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Do Meta Keywords Still Matter for SEO?
Updated: 5 days ago
For years, website owners were told that adding keywords behind the scenes of a website was an important part of getting found online. But does the old meta keywords tag still matter today?
The short answer is—not nearly as much as it once did.
What Are Meta Keywords?
Meta keywords are words and phrases added to the HTML of a webpage to describe what the page is about. Visitors don't normally see them, but years ago, search engines used them as one way to understand and rank webpages.
A meta keywords tag might look something like this:
<meta name="keywords" content="web design, small business web design, responsive web design">The problem was that website owners quickly learned they could stuff these tags with dozens—or even hundreds—of keywords in hopes of ranking higher.
Search engines got smarter.
Does Google Use Meta Keywords?
Google does not use the meta keywords tag as a ranking signal for web search.
That doesn't mean keywords themselves aren't important. They absolutely are.
The difference is where and how they're used.
Instead of stuffing keywords into a hidden HTML tag, search engines have become much better at understanding the actual content of a webpage.
What About Bing and Other Search Engines?
Other major search engines don't give the traditional meta keywords tag the importance it once had either.
That's why I don't recommend relying on a hidden list of keywords as your SEO strategy.
If they're already on your website, there's usually no reason to panic and remove them. But there are much better places to spend your SEO efforts.
Where Should Your Keywords Go?
Your important words and phrases should naturally appear in places that actually help both visitors and search engines understand your website:
Page titles and headings should clearly describe the subject of the page.
Meta descriptions should give people a reason to click your page when it appears in search results.
Page content should naturally explain your services, products, location and expertise.
Image alt text should accurately describe relevant images.
Internal links help connect related pages and show search engines how the information throughout your website fits together.
Most importantly, write for people first.
Don't SEO It to Death
SEO is important, but more isn't always better.
Repeating the same keyword over and over or trying to squeeze every possible search phrase onto a page can make a website harder to read—and that's exactly what you don't want.
A good website should clearly tell visitors who you are, what you do and how you can help them while giving search engines enough information to understand your business.
It doesn't have to be complicated.
At RS Web De Sign's, I create clean, responsive websites for small businesses with usability, design and search visibility in mind.
Good SEO isn't about stuffing in more keywords. It's about putting the right information in the right places.
KEYWORD: SEO • Meta Keywords • Small Business SEO • Website SEO • Web Design • Small Business Web Design • Search Engine Optimization • Meta Descriptions • Image Alt Text • Responsive Web Design • Website Tips • RS Web De Sign’s
