How to Use Meta Tags to Improve Rankings

Image Credit: Si1very

Do meta tags help improve search engine rankings? The answer is simple: Yes and no.

Since search engines generally ignore meta tags, adding keywords to these tags really isn’t going to help you move your rankings up any. That may lead you to wonder if meta description tags still matter. In fact they do because meta description tags play an important role in generating click throughs from the search results. [Tweet This]

That means if you write a good meta description (and Google displays it in the SERPs) you have a better chance of getting clicked. If Google is able to determine that your lower-ranked page is getting more clicks than a higher ranked page, that could be the catalyst to pushing you up some spots.

Everything we do with our websites has a cause and effect. It’s just not always what we think. Many SEOs blow off meta description tags because they don’t have a direct impact on ranking. But if you ask me, an indirect impact can be just as good, if not better.

Why? Because it causes us to focus more on the customer than on the search engines. If we were able to get better rankings by adding keywords to a meta description, that won’t automatically translate into getting more targeted visitors to our site. However, when you focus your meta tag on providing value to searchers, every click you get will be far more valuable. And if that value translates into better rankings, it’s a dual win.