If you have worked with a website designer, developer or copywriter (or are about to), chances are you’ve heard SEO and even metadata mentioned. But, what is metadata for websites? Do you need to worry about it? Is it even important?
Essentially, metadata is defined as ‘data that describes other data’ and while that might sound a little vague, when it comes to your website and online presence, it’s anything but. Across the internet, metadata is used to describe individual pages on a website, allowing search engines such as Google, to understand what each page is all about. This data helps a search engine to assess the relevance of a page’s content and therefore determining whether or not a page will be displayed in search results. So, yes it’s something you need to worry about and, yes it’s very important.
The three main components of metadata
For each web page (and blog post) on your site the metadata can be broken down into three main components – the page title/title tag, the description/meta description, and the keyword/keywords.
Page Title or Title Tag
This is the heading that is shown at top of your search result listing and in that grey bar at the top of some internet browsers. Most importantly, it is a clickable link in those natural search results. Your page title or title tag is a big deal for lots of reasons including being the first item of information about your web page that readers see – it’s often your first impression.
Tips for page titles/title tags:
- Stick to 60-70 characters – including spaces
- Make sure that each page/post has a unique page title/title tag
- Focus on one keyword/keyword phrase per web page/post
- Include your business name if you can
Meta Description or Description
Again, this text will been shown to readers any time your business is listed in search engine results – it’s the snippet of descriptive text underneath the page title and URL. This is your chance to describe concisely what the page/post is about and encourage readers to click through to read your content.
Tips for meta descriptions/descriptions:
- Stick to 150-170 characters – including spaces
- Make sure that each description is unique
- Don’t be overly concerned about the description including your focus keyword – write for readers first, search engines second
- Include your business name and a call-to-action if you can
Keyword/s
Keywords and keyword phrase will not been seen by readers in search results. They can only be viewed through the page source and looking at the tag. So, why are they important? They are link, so to speak, between the search words the reader pops into the query box and the results shown by the search engine.
When adding metadata to your website keep in mind these important tips:
Do your research – As mentioned, it’s important to conduct keyword research or have it conducted on your behalf so you understand what terms your site should be optimised for. It’s crucial to do this kind of research in order to incorporate the best terms into your site’s metadata.
Follow the rules – There are a few rules you should be aware of when dealing with metadata. Firstly, be aware of character limits. Do not keyword stuff or use the same keyword more than once in your Description. If you include keyword tags, separate each keyword by a commas and use different keywords for each page.
Write compelling copy – When writing metadata, keep the copy concise, within the character limit and make it compelling. Your copy should initially grab the eye of a prospective reader and give an engaging yet brief overview of the page’s content so it can result in the searcher clicking through to find out more.
For more information or assistance with metadata for your website, contact the team at Website Design Centre today.
