Meta-tags are snippets of HTML code that provide metadata about a webpage to search engines and influence how it’s indexed.
What Are Meta Tags?
Meta tags are pieces of HTML code placed in the <head> section of a webpage. They help search engines and browsers understand the content and purpose of the page. While they don’t appear directly on the page itself, they’re crucial for SEO, social sharing, and browser behavior.
Common Types of Meta Tags:
- Meta Title (
<title>):
Displays the clickable headline in search results. Should include relevant keywords and stay under 60 characters. - Meta Description (
<meta name="description">):
A short summary of the page (ideal: 140–160 characters). Helps improve click-through rate (CTR). - Robots Meta Tag (
<meta name="robots">):
Tells search engines whether to index the page or follow its links (e.g.,index, followornoindex, nofollow). - Viewport Tag (
<meta name="viewport">):
Controls how a webpage appears on mobile devices — essential for mobile SEO and responsiveness. - Charset Tag (
<meta charset="UTF-8">):
Specifies character encoding for the page — improves compatibility and text rendering. - Open Graph Tags:
Enhance social media sharing by controlling how content appears on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. - Twitter Card Tags:
Similar to Open Graph but customized for Twitter sharing.
Why Meta Tags Matter for SEO:
- Improve SERP appearance and user click-through rates
- Control indexing behavior for better crawl efficiency
- Support mobile usability
- Enhance visibility on social platforms with preview controls
- Help establish content relevance for targeted keywords
Best Practices:
- Write unique meta titles and descriptions for each page.
- Avoid duplicate meta content sitewide.
- Include primary keywords naturally.
- Keep meta descriptions engaging and user-focused.
- Use structured tags (like Open Graph) for social SEO.
