Meta keywords, also sometimes referred to as a <meta> tag are mainly used during the initial engineering and construction of a website. A meta keyword is placed in the heading of a website’s HTML.
These meta tags will help indicate to Google and other search engines what type of content or information is featured on a specific webpage.
What differentiates meta keywords from other more well-known tools, such as title tags or meta descriptions, is that meta keywords are used on the backend of a website rather than on the website or webpage itself.
During the development process of a website, some web builders and SEO experts will research which meta keywords can help generate a lot of online traffic or leads and include these keywords in the HTML source code.
Perhaps not so widely used anymore today, as some search engine crawlers or bots have noticed that people tend to include high-ranking meta keywords in source code that are not directly associated with the physical content of the website. This then helps the company or SEO team to generate more organic search and lead traffic for specific websites, which can ultimately help boost their search rankings.
So, while it may seem that meta keywords have lost their reign in the vast world of Search Engine Optimization, they can still play an important role in the overall ranking and searchability of a webpage.
History of Meta Keywords
During the early years of the internet, a time before Google reigned supreme, meta keywords were used to help websites rank easier on the internet.
At the time, most of the internet ranking procedures were based on outdated techniques which included using meta tags to help search engine crawlers or bots easily pick up on specific high-ranking keywords.
Between 2009 and 2014, major search engines which included Google, Bing, and Yahoo publically laid claim that they will no longer support the use of meta keywords and that new algorithm updates will find meta keywords obsolete.
Website developers and coders alike would use a sequence similar to this example:
<meta name=”keywords” blog information=”Blog Info1, BlogInfo1.1, Blog Info2”>
These lines contained dozens of meta keywords that would allow search engines to easily pick up a website when a user searches for a specific keyword.
But over time, as Google started taking shape and noticed how SEO experts were misusing the process of meta keywords, the search engine giant disregarded the use of meta keywords completely.
Most of the time the source code, as exemplified above, would contain keywords that had no direct or real connotation with the content. This misled users, as their results had nothing to do with what they initially searched for.
But over time, as meta keywords started fading out, some website developers and SEO experts are still using meta keywords to help build some sort of traction for websites.
How Do Meta Keywords Relate to SEO?
In the early years, meta keywords were mainly used to help rank web pages on search engines. This allowed users to receive information or links to websites that contained specific information that they searched for.
For example, if a search on Google related to banking, finances, savings, capital, or investments, and a web page contained those specific keywords or similar, there’s a good chance that it would rank higher on the search engine results page.
These tags or keywords were simply a way for search engines to crawl and detect information or content that delivered high search and interest volume.
Are Meta Keywords Important for SEO?
A lot in terms of Search Engine Optimization has changed since Google became the powerhouse of the internet, and it’s constantly changing and evolving.
It’s not clear how many times per year Google and other search engines conduct algorithm updates, as these are kept secret to help deter any SEO expert from misusing its capabilities. Currently, some experts believe that Google might have anywhere between 500 and 600 algorithm updates per year, that’s around 41 per month on average.
Google themselves even claimed in 2021 that they are no longer supporting the use of meta keywords in their search engine results page ranking and that meta keywords were simply deemed irrelevant.
All the while, some experts believe that it may not be completely the case and that meta keywords still have an active role in the overall SEO structure of a website or web page, it’s hard to say whether or not this might be true.
Should You Use Meta Keywords?
While there might not be solid research or findings on whether meta keywords still play a significant role in search engine optimization, some platforms, such as Yoast, an SEO tool plug-in for WordPress, have indicated that websites do not require the need for meta keywords.
Even Google has written and published extensible on the functionality and practicalities of meta keywords, and in a 2009 article, Google claimed that they are no longer using any meta keywords to build and improve rankings through the use of meta keywords.
How Many Meta Keywords Should I Use?
Whether you support the notion that meta keywords still make up a percentage of SEO or first-page results ranking, experts found that using anywhere between 8 to 10 meta keywords in an HTML source code would be beneficial.
Do I Need Meta Keywords?
The short answer would be no, as meta keywords serve an outdated, and unused search engine algorithm that no longer exists.
On the other hand, it is possible to make use of meta keywords still, and if you can include them in your HTML source code or as part of your SEO strategy, then it’s advised to research which meta keywords you should include thoroughly.
There are millions of meta keywords, and depending on your website and its content, you might need to see which meta keywords will fit the best.
How Do I Write Meta Keywords for SEO?
For starters, you must use a keyword density tool or keyword analyzer tool. These platforms will help you determine how popular or widely used the keywords you’re looking to add to your meta tag.
Depending on the content and web page itself, you may have to add more than five varying keywords.
Keywords in source code can be written as follows:
<meta name=”keywords” blog information=”Blog Info1, BlogInfo1.1, Blog Info2”>
This may be a generic example, but it gives a basic idea of how the concept of meta keywords works.
Potential Use Cases for Meta Keywords
Although meta keywords are not primarily prominent in the domain of search engine optimization, there are several cases where they may still be used.
Create an Internal Tagging System
Internal tags are shortened word phrases that some businesses might include in their website source code. Using these worded phrases, they might be able to collect and analyze data from third-party vendors.
The internal tagging system will generally be a list of phrases or important keyword tags that are then used within the HTML source code of the website.
Find ‘seed’ Keywords from Competitors
Seed keywords tend to consist of one or two high-ranked keywords that have a high search rank and visibility each month. Some digital marketers and SEO specialists make use of meta keywords as a way to see what specific keywords competitors might be using in their source code.
Additionally, this process will help digital marketers understand how similar content is being used across a search engine and on various other websites. Through this, they will then be able to adjust their content and meta keywords to include words or phrases that are generally more popular on a search engine.
FAQs
Does Google Still Use Meta Keywords?
Various statements from Google have established that the search engine does not include meta keywords in their first page rankings. Various algorithm updates over the years have eliminated the use of meta keywords, making them obsolete in most cases.
Does Bing Use Meta Keywords?
Bing has claimed back in 2014 that they are no longer supporting or making use of meta keywords as part of their search engine ranking algorithms.
Is Meta Keywords Tag Important for SEO?
Interestingly enough, while it may seem as if meta keywords have become obsolete, some search engines still use them. While Google and Bing consider them irrelevant to the SEO process, Yandex, a popular Russian search engine, and Baidu, which is used in China, are still making use of meta keywords.
These search engines use meta keywords for varying reasons. Yandex mainly incorporates meta keywords to determine page relevance and search queries. Baidu, in China, also uses meta keywords to rank relevant websites and web pages.
Final Thoughts
Perhaps meta keywords may not have a distinct impact on the Search Engine Optimization or ranking of web pages and websites anymore. There have been countless attempts from SEO experts and web developers to counter Google algorithms to see whether or not they’re still making use of this outdated method.
To this day, there is still no clear evidence that meta keywords have become obsolete, but it is clear that most digital marketers and SEO specialists are no longer using them in their ranking strategies.
