In 2021, Search Engine Optimization or SEO is not limited to focusing on a single aspect amongst the many cogs that guarantee better visibility and ranking websites. We have the obvious and more known strategies like target keywords and content, and then there are the hidden and yet necessary bricks like metadata that work together to optimize your site fully.
This article will take a closer look at what metadata is, why it matters, and the primary meta tags to focus on.
What is Metadata? Why is it Important?
Metadata is “data about data.” It can be thought of as a line of micro-communication between a website and search engines.
Metadata is mostly hidden into the framework of the HTML of web pages. Some are visible to visitors, but it is not something that most would pay attention. The natural next thought that comes to mind is, ‘why to think about something that our users won’t even see?’
Even though the core of SEO is constructing the best possible user experience, metadata is an essential contributor to SEO.
The metadata we employ in the form of meta tags for optimization can is considered as a ‘representative’ of your website that talks to search engines to let the engine crawlers know essential information about your site.
Since the crawlers are the primary agent of search engines that determine SERP, what SEO is all about, metadata becomes an important factor in evaluation.
Also, all metadata is not entirely invisible to an internet browser. By definition, a meta description or meta tag/attribute is an HTML component that acts as an abstract of your content and displays it on your page and SERPs for the search engines and users to see.
Meta description tags and the other meta tags that come under the much broader umbrella of metadata can significantly impact your search engine optimization results. The primary reason driving the importance of this SEO tactic is that metadata acts as ‘organic ad content.’
Important Meta Tags
Now that metadata is important, let’s look at the significant meta tags to narrow down on to optimize your site for the best SEO results fully.
Title Tags
Title tags are the most basic and prominent piece of metadata to appear on any page. The format is relatively simple to understand. Generally, the CMS you use automatically generates the meta tag from your running title of a blog post.
For example, for this post, the title tag may be-
<title>Importance Of Metadata For SEO </title>
For good SEO, the best tags include the primary keyword, preferably at the start of the title tag. Using longtail keywords targets explicitly your audience, which, if used correctly, can generate a ton of organic traffic. The length should not exceed 60 characters, and it should remain relevant to your post.
Meta Description Tags
Meta description tags are the snippets that appear under your website’s link on a search engine result page. They are the HTML element that creates a brief description describing what your blog post or website is about. They can also be found in the <head> of a page.
The snippet is the first opportunity to make a good impression on users, after SERP rankings, to entice them into clicking on the URL links to your site.
<meta name=”description” content=”A sample of meta description. Limit content up to 160 characters.”>
Meta description tags affect the organic clicks to your site, improves CTR, and decreases bounce rates. A description tag with keywords, a comprehensive but short idea of what information you provide and uniqueness help optimize your metadata in the best way.
Image Alt Attributes
The alternative text tag, more commonly known as alt text, is essential to identify images. Search engine spiders are unable to read images like typical content. If the spider or crawler cannot read that there is an image provided, they will not factor in its impact on SEO. Hence, even after including infographics and visual data, your SERP ranking will not increase.
To show that you create quality content for the search engine crawler image, alt text tags for metadata become essential. These tags describe the image (in HTML elements) to become recognizable to search engines.
Here’s a sample-
<img src=”http://metametadata.com/abc.jpeg” alt=”pqr” />
A well-written image alt text can make all the difference in the world in terms of SERP rankings and increasing organic traffic to your sites. Try including proper keywords, relevant captions, and good content; keep it clear and descriptive.
SEO is the new way to boost your content and increase the visibility of your site. In the comprehensive strategy and planning good SEO calls for, do not forget to add the minor tweaks of metadata to achieve the full potential of your content and generate organic traffic to your website.