How to Create SEO Meta Tags

“Social may be sexy, but search still pays the bills,” says Tom Pick, a senior B2B digital marketing consultant. And if you want Google to write you that check, here are some tips for creating better SEO meta tags.

Use relevant and descriptive titles: Your title tag should be a concise and descriptive summary of the content on your webpage. It should include relevant keywords and be no longer than 60 characters.

Use meta descriptions: The meta description should provide a brief summary of the content on your webpage and include relevant keywords. It should be no longer than 160 characters.

Use header tags: Use header tags (H1, H2, etc.) to structure the content on your webpage and make it easier for both users and search engines to understand the main points and hierarchy of your content.

Use alt tags for images: Use alt tags to describe the content of images on your webpage. This can help search engines understand the content of your images and make them more discoverable through search.

Use canonical tags: If you have multiple pages on your website with similar content, use canonical tags to indicate to search engines which page is the original and should be considered for ranking.

Use noindex tags: If you have pages on your website that you don’t want to be indexed by search engines, use noindex tags to indicate that they should be excluded from search results.

Use social media tags: Use social media tags, such as “og:title” and “og:description,” to control how your content is displayed on social media platforms.

Keep it up to date: Make sure to regularly review and update your meta tags to ensure that they are accurate and relevant.

Make it unique: Make sure your meta tags are unique and not duplicated across multiple pages on your website.

Use modifiers: Use modifiers, such as “best,” “top,” or “review,” to make your title tags more attractive and stand out in search results.

Use long-tail keywords: In addition to short, general keywords, consider using long-tail keywords in your meta tags. These are more specific and can help to attract qualified traffic to your website.

Use branding: Include your brand name in your title tags to help build your brand and make it easier for users to recognize your content in search results.

Use action words: Use action words, such as “download,” “watch,” or “learn,” in your title tags to encourage users to take a specific action.

Use your target audience: Consider your target audience when writing your meta tags and use language that will appeal to them.

Use character limits: Make sure to stay within the character limits for your meta tags. Longer tags will be truncated in search results and may not convey the full message of your content.

Test and optimize: Use A/B testing to determine which version of your meta tags performs the best, and continue to optimize and refine your tags over time.