search engines.
Each type of tag has its benefits. Title and description tags make it easier for search engines to read and rank your content and affect your click-through rates.
At least 48% of global web traffic comes from mobile devices. If a webpage doesn’t have a proper viewport tag, users won’t be able to read it properly. They’ll move on to another result, affecting your page’s overall ranking.
Optimizing Meta Tags
Placement and length are important factors when writing a meta tag. Take extra care when writing titles and descriptions.
Add the title tag to the header of your website. It should be 55-60 characters and 60 pixels.
The meta description tag should also be in the header. Keep it at 155-165 characters and 920 pixels. Include your targeted keywords to increase your ranking.
Keywords are also essential, especially in your H1 header tag. They let users and search engines know what your page is about.
Using meta tags can be difficult and requires a basic understanding of coding. Hiring professionals to help you makes the process much easier.
Where to Get More SEO Help
Understanding how to make your webpage rank higher in search results requires answering questions such as “what are meta tags in SEO?”
These small additions to your code have a major impact on how search engines rank your page. They include components such as titles, descriptions, and headers.
Adding all the meta tags you need is essential. It improves your SEO ranking while making your web pages more attractive to users and easier for them to find.
An agency like Growth Local can help your web pages get the results you’ve been dreaming of. Get a free quote for our SEO services today.