Meta Tag Tips and Tricks for Search Engine Optimization

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Meta Tag Tips and Tricks for Search Engine Optimization

Aug 19th 2007Nate MollerGetting Started & SEO

I teach clients about meta tags in one of my lessons so I thought I’d write out a few of the basics to use as a checklist. In the Search Engine Optimization world, there are many different opinions about what’s the “right way”. My good friend Janet Meiners did an article about the Top 10 SEO Factors, of which I agree with 100%.Ã‚Â These are guidelines I try to follow on all my sites.

On-site optimization, what we to on our site to make it search engine friendly, is only a part of getting the right traffic to your site. But if you do it correctly, it can really help you get out of the Google “sand box”.

Here are the tips:

Meta Tag Titles

6-10 words maximum
Minimal keyword repetition
No domain name
Use keyword phrases that you want people to use to find you in a search engine
Use “byer phrases” instead of “browser phrases”
Every page of a website can have its own unique meta tags

Meta Tag Descriptions

1-3 Sentences
Keyword repetition recommended
Explain what the page is about

Meta Tag Keywords

25-30 words separated by commas
keyword repetition is okay
make sure the words relate to the page you’re marketing

Here are my meta tags (title, description, keywords) for my home page at www.ClogOn.com:

Title: Clogging shoes | Dance Bags | Capezio dancewear

Description: Online clogging store with new and used clogging shoes, taps, dance bags, capezio dance wear and other clog dancing information.

Keywords: clogging, clogging dance shoes, dance bags, capezio dancewear, taps, clogging steps, clogging shoe supplier, history, clogging blog, clogg dance, clogging dance team specials, what is clogging, clogging shoe distributor, costume bag

Hope this helps and gives you a picture of how your meta tags can look on your pages. Remember, we want to customize the meta tags for all pages, especially the ones we want to be found in search engines. I personally don’t waist a ton of time on the about us or contact us page.

If you want more in-depth information, this SEO book is excellent:

(Aff)

(Non-Aff)

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33 Responses to “Meta Tag Tips and Tricks for Search Engine Optimization”

Patsy Kelly on 19 Aug 2007 at 3:41 pm #

Great to review these! I plan on going through my pages again and checking these once more to make sure they’re on target!
Wanda on 22 Aug 2007 at 2:42 pm #

Nate,
Thanks for the info and links! For those of us without website backgrounds, this subject can be very confusing. Your info is easy to understand and helps a lot.
Don B on 23 Aug 2007 at 3:15 pm #

This is helpful for me. Using your own site as an example really makes it easier for me to understand. This is all new to me and at times it becomes overwhelming. Thanks!
Chuck McIntyre on 26 Aug 2007 at 4:35 pm #

This is a nice, clear check list that I will print off and use as a constant reference.
Rene on 27 Aug 2007 at 1:14 am #

This is an article that motivates to read the book, THE SEO BOOK,
for a novice this is not an easy topic, but put it this way is easy to grab the
concept, and at the same time to read more about it.

Good idea to put your own web suate as an example
Good article Nate,

Rene G.
Don B on 27 Aug 2007 at 7:39 pm #

This is what I’m working on now, I printed these tips and pinned them up so I can use it as a guide. Some of your recommended reads were helpful too!
Gina Balducci on 28 Aug 2007 at 10:01 am #

There is so much information and links to more information which has links to even more information. I am overwhelmed….Thank goodness for the internet,
a world of knowledge at your fingertips. Most of all I am very grateful for people like you, Nate who so willingly share this knowledge.
Justin & Cynthia Fitzpatrick on 30 Aug 2007 at 6:14 am #

Being novices in this industry we found meta tags very confusing and we are learning as we go. This short simple guide explained a lot and kept us on track. Like Gina, we are very grateful for people like you Nate who are willing to share their knowledge and help people like us enter this industry. THANKYOU!
Gisela on 30 Aug 2007 at 8:50 pm #

I am glad to know we have a reference to use as a guide for this aspect of the learning process. Thank you for using your site as a sample. It helps to see the application of what we discussed. Thanks
Garth on 12 Sep 2007 at 9:55 am #

Being new to this business meta tags were a big emphasis. Having a guide to use will defintely be a huge help.
Ian Jackson on 18 Sep 2007 at 1:13 pm #

Never having heard of meta tags before this is all new to me which I will put to good use when putting blogs on my site.
I appreciate the help you have given me nate, look forward to speaking to you soon.

Regards,
Ian.
Oleta on 23 Sep 2007 at 12:44 pm #

This is definitely helpful! What I need to do now is narrow my ideas down a little. I was thinking any and all golf equipment. Maybe a smaller niche would be better?
Damon puckett on 23 Sep 2007 at 2:41 pm #

thanks for the check list Nate I will print this page and put it on my cork board above my desk as a constant reminder of how to create positive seo using meta tags.
Chris Graham on 26 Sep 2007 at 1:14 pm #

Thanks for the great info again Nate. This is a great reminder for those of us who got a little off track with the meta tags. You did a great job using you web site as an example. Thanks again.
Liza Lowe on 08 Oct 2007 at 9:58 am #

This is very helpful in understanding how things are linked together from your own site to a search engine. Having examples to compare from helps me know what I should use for my own website.
laverne romines on 20 Oct 2007 at 12:19 pm #

Thank you Nate for the Tips and Tricks for metags. I think you are finally
“unclogging” my brain because this is starting to sink in. There are 3 tips to making your metags for each of your web pages and they are titles,
descriptions and keywords each one has it’s own bullets to show you how
to set them up. Very useful info.
Thanks
Laverne Romines
louie z on 22 Oct 2007 at 1:46 pm #

Thanks for the info. Nate. The descriptions of your meta tags on your site really explained it for me. Now I know how to prepare my meta tags for my site. Thanks alot Nate Louie Z.
Sandrine on 24 Oct 2007 at 5:16 pm #

Thanks for the tips Nate. I will go through my tags and see how I can improve them. I definately want my site to be search engine friendly
Jerry Stout on 27 Oct 2007 at 10:43 am #

Good advice & thanks Nate for all the good tips. The biggest theme I come away with is “Good Old Horse Sense” & palin common sense. You help keep from clouding the issues by over complicating the use of meta tags & keywords.
Andy Skik on 29 Oct 2007 at 7:47 pm #

I honestly think that this information maid my life so much easier, helping me to understand the keyword searching for my new website.
Rick on 31 Oct 2007 at 4:24 pm #

Thanks, this helps weed out the big list of keywords and phrases and puts the
winners in their proper place. Thanks again for letting me piggyback on your homework.
Don Holt on 01 Nov 2007 at 8:38 pm #

Nate,
After reading this article, I googled a key phrase I’d like to use on my site. I saw a competing site with the very same title as I would like to use. Because of the info provided in the article, I was able to see how I could get an edge by using more key words in the description. Correct knowledge IS power! Thanks.
Gary Skrobot on 06 Nov 2007 at 12:43 pm #

Thanks for the tips and examples. Looking forward to utilizing them with great results.
tracy on 13 Nov 2007 at 6:35 pm #

So much easier to understand when you can see real examples right in front of you. Thanks again for the great info
Tonya Sater on 15 Nov 2007 at 10:44 am #

Thank you Nate for using the examples from your own site, that helps make everything so much clearer. I am going to print this out and go check on my Meta tags. Hopefully this will help improve my traffic! Thanks again.
Tonya
Mark Kaye on 19 Nov 2007 at 9:43 am #

Already helped me out. My website is now #1 on Google for a popular search.
Jason and Kathy on 27 Nov 2007 at 10:08 pm #

Being new to the internet world this description is very useful, particularly the Clog on site example. thanks
Don Holt on 09 Dec 2007 at 8:35 pm #

Nate,
Thanks for letting me look over your shoulder and see how you set up your meta tags. This is so helpful. It has given me more ideas for my own tags.

Don holt
jonnie walker on 11 Dec 2007 at 8:21 pm #

I can understand the info being given here, but do not know how to relate it to my trial site as for as page titles and subtitles.
Chana on 15 Dec 2007 at 9:16 pm #

Thanks for sharing these tips in an easy way to understand. This is a new world for me, that this helps make it not so scary.
Linda on 25 Dec 2007 at 7:01 pm #

Thanks for the info on setting up meta tags. You have made it easy to understand by including the examples of your site.
Linda Brooks on 05 Mar 2008 at 12:42 pm #

Nate, Thanks so much for all of your helpful tips on how to be most effective and generate the maximum traffic for our website. Your examples really simplify things and make them become more doable.
Sharmen Lane on 07 May 2008 at 2:51 pm #

Nate!

Great information. You really shed some light on not only how to use meta tags but where to use them

Thanks
S

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