Optimizing Keywords Meta Tag - 4 Top Strategies
By Herman Drost

The keywords tag is the least significant of the meta tags. The major search engines don't crawl it therefore it has no affect on your rankings. Many web sites don't even bother to even include it but focus on the title and description meta tags plus weaving their keyword phrases into the web copy.

So should you include it?

My recommendation is to include it anyway because some of the smaller search engines will still crawl it.

Here are the 4 top strategies to use:

1. Correct coding

Incorrect coding of your meta tags may prevent the search engine spiders fom crawling your web page. HTML errors throughout your web site slows the loading of your web pages. Slow loading causes customers to click off your web site.

The description tag is coded differently for HTML and XHTML.

In HTML the meta tag has no end tag. ie >

In XHTML the meta tag must be properly closed. ie />

2. Length of tag

The keywords meta tag should be under 800 characters. Use commas of spaces between each keyword.keywords (comma seperated, do not repeat a phrase more than 3 times)

3. Keyword repetition

You may repeat the keywords in your keyword phrases however don't repeat your keyword phrases more than three times. ie dog grooming and training,dog caring,dog training. Include the keywords used in your title, description tags and web copy. I use spaces instead of commas so the search engines can automatically pick up the combinations and I don't have to repeat keywords so often.

Instead of using commas ie dog grooming and training,dog caring,dog training

use spaces ie dog grooming training caring...and you'll use less words.

4. Word order

Place your most important keywords or keyword phrases at the beginning of your keywords meta tag.

Conclusion

The best investment of your time in optimizing your web site is to do thorough keyword research. Keywords are what people enter into the search engines to find your web site. If you include these keywords within your web copy and in the meta tags you have a much greater chance ranking well for your web site.

Keep in mind there are other major factors you need to consider to rank well such as lots of relevant high quality links pointing to your web site.

Herman Drost is the Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW)
owner and author of Maryland Web Site Design

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