Using meta tag in an HTML5 page
The meta tag is a void element that appears in the head section of a web page structure. The meta tag provides information about the webpage such as character encoding, page description, keywords and author.
1. Character Encoding
Character encoding represents the set of letters, numbers, punctuation and symbols used in a webpage and allows the browser to display the web page content. In Example 1 below the meta character set is indicated to be Unicode utf-8, this is used for HTML5 web pages and email.
2. Web Page Description
The meta tag may also be used to describe a webpage to a search engine. The search engine will use this data to list relevant results. This description will also tell search engine users what the web page contains. Example 2 below shows a meta tag named as "description" and the content value defines the web page description:
3. Keywords
The meta tag can also be used to specify keywords relevant to a webpage. In the past these keywords were accessed by search engines to rank websites in searches but are now mainly used to detect spam. Example 3 below shows a meta named "keywords" and the keywords written as the values of the content.
4. Author
Another use of the meta tag is to define the author of a web page. As seen in Example 4 below the meta name is author and the writer of the web page is referenced as Sarah Webb.
Search Engine Optimization
Search engines are the first place most web users go to find a web page. As such search engine rankings provide an opportunity to generate and drive targeted traffic. The following four guidelines describe website improvements which can maximise visibility in search engine rankings:
1. Create a unique and accurate title for each page of the website
It is best practice to choose a relevant title that accurately describes the webpage as this will communicate to search engines what the content of a page is and will appear in the first line of the search result for users. If a web page description matches a user's search query the words appear in bold in the search results. Short and informative titles are best for displaying in search results and are helpful to website visitors. For example the title tag of a business website homepage could describe the business name, location and main product offerings. It is best practice to identify each page with a unique title as this will differentiate the page from others in the website and provide the best results to users. For example the following shows the first organic result for the search query "laptop bag online" using Google:
2. Use the description meta tag
A short paragraph which summarises the content of the website can be written inside the meta tag to give search engines an overview of the page. This description may be shown beneath the title of a search result with the parts of the page that match the search keywords. It is best practice to write a description that is relevant to the webpage, is non-generic, does not just contain keywords and is not just a copy and paste of the webpage. The below example shows the meta tag description of a google search query for "Oasis Clothing" using Google. It also recommended to have a unique meta-tag description on each webpage.
3. Create URLS that are easy to understand
Search engines use software which crawls websites to explore and index the content. A URL that is as simple and easy to understand as possible gives a search engine more information about the page when crawling. The URL will display below the document title and description in a search result as seen in the example below. It is best practice to use URLs that are short, relevant, descriptive and are without excessive keywords. If a URL is not recognised by mobile devices it may not appear in a mobile search index.
4. Build a navigation hierarchy with a natural logical flow
A websites navigation indicates to the search engine which content is important. It is easier for search engines to crawl a navigation hierarchy that is made up of normal text links as opposed to drop down menus and images. An overly complex navigation hierarchy also makes it difficult for users to find content. An XML Sitemap file can be created specifically for search engines, this provides links of the web page structure and make it easier for search engines to find webpages. It is best practice to keep a site map organised and updated.
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