+45 53 83 87 01Meta keywords are specific tags or coding elements within the HTML code of a webpage that describe the content of that page. They appear in the head section of the page’s HTML and were initially designed to inform search engines about the topics that the page covers using a list of relevant keywords and phrases.
Usage:
Historically, meta keywords were used as a factor by search engines to determine the relevance of a webpage to search queries. They allowed webmasters to directly inform search engines about the themes and subjects of their content. Meta keywords could be easily added to the code of a webpage by including the “” tag within the head of the HTML document.
In practice, webmasters would choose keywords that were closely related to the subject of their page, aiming to represent accurately the page’s content, and hoping to improve the page’s search engine ranking for those keywords.
Limitations:
Over time, meta keywords became less significant for search engine ranking as search algorithms evolved. This was largely due to widespread abuse, where webmasters would stuff irrelevant or excessive keywords into the meta tags in an attempt to manipulate search rankings a practice known as keyword stuffing. This led to poor user experiences and unreliable search results.
Due to this abuse and the advancement of search engine algorithms, most major search engines, including Google, have announced that they no longer take meta keywords into account when ranking webpages. As such, they have become somewhat obsolete in terms of search engine optimization.
Best practices:
Given the current state of search engine algorithms, focusing on meta keywords is generally no longer a priority for SEO. Instead, SEO experts recommend that webmasters invest their efforts in other areas, such as high-quality content creation, proper use of meta descriptions, and effective keyword usage within the content itself.
However, if webmasters choose to include meta keywords, it is still considered best practice to ensure that they accurately reflect the content and are used judiciouslyavoiding keyword stuffing and the inclusion of irrelevant terms. This practice won’t likely lead to SEO benefits but can assist in maintaining a clean and structured HTML document.
In summary, meta keywords are a type of meta tag once used for SEO but are now considered by most modern search engines to be an outdated technique with little to no impact on search rankings. The focus of SEO strategies today has largely shifted away from meta keywords toward more substantial and user-centric tactics.
