Proof that Google ignores Meta Tags

[Jeremy Morgan]

I'm a little behind here, but 90% of SEOs out there have been saying that google ignores meta tags, including myself, (although I still think they read description tags) and they finally announced it:

Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Google does not use the keywords meta tag in web ranking

So can we officially put the keywords meta tag to rest? Whatever Google does, everyone else follows, and I seriously doubt the other search engines are using them either. Every time I see them in a customer's site I cringe because I'll know they want me to keep them. I have many customers who spent hours and hours of weekly meetings and collaboration to come up with these keywords. But I think it's time to start phasing it out.

I'm glad google announced this, because now I can show this page to my customers!

I know the keyword tag has been ignored for a while, but the description tag is still being read to use for your SERP description. So those are what you should pay attention to. But don't try to load up your description with keywords, use it to grab the attention of the searcher! That's what will really count.

[hishaman]

Google is ignoring the meta tag keywords, but Yahoo is not ignoring it! I think there is no problem from adding it anyways to our websites!

By the way, your signature link says "Want 10.000 friends on Twitter.....", mmm why you are not active on Twitter? just wondering!

[Lucid]

It's been know for years that Google either ignores the keywords tag or does not give it much weight.

[Quill]

So meta tags are like cassette tapes,black and white TV's? redundant,obsolete,do they have no value whatsoever now?

[BarrieAdams]

Originally Posted by Quill

So meta tags are like cassette tapes,black and white TV's? redundant,obsolete,do they have no value whatsoever now?

They have no value to Google, but other search engines still use them. I don;t spedn anytime on adding keywords and don't bother with the tag. I still rank well in Yahoo and Bing.

[Mike Anthony]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Morgan

I'm a little behind here, but 90% of SEOs out there have been saying that google ignores meta tags, including myself, (although I still think they read description tags) and they finally announced it:

Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Google does not use the keywords meta tag in web ranking

So can we officially put the keywords meta tag to rest?

Well at least until someone comes along as has been the recent trend to claim that you can't rely on anything that Google says and /or SEOs recognize.

Nice post and good info. I like reading posts on info Google is giving out. I don't say you can always run with everything but it beats the pants off of what a semi anonymous poster writes.

[paulgl]

If bing touts itself as being as good if not better than google,
and calls itself a different kind of search engine, bing has got
to follow suit and ignore them as well. Why? Because the same
reason google ignores them is valid. Very valid. People lie,
cheat, schmooze, bloat, and otherwise mislead with the
meta tags description and keywords. Why would bing make
decisions based on that?

But speaking of google, you can quote google over and over,
but still people think google lies. Or they ignore google and say
that they do things just to make themselves feel good.
Feelings are not SEO.

"Seeing" a meta tag and using it for SERPs are 2 different things.
They should never be used for SERPs.

If bing has google pride, it too will put a huge discount on the
aforementioned meta tags.

Paul

[Mike Anthony]

Originally Posted by paulgl

But speaking of google, you can quote google over and over,
but still people think google lies.

Yeah but where does this strong sentiment come from? Frankly I only see this strong in make money online people who just don't like certain things. Its not this mainline theme among real SEO types.

Like any company that has a sauce they have to keep secret they don't always tell you the whole deal and like ton loads of companies they overestimate their capabilities.

But think about it if you can't trust Google on anything you are sunk.

Forget using webmaster tools since they would be totally unreliable.
Forget writing content because Google may choose to ignore it.
Forget backlinking because you might wake up in the morning and find they fooled everyone.

I mean its all a bit ridiculous. The company that runs the engine has to be given some weight of authority when they say something. Now if it doesn't check out on testing then fine but the "google lies" answer to certain facts is really lame.

Not saying you were saying that Paul.

[paulgl]

Maybe you mistook my comments.

I mean people can read word for word what google says on their
official websites, but go off on their own. But I for one give it a lot of weight.

And many will read it, and ignore it, basically saying that google is
lying and that they know best. To that I say hogwash. I would put
more faith in what google says and not someone else when they
give contradictory advice.

The "feelings" routine. "I know google ignores the keyword tag, but
I know it must be useful and it makes me feel good, so I'm going to
use it!"

The fact that google ignores the meta tags keywords and description
is a given fact. No two ways about it. But people just "feel good" about
doing those and give them much more importance than is really fact.

Now in some cases, google will quote the meta description. But they
don't do it for my site, nor on most searches I do. Yes, I have a
description and keyword tag, but for no other reason than that they
look good. The difference is I fully admit that.

I know of several big sites that do not have either meta tag.

If people read the google blog, help guide, etc., they would find a lot
of useful information that SEO experts charge an arm and a leg for.

Paul

[Davioli]

In my opinion.. I don't see why Google would ignore Meta tags.

Meta tags show your description as you'd want it to appear on the search results. I've found having parts of your keywords scattered in it aids in some way or the other in ranking. I tend to think of them as an additional "pointer" to Google to show them what topics of content you have on your website.

Again.. I reiterate that this is my opinion based solely on my experience. (I'm starting to have this disclaimer .. people flame alot these days)

[Mike Anthony]

Originally Posted by Davioli

I tend to think of them as an additional "pointer" to Google to show them what topics of content you have on your website.

Thats why Google came to ignore them. Too many people were pointing and the content didn't even have to match. People spammed the meta tags.

[Black Hat Cat]

Hmm.....Google says they don't use them....I'll definitely be including them from now on then.

[khtm]

Regardless of if Google uses the Keywords Meta tag or not, other search engines and bots still do, so its silly not to continue to use them.

Even that 1% extra traffic could result in conversions

[dburk]

Hi Jeremy,

There is nothing new here, this has been a well known fact for more than 10 years.

Google has never used the meta keywords tag. This was discovered and well known by the SEO industry from the earliest days of Google's arrival. It was a significant difference from other search engines a decade ago and a major contributor to Google's success.

Back then keyword meta tag stuffing was a significant and growing problem. They solved this issue by analyzing visible page content rather than the meta tags. This has and likely will continue to be a hallmark feature of Google's search engine.

[BrendanBurner]

OMG i cannot believe the ammount of time i have put into meta tags in the past but i suppose it all helps with research

Regards Brendan

[Eric Graudins]

Looks like many people are confusing the term metatags and meta keyword tag and treating them as the same thing.

Meta tags are the tags in the header of your webpage.
There are different metatags for different purposes:

• The meta description tag.
• The meta keywords tag
• The meta robots tag

and many more.

It's wrong to say that Google ignores meta tags.
What it DOES ignore is the meta keywords tag.

There's a big difference :-)

cheers,
Eric G.

[davidjames42973]

Interesting post. Thanks for sharing...

I still use meta tags and meta descriptions for all of my websites, but the main thing that I rely on to get good rankings is content. The more content I have, the more keywords that I rank for.

Are my keywords perfectly targeted? No. I do a lot of keyword research but I don't rely on it as my #1 source of ranking.

[InternetMarketingIQ]

For people who want to learn what meta tags are before they go making blanket statements.

Search Engine Features For Webmasters - Search Engine Watch (SEW)

[paulgl]

But this whole thread is not on all meta tags.

It's on the meta tags keywords and description.

Neither are used for ranking.

Google will include the description from your meta tag
IF and only IF it thinks it is the best place to get a description
of your site from. Many times it doesn't.

Yes, robots meta is useful and could be very important to you
and google.

But let's be clear. Google does not care about the description
or keywords meta tags.

But, like I said, even when people are shown quotes off of official
google websites, they still say, "I don't care what google says."

That does NOT mean you should not use them.

Nowhere does google say to not use them. They just politely
inform you that they will not take them seriously when it comes
to rankings.

There's no mix up here about meta tags. Keywords and description
are meta tags.

And they are not in any header. They are in your <head>

Paul