Meta Tags / keywords

how to target keywords thru Meta Tags

[vaniaul]

Hi Everyone

I hope everyone is in high spirits. I've just launched the new version of my site [snip]. I'm making Meta Tags for the ppages in my site. I wanted to know the Perfect way to write these Meta Tags, from Google's perspective.

Please also tell that how should I write if I target any specified key phrase. When I started writing I felt that same words are popping in again and again. Now can u tell me a dynamic way to get access to more educational related keywords, searched on the web.

I look forward to your reply.

Thanks
Vani

[edited by: pageoneresults at 2:03 pm (utc) on April 29, 2004]
[edit reason] Removed URI Reference - Please refer to TOS [/edit]

[Nick_W]

Hi,

Many folks, including me, think that meta tags have no importance anymore, or at least not enough to bother worrying about them too much.

I know that some time back Google started paying attention to them in some small way though, so it's up to you. Personally i prefer the benefit of having my copy closer to the top of the document than bothering with iffy meta tags.

The best way to learn to target your keywords is to read here. Read the libraries in the relavent forums and ask pertinent questions, like this one ;)

In your position, I think it would be far more valuable to spend time on making sure that your content is the very best on the net for your category. That way, people will link to your site, you'll get the benefit of the keywords they use in the anchor text and everyones a winner.

Good luck with your new site!

Nick

[gazza_tt]

i am far from an expert but my google ranking has shot up after i started using my title, keywords and description meta tags properly.
i have also found that my google ranking has gone up after i added some outbound links to other sites that have similar title, keyword and description meta tags. has anyone else found this aswell?

[creative craig]

Inktomi used to read the meta tags, has this moved across with Yahoo?

Craig

[jetboy_70]

Yeah Craig,

Yahoo stated early on that metatags were used for ranking. It was reported on WW a few weeks ago.

As far as I know, Google only uses the meta description as a snippet in the SERPs if it can't find the search phrase in the body copy. Neither meta description or meta keywords affect ranking.

[jetboy_70]

So to answer vaniaul's first question, from *Google's perspective* the meta description should be a descriptive snippet of what's on the page, that must contain a least part of the search term to be used.

However, in Yahoo, I get far better results just mirroring the short strings of keywords used in the meta keywords tag.

As for where to find keywords; try the Google Adwords keyword suggestion tool or similar offerings from Overture and Espotting. Wordtracker can also be worthwhile.

[Nick_W]

after i started using my title, keywords and description meta tags properly.

I'll bet it had FAR more to do with <title> than anything else. Proper titles are fundamental to not only an understandable document, but a RANKING document ;-)

Nick

[Jetgirl]

vaniaul, regarding your question on a way to get access to more related keywords users are searching on, there are several resources available for you.

There are online tools like WordTracker and Overture's Suggestion Tool that you can use to see how often certain keyword combinations are searched on the web (they also provide related keyword searches based on the keyword(s) you enter).

Additionally, you should be checking your logs for what is sending customers to your site. Note that the keyword(s) searched on is in the referring URL of users that come from search engines. All you have to know is what the key before the keyword(s) is/are. For instance, Google uses p= or q=.