Meta tags are snippets of code in a web page’s HTML that provide metadata about the content of the page. These tags don’t appear on the page itself but are essential for search engines and browsers to understand the page’s topic and purpose. In SEO, meta tags influence how search engines index and display pages in search results.
There are various types of meta tags, but the most familiar are the meta title and meta description. The meta title offers a concise title for your content, while the meta description provides a brief summary. These elements directly influence click-through rates from search results.
To create meta tags:
In terms of implementation, if you’re using a CMS like WordPress, plugins such as Yoast SEO allow you to easily add meta tags. For manual coding, you’d use HTML in the page’s head section:
<head>
<title>Your Meta Title Here</title>
<meta name="description" content="Your meta description here.">
</head>
In essence, meta tags provide a brief yet vital snapshot of your page’s content for search engines and potential visitors, aiding in both discoverability and user engagement.