Monday, August 07, 2006

Meta Tag Web Site Traffic Tips


What are meta tags and what do they have to do with web site traffic?

Meta tags are a form of web site traffic optimization that originally made it possible to be listed on a search engine. When a search engine does a simple search, as soon as you click the go button, it pulls up hundreds of thousands of pages with keywords and meta tags contained with your page. Thus without meta tags - an HTML-based keyword listing - search engines would not be as effective when searching for web pages.

The meta keyword tag and meta description tag teamed together carry a lot of clout with search engines and are an important part to building traffic for any web site, especially new home pages trying to make a name for themselves amongst the overabundance of web sites with the same theme, message, content or intent.

It's important to make yourself stand out and with meta tags you can do just that for your web site as soon as it gets listed and even after it gets listed.

How can meta tags increase web site traffic?

Meta tags can increase web site traffic instantly by providing the visitors to your home page search engine clues that your site in particular is the one they want to visit first, above all other sites out there.

When placing your meta tags within the header of your web site HTML code, it's important to be as specific as possible. One word phrases, no sentences, all surrounding the exact content of your web site.If it isn't on your page, don't list it. Don't go meta tag crazy either. This means: Don't add so many meta tags your page becomes lost in the melee that is search engine results.

Limit your meta take intake to ten to 15 words at maximum unless you absolutely need more than that to adequately showcase the content of your entire web site.

Utilize negative meta tags to make an even bigger dent in your competition's web site traffic.

If possible, use negative meta tags and keywords to avoid being placed in searches you don't want to be. Negative meta tags can be place by adding a hyphen before the word you don't want to be associated with your web site.

For example, let's say your web site dives into the psyche of the adult film store but you don't mean to appear on search results for "porn star." By adding to your meta tags "-porn," your web site won't show up when someone haphazardly types "porn" into their search engine of choice.

Employing negative meta tags limits when your page will show up, but it will limit traffic to the absolute audience you are searching for to view your web site.

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