Even though the META Keyword tags have been useless for a while now, some tags still play a big part in SEO. The good news is that now, with a CMS like WordPress, you can update these tags yourself.
In older browsers, this was the text you would see along the top bar. Newer browsers usually do not show the title tag (because they now offer tabs), but it does still matters.
Each page should have a unique title tag that specifically describes the content within that page. You want to use keywords in your tag but make sure it makes sense to the reader. These tags signal to the engines what the page is about.
These tags are also important. The engines will look at these as indicators of context:
- What is this page about? H1
- What is this section about? H2, H3, H4
META Description Tag
This tag has no direct effect on your page ranking. However, it is still important. More often than not, this is the information that shows up in the SERPs as the page’s description.
This is your SERP sales pitch. Use this tag to describe the page in such a way that the user will want to click.
Context
We’ve written extensively about the importance of context when it comes to SEO. It’s not just the content on the page that matters. It’s the relationship between that content and…
- Audience needs
- Related pages
- Links to and from the page
- Social and other shares
Long Tail Keywords
Keyword strategies have changed quite a bit in the past few years. Google, Bing and Yahoo are now rank sites based on context rather that just a list of words and phrases.
Just think about the types of searches you perform on Google. How often do you search using just one or two words? And when you do, do you find you need to add additional words to the search to narrow down the results?
Link Building
Link exchanges used to be the currency of SEO. People would talk about the “link juice.” Some folks even paid for link exchanges from services promising top ranking. They learned the hard way that there is no easy link building formula and their site was summarily penalized.
That said, links still matter. A quality link creates another channel through which users and engines can discover your content. But, what is a quality link?
You need to think about the source. If the source is a crappy website with thin and useless content, then the quality of the link back to your website is diminished. In many cases it can actually harm your ranking.
These links and social signals are gold! They tell the engines as well as potential clients that you are a trusted authority. Here are some of the types of links you want:
- Social shares– encourage your fans and followers to share your posts (try posting 20% your content, 80% other useful content)
- Email newslettersthat link back to your blog or website
- Listings in popular blogswith authority in your industry (these are no bought, they are earned!)
- Internal linking– link to services pages, promotions, and other posts as it make sense for the user.
Code and Context Rule!
Taking these steps means your website and content are effective and evergreen. You’re building quality traffic over time that lasts.
The social shares and email marketing will help to prime the pump. The search engines will take a little longer to catch up and index your content. But stick with it.