Meta Tags: What They Are & How to Use Them for SEO

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Meta tags are HTML elements that supply accusation astir your webpages to hunt engines and users.

They spell successful the <head> conception of your page. Here’s an example:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta name="description" content="It's time to get backlinks that make a difference. Backlinko is the place for next-level SEO training and link building strategies.">
</html>
</head>

In this example, a meta tag called a meta statement summaries the page.

Search engines similar Google often show the meta statement successful hunt results. Like this:

Meta statement of Backlinko effect successful Google SERP highlighted

By thoughtfully adding this meta tag to a leafage successful this way, you tin power however those pages look successful hunt results pull users to click done to your site

Which Meta Tags Does Google Support?

Google supports galore meta tags:

Meta tag name	Description	Example
description	Provides a abbreviated statement of the page. This statement tin beryllium utilized successful the snippet shown successful hunt results.	<meta name="description" content="Make your concern disposable online with 55+ tools for SEO, PPC, content, societal media, competitory research, and more.">
robots	Controls however hunt engines crawl and index your pages. You tin usage “noindex” and “nofollow” to forestall those actions. If you don’t specify anything, “index” and “follow” are the default values.	<meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow">
googlebot	Similar to the robots meta tag but circumstantial to Google	<meta name="googlebot" content="noindex,nofollow">
notranslate	Prevents Google from providing an automatic translation of your leafage successful hunt results	<meta name="googlebot" content="notranslate">
nopagereadaloud	Instructs Google not to usage text-to-speech (TTS) services to work the leafage aloud	<meta name="google" content="nopagereadaloud">
nositelinkssearchbox	Prevents Google from displaying a sitelinks hunt container successful the hunt results for your site	<metaname="google" content="nositelinkssearchbox">
google-site-verification	Verifies the ownership of the website for Google Search Console. This 1 is case-sensitive.	<meta name="google-site-verification" content="+nxGUDJ4QpAZ5l9Bsjdi102tLVC21AIh5d1Nl23908vVuFHs34=">
Content-Type and charset	Specifies the contented benignant and quality acceptable for the webpage. This is important for rendering non-ASCII characters correctly. Like accented letters.	<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
refresh	Instructs the browser to redirect to a caller URL aft a specified time. Not recommended for redirects. Use a server-side 301 redirect alternatively for amended SEO and idiosyncratic experience.	<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; url=https://website.com">
rating	Indicates that a webpage contains explicit content	<meta name="rating" content="adult">
viewport	Controls however the webpage is displayed connected mobile devices	<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">

Two important notes related to meta tags:

Meta keywords tag: This is simply a benignant of meta tag that utilized to assistance hunt engines recognize a webpage’s contented by including a database of keywords. Because it was wide misused, Google and different large hunt engines nary longer enactment it.
Hreflang attribute: The hreflang attribute is often mistaken for a meta tag, but it’s not. It’s utilized wrong the <link> constituent successful the HTML caput section. It informs hunt engines astir the connection and geographical targeting of a webpage.

Meta tags are important due to the fact that they tin assistance you:

Boost Click-Through Rates

Meta tags for SEO—like meta descriptions—can assistance you power however your webpages look successful hunt motor results pages (SERPs). And a well-written meta statement tin amended your integrated click-through rate (CTR).

When your meta statement intimately matches a user's hunt query and provides a compelling snapshot of your leafage content, users whitethorn beryllium much apt to click connected your nexus successful the hunt results.

Optimizing these tags with applicable keywords, unsocial selling points, and calls to enactment (CTAs) tin pull much qualified postulation to your site. Traffic that could pb to much conversions for your business.

'auto repair adjacent me' hunt effect with cta highlighted successful result's meta description

Provide Instructions to Search Engines

The meta robots tag gives you power implicit however hunt engines crawl and scale your idiosyncratic webpages. Rather than relying connected a robots.txt record (which doesn’t needfully halt Google from indexing your pages).

Robots.txt and meta robots tag statement infographic by Semrush

You tin usage this tag to forestall duplicate oregon thin content from being indexed.

Improve UX and Accessibility

Meta tags similar viewport and Content-Type and charset tin heighten the idiosyncratic acquisition (UX) and accessibility crossed devices.

The viewport tag ensures your webpages accommodate to antithetic surface sizes.

While due quality encoding done the Content-Type and charset tags guarantee your contented renders correctly connected assorted browsers and devices.

When users stock your webpages connected societal media platforms, the title, description, and representation are typically auto-populated successful the societal post.

Like this:

reverse representation hunt with rubric and statement highlighted arsenic good arsenic image

You tin power these elements utilizing Open Graph tags similar "og:title," "og:description," and “og:image.”

Engaging, descriptive Open Graph meta tags tin marque your contented much appealing and clickable erstwhile shared connected sites similar Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter). Which tin pb to accrued visibility and referral postulation from societal media.

While these don’t interaction however Google sees oregon displays your tract successful hunt results, Open Graph meta tags are utile for improving however your linked contented looks connected societal media.

How to Optimize Your HTML Meta Tags for SEO

Let’s look astatine immoderate of the astir important SEO meta tags successful much item and sermon however you tin optimize them.

Meta Description

A meta description summarizes a webpage’s contented for hunt engines and users.

It tin look beneath the rubric connected the hunt motor results page. But Google whitethorn rewrite the 1 you specify to suit circumstantial hunt queries.

Either way, the summary utilized looks similar this:

meta statement for contentshake ai keyword connected google serp

And the codification for a meta statement tag looks similar this:

Meta descriptions don’t straight impact your rankings successful Google. But a well-written meta statement tin promote users to click connected your nexus alternatively of scrolling past.

Here are immoderate tips to assistance you make effectual meta descriptions:

Keep it concise: Aim for astir 105 characters to debar truncation
Use your people keyword: Include your superior keyword people successful the meta description. When it matches the user's query, Google often bolds the keyword, making your snippet much eye-catching. But debar stuffing it with keywords.
Include a CTA: Encourage users to instrumentality the adjacent measurement with action-oriented language. Use phrases similar "Learn more," "Get started," oregon "Shop now" to supply wide absorption and motivate clicks.
Write unsocial descriptions: Avoid duplicating meta descriptions crossed your site. Unique descriptions assistance hunt engines recognize however your pages disagree and springiness users circumstantial details astir what they'll find connected each page.

To cheque if your pages are missing meta descriptions oregon if aggregate pages are utilizing the aforesaid meta descriptions, usage Semrush’s Site Audit tool.

Enter your domain successful the instrumentality and click “Start Audit.”

semrush tract audit hunt barroom with domain and commencement audit fastener highlighted

Then, configure the tool.

When you’re ready, click “Start Site Audit.”

semrush tract audit configuration of basal settings with commencement tract audit fastener highlighted

When the audit is complete, spell to the “Issues” tab and hunt for “meta description.”

semrush tract audit issues tab with meta statement entered into hunt bar

If you spot the "# pages person duplicate meta descriptions" error, click connected the linked fig for much details.

Semrush tract audit meta statement mistake with fig of pages with contented highlighted

Next, click the arrow successful the "Duplicates" file to spot the database of URLs that person duplicate meta descriptions.

Semrush Site Audit showing duplicate pages with the aforesaid meta description

Similarly, successful the "Issues" tab, you mightiness besides spot the "# pages don’t person meta descriptions" warning. Again, click connected the linked fig for much details.

Semrush Site Audit with fig of pages that don''t person a meta statement highlighted

You’ll spot a database of URLs with missing meta descriptions.

Missing meta statement leafage listed arsenic per Semrush Site Audit warning

Go done the database of URLs. And constitute unsocial meta descriptions for them.

Title Tag

A rubric tag (meta title) tells hunt engines the rubric of a webpage.

This rubric is typically displayed successful hunt results pages arsenic the clickable header of a result.

Like this:

contentshake ai hunt effect with rubric tag highlighted

But again, Google whitethorn rewrite it.

Here’s an illustration of what a rubric tag looks similar successful HTML:

<title>ContentShake AI: Smart Writing Tool for Small Teams</title>

Google looks astatine the rubric tag of a webpage to recognize what the leafage is about. So it tin measure and fertile the leafage appropriately.

Follow these champion practices erstwhile creating meta titles connected your website:

Choose optimal length: Aim to support your meta titles betwixt 50 and 60 characters to debar truncation
Include people keywords: Incorporate the superior keyword for the leafage aboriginal successful the rubric to align with hunt queries. This whitethorn assistance amended relevance and visibility successful hunt results. Again, debar keyword stuffing.
Match hunt intent: Tailor your rubric to conscionable the user's needs and intent. Whether they privation to bargain a product, larn astir a service, oregon get circumstantial information, the rubric should intelligibly bespeak that the leafage volition fulfill their hunt needs.
Avoid duplication: Don't usage the aforesaid rubric tag connected aggregate pages. Duplicate titles marque it harder for hunt engines to differentiate your contented and tin confuse users.
Avoid clickbait: While it's important to make engaging titles, they should besides acceptable realistic expectations for what the leafage delivers. Misleading titles tin origin users to permission the leafage quickly.

To scan your website for issues with your rubric tags, leap backmost into the Site Audit tool.

Once again, spell to the “Issues” tab. But this time, hunt for “title.”

Semrush Site Audit rubric tag issues highlighting the pages that are clickable

If determination are errors and warnings for your rubric tags, click connected the fig of pages (“# pages”) to spot the database of URLs successful question. Like you did for the meta statement issues.

Meta Robots Tag

A meta robots tag controls the crawling and indexing behaviour of hunt engines similar Google.

In different words, the meta robots tag tells the hunt motor whether you privation it to analyse and show your leafage successful hunt results.

This tag goes successful the <head> conception of your HTML and looks similar this:

Add your instructions for hunt engines wrong the “content” attribute.

Some communal values include:

Follow: This tells hunt engines to crawl links you’ve placed wrong your webpages. If you don’t adhd thing to your code, this is the default.
Nofollow: This tells hunt engines not to crawl links connected the page
Index: This tells hunt engines to scale the page. If the leafage is indexed, it tin look successful hunt results.
Noindex: This instructs hunt engines not to adhd the webpage to their index. Which means the leafage won’t look successful hunt results.

Make definite you usage these values appropriately.

For example, if you person convey you pages that should lone beryllium viewed by users who’ve completed actions similar making a acquisition oregon filling retired a form, you mightiness usage “noindex” parameters connected those pages to forestall them from showing successful hunt results.

And enactment that utilizing the “nofollow” worth connected internal links is not mostly recommended. As those links whitethorn not get crawled.

Use Site Audit to cheque if you've utilized the nofollow worth connected immoderate interior links by mistake.

Go to the “Issues” tab and hunt for “nofollow.”

You’ll spot if you person immoderate “nofollow” interior links.

Semrush Site Audit issues tab with nofollow contented highlighted

If you do, reappraisal those links and region “nofollow” values if you’ve added them to your page’s meta robots tag by mistake.

Meta Viewport Tag

A meta viewport tag controls however your webpage appears connected mobile and different devices.

Its superior intent is to set the width and scaling of the viewport (i.e., the disposable information of a webpage) to supply an optimal viewing acquisition crossed antithetic devices.