Video: Google Does Not Use Keyword Meta Tags for Ranking

[engine]

Google's John Mueller confirms it doesn't use the keywords meta tag for ranking. This is old news, of course, but it goes on to indicate what contributes to ranking.

[aristotle]

He mentions the "description" meta tag. I don't think this is used for ranking, but it is sometimes used to help describe a page's content in its listing on the search results page. Because this description can be an important factor in determining how many search clicks a page attracts, I always spent quite a bit of time on it.

Unfortunately, google doesn't use this tag in its search results as often as it once did. This annoys me, because the description it substitutes usually doesn't convey what's actually on the page nearly as well as my meta tag description. And it is also usually less likely to attract clicks.

[tangor]

Though not stated it is kind of obvious that g will tamp down any "influence" to its listings by using their own methods. Sadly, these methods are not quite as precise as what a human can do. Then again, humans tend to cheat and over inflate so there might be some method to their "madness".

[engine]

As with so much that comes from google, it's what they don't say that gives tips and ideas. ;)