meta tags: useful or a joke?

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For a long time now I have heard all through the SEO world about using meta tags to put in a description of the website, the keywords that would be primary to the site and other important information. Heck, it is even talked about on here from time to time.

However, I recently came across this site:

Never use META tag in html, syntax.

He is saying that doing meta tags for keywords and descriptions is a waste of time. It leads me to ask if anyone has actually done a test of this to see if a page ranks higher using meta tags or not? Anyone with actual test data to supply, please comment.
#search engine optimization #joke #meta #tags
  • I've heard that Google doesn't care about meta tags anymore but the other search engines like Yahoo do.I'm not sure about this but this is what I've heard.
    • [1] reply
    • a lot of the smaller search eangines out there still worries about this.
  • Thanks for the replies. The question I am asking though is what proof do we have that these search engines still use meta tag data? I can list a couple thousand people that will say that they heard this was the case but where is the proof? Please understand, I am not coming down on anyone here but I am looking for something concrete rather than speculative.
  • The rules can change at any time. Who knows what Google will dictate next? Metatags may rise phoenix-like from the ashes.
    • [2] replies
    • I know the meta tag for the page description is still important. If you have a meta description Google will use that for the text that it displays under your title in their search results page.

      Now I don't know if it does anything for your ranking (probably not), but that text can be useful in getting people to click on your link versus a competitor.

      Look at it as a conversion tactic.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
    • In Internet marketing, and particularly SEO, you should be very wary of anyone who makes categorical statements. Especially when those statements are about Google.

      The fact is that nobody really knows.

      What IS 'known' is that Google SAY they don't take any notice of the keywords meta tag. I emphasize SAY because Google have a track record of saying one thing and doing another.

      Having said that, there is probably little or no SEO benefit to spending a long time crafting a keyword-stuffed meta tag. There MAY be a benefit, however, in simply putting one or two primary keywords in there. Why? Because even if none of the search engines use the data today, who is to say that they won't use it tomorrow. Algorithms change all the time and we generally have no idea what is making a difference at the margin.

      And if someone comes up with real proof in two years time that pages with keyword meta tags on them rank better you would kick yourself if you'd assumed that putting it on the thousands of pages you may have built by then was 'a joke'. Especially as that joke takes such little time and effort to tell.

      The article referenced in the OP seems to suggest that both the keywords and the description meta tags are a waste of time. That is patently false because you can prove that Google are reading the description tag - that's where they prefer to get the snippet they use to describe your page in their listings.

      There is no evidence that the description tag gives you any ranking advantage, but it sure as anything helps to draw attention to your page wherever it does get ranked.

      It seems that Google prefer to use the description meta IF it includes the primary keyword for the page. If not, they will pick a random snippet from you page text that does include the keyword or phrase - as far as possible.

      This can lead to some weird listings - as we all know.

      To some extent you can control that by crafting a good description meta - one that includes your primary keyphrase and, in a natural writing style, common derivations of it.

      As I said at the beginning, anyone claiming to be an 'expert' on what Google do or don't do, and who gives you concrete, black & white instructions about what will or won't rank your pages is stretching their own reputation thinly and quite probably is looking to sell you something.

      And, although I'm not trying to sell you anything, I include my observations in that disclaimer as well.

      Martin
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • I have yet to come across 1 of the smaller search engines which shoots me that much traffic that it'd be worth for me to bother about how they handle their metatags.
  • I can only proof that the big G does not use the keyword meta tag:

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

    But they still pay attention to meta description as it will be shown as an excerpt in search engine result.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Keywords meta-tag really doesn't seem to matter for any of the big 3. MSN Live used to use it some but the new Bing doesn't appear to. I have seen it have an impact on Adsense ads that are displayed when there is little other content on the page, such as on a Flash games or video site. It's been a while since I tried this though.

    Description meta-tag doesn't affect rankings but is sometimes used as a display excerpt on the search engine results page. Having a good description rather than "keyword1 keyword2 keyword3" can help boost click-thru to your site.

    On the article, robots meta-tag is useful when you have a dynamically generated site such as with WordPress or Joomla. If you have a static site, then robots.txt is the preferred way to do this.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • The META Keywords tag hasnt be used by Google for quite a while now. The Description tag doesnt contribute to rankings but is a useful selling point. It allows you to have 2 lines to try and get people to click your site
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Ok, then. Thanks to all of you for giving your answers.

    To Sup3rskunk,

    While I agree that these smaller ones don't really send traffic, what they do give is backlinks that the 3 big engines use as credible sources. This means that you should still be concerned with them even though they do not send any traffic directly to you, they do it through alternate means. That I do know works because I saw a friends site go from page 4 to page 2 on google simply because he submitted his site to the smaller engines and as they indexed him and linked to him, it raised his page rank up.
  • Well Martin, I will say this about you, you are definitely one of the few that are willing to put the truth out there no matter who it might hurt, feelings wise. I like that about you. Also, I want to thank you for your honesty and your input. I will still put them in but I will not be so fretful over them from now on.
  • It takes so little time and effort to setup. Even if there was a slight chance one small search engine might use it for something someday, it's worth the effort.


    -joel
    • [1] reply
    • I agree. I posted earler on a topic about cloaking affiliate links. When you find a hotly debated topic such as this, evelauate the downside if you do it versus the possible downside if you don't. Go down the 'better safe than sorry' route.

      I don't know what the senior Google engineers and executives think on this matter but, as it seems there is no penalty for including meta tags, then I will put some in. Why not?

      In the same way as I cloak affiliate links, if the jury is out on the subject and it only takes a couple of seconds to do, then I will do it.
      • [1] reply
  • While google does not care about meta tags anymore, some other smaller search engines do. But you also should have them due to the fact if you have booking on your site those meta tags is what is used to bookmark your site.

    No meta tags, someone goes to bookmark your site they will enter what they want. It is obvious that you want them to use your keywords and your anchor text...

    James

  • here is a silly idea... why not use the meta tags as they are supposed to be used. It takes very little effort and if a search engines pays attention, great! If not, no harm done.

    Building a website correctly is always a good start. Every search engine is different but if you pay attention to the basics it's only going to benefit your site. No search engine is going to penalize your site if you've got <title> <meta description> <meta keywords> <h1 - h6> <bold> etc... all in the right places doing what they are meant to do. Just because google ignores something doesn't mean the scoobydoobot will.
    • [1] reply
    • Yeah, but I could care less about scoobydoobot.

      Search engines won't penalize you either if you add the
      words: "I love ice cream."

      You shouldn't do anything just because.

      If people were told to concentrate 100% on what matters,
      these threads would not keep popping up.

      This thread was about meta description and keywords, not various
      other html.

      When one looks at logic, and google, and puts two and two
      together, there is no way a viable algorithm is going to give results
      based on someone's chosen keywords and description.

      Now about scoobydoobit, well, I don't want scoobydoo results.

      Paul
  • Yes, it is. And google stated long ago that they don't put much, if any, weight into meta tags.

    Does that mean don't use them.... that would be stupid. Even if google doesn't put any weight into meta tags, other search engines do. Google may again in the future add meta tags back into their algorithm.

    The easy solution... use them as they are meant to be used. It's not going to hurt your site and your site will only benefit by using them.
  • as another poster already mentioned, google does (not always) use the meta description in their SE listings but the meta description and keywords do not play a part in rankings... according to Matt Cutts.

    But like all things google... what do we really know, it's all voodoo SE black magic.
  • I don't think this is the waste because on page optimization mainly dependent on this meta tags..
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  • None of the search engines currently care about meta tags. Its said that yahoo and bing does, but even if they do, the stress is really low.
    • [1] reply
    • Google didnt read meta descriptions or meta keywords (for seo purposes) for mroe than 2 years. Make a nice 160 character description to grab your potential customers attention though.
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    meta tags: useful or a joke?

    For a long time now I have heard all through the SEO world about using meta tags to put in a description of the website, the keywords that would be primary to the site and other important information. Heck, it is even talked about on here from time to time. However, I recently came across this site: