An Overview of The Four Types of Meta Tags
In the SEO world, there is no particular trick that can help you rank higher. Instead, you need to focus on different aspects as part of a comprehensive strategy. This brings us to meta tags and the various types of meta tags- the importance of meta in the broader scheme of things. In the following paragraphs, we will dive deeper to talk about meta and its kinds. Having a grasp of the concept is essential to refine your SEO strategy and rank higher.
Defining Meta Tags
Meta tags are basically information snippets that talk about the contents of a page. But, instead of existing on the page, the meta is present in the source code. They tell the search engine what a particular page is all about. Written in HTML, you can use the right meta tags to communicate to the search engine-
- What the page talks about
- The best way to read the page
- Who are the intended recipients
Armed with this information, let us now explore the different kinds of meta tags and their relative importance in ensuring high search engine rankings.
How many types of meta tags are there in SEO?
There are many types of tags in SEO, and not all of them are equally important. However, it is important to have a clear grasp of the different kinds of meta tags and their functionalities to design a brilliant SEO strategy. So, if you are curious about the kinds of meta tags in SEO, letโs start with the title meta.
1. Title Tag
The title tag can appear as a clickable element in the search engine results. The title tag is also found on social networks and browsers. For example, you can check the title tag of this page by seeing the source code or pressing “ctrl+u” from your keyboard.
Earlier the title tags used to play a significant role in ranking a page. However, the ranking algorithms have changed a lot. But, nothing can take away the importance of a well-written title tag.
The title is still the first thing noticed by the searcher and helps them decide whether a page might answer the search query. Therefore, a well-written title tag can increase the number of clicks and ranking. So, it is important to connect with a reputed SEO company in Clearwater to write the title tag for your page.
However, these days the search engines look for much more than only the title tag. It is, therefore, vital to consider the whole web page. But, again, that does not mean one can ignore the importance of the title tag as it is like the book cover.
2. Meta Description Tag
Among the different types of meta tags, the meta description is one of the most essential ones. It is also found in the webpage header and is displayed in the search engine result snippet along with the page URL and title. It is true that meta description is not a ranking factor. However, one cannot ignore the significance of meta description and its role in increasing the click-through rate of results.
3. Heading Tags
These are HTML tags that help in identifying heading and subheadings within the content and differentiate the same for other content types. There is a lot of debate these days on the use of a heading tag. But there is no denying that it is one of the most important kinds of meta tags.
Heading tags are essential as they help in text and content organization and add to the architecture of the content. By appropriately using heading tags, you can help the search engines crawl through the content properly and users to navigate through the pages.
However, heading tags are not important for search engine rankings, and H1 is not more important than H2, and so on.
4. Image Alt Attributes
Image alt is one of the different types of meta tags added to the image tag for describing its content. These are important for on-page optimization because:
- They help people understand the content of the image if the image is not displayed due to a connectivity issue
- They can help the search engines understand the context as the machine is not able to see the image
Therefore, it is clear that various kinds of meta tags perform important roles in helping your page rank and the user understands the content flow. To design the best SEO strategy, you cannot ignore the importance of meta. Connect with a leading company offering SEO in Clearwater to know more.