HTML Tags in Search Engine Optimization
HTML Tags in Search Engine Optimization
HTML tags, apart from keywords and site design, play an important role in search engine optimization (SEO), never mind that they’re also the cornerstone upon which all web sites are built.
But not all tags are created equal, at least, as far as search engines are concerned. The following is a list those relevant to your SEO efforts.
Head Title Tag – make words appear in the top bar of your browser which describes the page’s content
Why Optimize:
* words within this tag are what appear in the clickable link on the search engine results page (SERP) to help users determine whether they should visit your site
* most engines & directories place a high level of importance on keywords found here
Syntax:
<head>
< text >
</head>
* generally followed by your Meta description and Meta keywords tags
Tips:
* stay within a 7-10 word frame (60 to 115 characters)
* include as much relevant information and descriptions about your site as possible – company name + main products and services (since most people don’t know your company name when searching) + geographical location (if you intend to target a specific market) + descriptive eye-catching keywords (to grab audience attention)
ex. Quest Outdoor Learning: Philippine’s Affordable Package Tours Provider
* though not case-sensitive, initial caps look cleanest (ALL CAPS doesn’t look good in the SERP)
* if you have to repeat words, don’t put them right next to each other v* choose the most relevant, most important keywords or keyword phrases from your copy to help you write a compelling title tag
* don’t use words like “Home, Default or Index” as they’re search engine stoppers
Meta Tags
*are discussed in detail here
Heading Tags – specify a certain string of text on the page
Syntax:
<Hx> text </Hx> where x = 1 ~ 6 (variations)
Why Optimize:
* can be used to make a certain word stand out more than others to search engines
Tips:
* keep headers as short as possible
* place your targeted search terms within them
Comment Tag – placed within the text so that web masters know where something begins and ends within the HTML coding
Syntax:
<! — comments please –>
Why Optimize:
* can help boost your keyword density, although hardly any of the major search engines index comment tags
No Script Tag – used in conjunction with SCRIPT element; indicates content/HTML markup that will only appear if the browser does not support the SCRIPT syntax; contents will be ignored by browsers that support the SCRIPT element
Syntax:
<no script></no script>
*place this tag after starts
Why Optimize:
* some search engines use this like the first text from your web site
* important if your text starts very low in your HTML document
Tips:
* include text like a second description
* may be considered spamming (as content falls under hidden or invisible text)
Hidden Value Tags – part of the