Your website is your message to the world…sadly, that message rarely gets seen if it’s not on page 1 of the search engines. Thousands of dollars invested in a digital billboard that is essentially placed in the nether regions of the interwebs. There it sits attracting zero love and becoming a thing of resentment.
But it doesn’t have to be that way…
By understanding these basic principles of SEO (search engine optimization) your website can escape the “no visitor” void and be paraded to the front of the class to be showcased about. In this case, the coveted page 1 of Google, Yahoo, Bing and the rest of the many search engines.
The Basics…
Every website I look at seems to fail when it comes to the basics and it’s these basics that if adhered to would make a winner of every site. Would you like to know what the basics are? Sure you would…that’s why you are here.
Meta Tags!
Yep! Meta Tags! Every website should have them. The ones that do, don’t use them right. And those that don’t, should take note and add them promptly.
What is a Meta Tag and why does it matter?
Meta Tags are pieces of code that contains keywords and phrases that tell the search engines what the site is all about. These Meta Tags work on conjunction with another and need to be written for each and every page on a website.
There are 3 types of Meta Tags…
- Meta Title
- Meta Description
- Meta Keywords
Each Meta Tag performs a different function and there are rules to each one. Meta Titles give a brief synopsis of the page in 60 characters or less. Meta Descriptions expand on the Title and allow you to add a fuller more keyword rich sentence not exceeding 160 characters. And Meta Keywords are just that…keywords. They are words that are relevant to the page they represent and should NOT exceed 15 unique words.
Every set of Meta Tags should work as a team. Words being used should be scrutinized and checked. Mentioning a word or words multiple times is unnecessary and most likely will get you penalized (slapped) by the search engines.
The Good and the Bad!
First a bad example:
Meta Title: “Carpet Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning, Tile Cleaning, Mattress Cleaning”
Meta Description: “The best carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, tile cleaning and mattress cleaning in your town. We clean carpet, upholstery, tile and mattresses”
Meta Keywords: “carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, tile cleaning, mattress cleaning, clean, carpet, upholstery, tile, mattress”
Did you notice the errors? “Cleaning” is mentioned 12 times between the Meta Title, Description and Keywords. Other words are repeated as well. A big NO-NO!
Now the good example:
Meta Title: “Carpet, Upholstery, Tile, Mattress Cleaning | Detroit MI”
Meta Description: “The finest fabric and hard surface cleaners in the Metro area call (222)111-3030 to schedule your next clean. Also serving Delray, Corktown.”
Meta Keywords: “sofa, rug, wet, dry, fiber, steam, truckmount, bonnet, carbonated, foam”
The Meta Tags compliment each other and never repeat keywords.
By eliminating the duplicate keywords you are freeing up valuable real estate for other words to help propel your site higher in rank on the search engines.
Why do I share this great information?
Well, I’m sure you have questions regarding how to rank your site high on the search engines and how to get on page 1, it’s these questions I answer every single day from people just like you seeking to get their website seen and finally making money. By teaching you the basics it will help you understand what’s needed to elevate your site from hiding in the shadows to ranking high and dominating your competition.
Rob is affectionately known as “Mr. Sarcasm” to his friends - to everyone else he’s a Certified Digital Marketing Strategist, a Foremost Expert On Specialized SEO, a Best Selling Author, Podcaster, Speaker and Authority Broadcaster who can help amplify YOU to your audience.
Rob has authored, coauthored or produced over 40 books covering social media, search engine optimization, podcasting, copywriting, personal injury law, weight loss, military law, life lessons, scams, sarcasm, customer service and more. His book clients include lawyers, speakers, doctors, real estate professionals and more.
Rob is also host of The E-Heroes Interview Series available on Apple, Amazon, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify & many other podcast channels. Rob works inside corporations across the globe, helping companies generate new revenue and capture online business.
Rob is also available to share talks and give interviews. To learn more and to get started visit www.AnspachMedia.com or call Anspach Media at (412)267-7224 today.
Another quality article Rob. Going to have to scan our site now for any issues. Keep up the great work!
Rob,
I love you how you clearly demonstrate the right way and the wrong way to approach tags for SEO.
Nicely done.
Write on!~
Lisa
Thanks for taking the time to read and respond. Glad you enjoyed it!
Right to the point simple and sweet! Thank you!