In SEO, we tend to prioritise one aspect of optimisation efforts over others. SEO strategy creation- For instance, link building is cited as the “single most important thing to optimise.” However, we need to focus on a comprehensive SEO strategy creation.
Meta tags are all about communicating with search engines:
- What is your page about
- How to read it
- Who should see it
With that in mind, let’s go over the 10 most important meta tags for SEO and how to use them well.
1. Title Tags
The title tag is the main and most important anchor. The title tag typically appears as a clickable headline in the SERPs, social networks, and in browsers. A title tag describes what the page is all about and is placed in the <head> of your webpage. A well-written title tag may increase traffic and the number of clicks, which may have a positive impact on rankings.
Best practices for SEO strategy creation
- Give a unique title to each page that accurately describes the page’s content.
- Keep the length of the titles to 50–60 characters.
- Put important keywords first, but in a natural way, as if you were writing titles for your visitors first.
2. Meta Description Tags
The meta description is also found in the <head> of a webpage and is usually (not always) displayed in a snippet along with the title and page URL. Although meta description isn’t a ranking factor, it’s a great opportunity for anyone looking to increase click-throughs and polish their brand’s SERPs.
Competition research is a great way to determine what to write in your meta description. Look at how your top competitors fill out their descriptions to understand the best use cases.
Best practices for SEO strategy creation
- Give a unique meta description to each page that clearly reflects the page’s value.
- Keep the descriptions to 150-160 characters long.
- Include your most important keywords to highlight them on the actual SERP, but avoid keyword stuffing.
3. Heading Tags (H1-H6)
Heading tags are HTML tags used to characterise headings and subheadings within your content. Using heading tags contributes immensely to the architecture of the content.
- Headings make it easier for search engine bots to read and comprehend well-organised content than to crawl through structural issues.
- Headings act like anchors for users, which makes it easier for them to navigate through the page and make the content easier to digest.
Best practices for SEO strategy creation
- Keep your headings relevant to the text described below.
- Always make your headings reflect the tone of the text described below.
- Don’t overuse the keywords and tags in them.
4. Image Alt Attributes
An image alt attribute describes the content of an image tag.
Alt attributes are crucial for on-page optimisation for two reasons:
- Visitors will see the alt text if any image doesn’t load (or if the images are disabled).
- Since search engines cannot “see” images, alt attributes provide context.
But remember the importance of relevance: the image itself should be placed in its relevant context besides the alt text, titles, and captions.
Best practices for SEO strategy creation
- Do your best to optimise the most striking images (infographics, product images, or training images), which are likely to be searched for in Google Images.
- Add alt text to pages where there isn’t much content apart from the images.
- Keep the alt text descriptive and clear, and ensure they fit naturally with the rest of the page’s content.
5. Nofollow Attributes
External/outbound links are links on your site that point to other websites. Adding a nofollow attribute to a link instructs search engine bots not to follow it.
Naturally, these are used to refer to reliable sources, direct people to other useful resources, or mention a relevant site for some reason. Also, linking to credible sources makes your content appear more comprehensive and credible for SEO.
Best practices for SEO strategy creation
- Use nofollow for low-quality or spammy links.
- Use nofollow for paid links.
- Use nofollow for affiliate links.
6. Robots Meta Tag
The robots meta tag instructs search engines how to crawl and index your website. These tags don’t directly correlate with rankings but may influence how your site appears in the eyes of search engines. For instance, you may have a page that offers little value to users but is necessary; you probably wouldn’t want it included when evaluating your site’s overall quality. In such cases, robots meta tags come in handy because they give you some control over how search engines should consider your site.
Best practices for SEO strategy creation
- Close unnecessary pages that add little value and have no intention of appearing in the SERPs.
- Close pages that unnecessarily waste crawl budget.
- Ensure you don’t accidentally restrict important pages from indexing.
7. Canonical Tag
The canonical link tag tells search engines which version of a page you consider to be the main one and want to be indexed and found by people.
It’s commonly used when the same page is accessible via multiple URLs or when multiple pages contain very similar content on the same topic. Internal duplicate content isn’t treated as strictly as copied content because it usually lacks manipulative intent.
Best practices for SEO strategy creation
- Pages with similar content on the same topic
- Duplicate pages accessible under multiple URLs
- Versions of the same page with other URL Parameters that have no effect on the content
8. Schema Markup
Schema markup is a method of organizing data on each of your webpages so search engines can understand. It’s an amazing feature to implement because it’s a real win-win.
Having a structured schema markup:
- Is a great boost to your UX
- Carries huge SEO value
Best practices for SEO strategy creation
- Use schema markup on all webpages.
- Use relevant schema types for your content.
- Thoroughly test your schema markup using Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool.
9. Viewport Tag
Viewport tag optimises your website for mobile devices. This is important because search engines now prioritise mobile-friendly websites in their search results.
Best practices for SEO strategy creation
- Use the viewport tag to optimise your website for mobile devices.
- Use it to indicate that your website is mobile-friendly.
- Test your website’s mobile compatibility using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
10. Social Media Meta Tags
Use specific social media meta tags to improve how your links look to your followers. Facebook first introduced Open Graph to allow you to control how a page would look when shared on social media. LinkedIn has now recognised it as well. For Twitter, it’s exclusive.
Best practices for SEO strategy creation
- Using the Open Graph protocol, add basic and relevant metadata, and test the URLs to see how they will be displayed.
- Create Twitter cards and then validate them.
Final Words
Don’t overlook the minor changes that add up to the big picture if you want to get the most out of your on-page strategy. Small changes that help search engines understand your site better and improve the user experience will surely pay off in the long run.
