Meta keywords allow you to tell search engines what topics are covered on your page.
But do meta keywords affect your organic search rankings?
Read on to find out if there is any link between meta keywords and improved Google rankings.
Disclaimer: Meta keywords are ranking factors
What are meta keywords?
This is the meta tag that appears in the HEAD section of the page’s HTML.
If the chapter had meta keywords, they would be like this.
Since meta keywords enable you to add a seemingly unlimited number of keywords to a page, their impact on search rankings has always been questioned.
Evidence against meta keywords as a ranking factor
exist 2009Google Search Center made a post about meta keyword tags.
The first question asked was, “Does Google ever use keyword meta tags in its web search rankings?”
Answer? No.
“Our web searches (the famous searches used by hundreds of millions of people every day on Google.com) completely ignore keyword meta tags. They currently have no impact on our search rankings.”
Why did Google start ignoring meta keyword tags?
“Google started ignoring keyword meta tags many years ago because keyword meta tags are often misused.”
At the time, Google didn’t see a change in that decision.
“It is possible, but unlikely, that Google will use this information in the future. Google has ignored keyword meta tags for many years, and at this time we do not see a need to change this policy.”
In Google Search Central’s Advanced SEO documentation, Google continues to list the meta tags they recognize for search. They include meta descriptions and meta robots.
However, there is no mention of meta keywords in the documentation on meta tags.
Yahoo and Bing also ignore meta keyword tags.
exist 2009Yahoo revealed at SMX East that meta-keyword tags have been unsupported for months.
exist Year 2014Bing wrote a blog post, “Blame The Meta Keyword Tag”.
In it, they wrote the following.
“Today, it’s clear that the meta-keyword tag is dead in terms of SEO value. Sure, it might have value in contextual advertising systems, or as a signal for ‘bots looking for a target topic on the web, but as far as search is concerned, the tag It was there as a booster a few years ago. “
exist 2021, Google updated a page on irrelevant keywords. In it, they emphasize the fact that you should not use keywords to “… appear in a list or group, or out of context (rather than as natural prose)”
Furthermore, they say that using keyword stuffing Anywhere on your page may constitute spam:
“Stuffing pages with keywords or numbers can lead to a negative user experience and can hurt your site’s rankings.”
Meta Keywords as Ranking Factors: Our Verdict
We know, based on what Google told us in 2009, that meta-keywords were definitely not a Google ranking factor – even then, they hadn’t been used for “many years” before that.
Bottom line: Meta keywords are a relic of a bygone SEO era.
When are keywords important in meta tags?
they are in meta description.
Since Google sometimes uses meta descriptions in search results, it’s important to include your main keyword in a well-written meta description.
Featured image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Magazine
