What to Know:
– Meta keywords are a type of meta tag that were once used by search engines to understand the content of a webpage.
– Google officially announced in 2009 that they no longer use meta keywords as a ranking factor.
– Bing also confirmed that they do not use meta keywords for ranking purposes.
– Despite this, some SEO professionals still believe that meta keywords can have a small impact on rankings.
– Google may still use meta keywords as a signal for spam detection or to understand the context of a webpage.
The Full Story:
Meta keywords are a type of meta tag that were once used by search engines to understand the content of a webpage. Website owners would include a list of relevant keywords in the meta keywords tag, hoping that it would help their site rank higher in search engine results.
However, in 2009, Google officially announced that they no longer use meta keywords as a ranking factor. This means that including meta keywords in your website’s code will not directly improve your rankings on Google. Bing, another popular search engine, also confirmed that they do not use meta keywords for ranking purposes.
Despite these official statements, there are still some SEO professionals who believe that meta keywords can have a small impact on rankings. They argue that while Google may not use meta keywords as a direct ranking factor, they may still use them as a signal for spam detection or to understand the context of a webpage.
It’s important to note that meta keywords are not visible to users when they visit a webpage. They are only visible in the website’s code. This means that even if meta keywords do have a small impact on rankings, it is unlikely to be noticeable to users.
In addition, Google and other search engines have become much more sophisticated in understanding the content of webpages. They now rely on a wide range of signals, such as the actual content on the page, backlinks, and user engagement metrics, to determine rankings. This means that the impact of meta keywords, if any, is likely to be minimal compared to these other factors.
So, if meta keywords are not a direct ranking factor, should you still include them in your website’s code? The general consensus among SEO professionals is that it is not necessary. In fact, some argue that including meta keywords could even be detrimental to your rankings if you use irrelevant or spammy keywords.
Instead of focusing on meta keywords, it is more important to optimize your website’s content with relevant keywords. This includes using keywords in your page titles, headings, and throughout the body of your content. It is also important to create high-quality, engaging content that provides value to your users.
In conclusion, meta keywords are not a direct ranking factor for Google or Bing. While some SEO professionals believe that they may still have a small impact on rankings, the consensus is that it is not necessary to include them in your website’s code. Instead, focus on optimizing your content with relevant keywords and creating high-quality, engaging content.
Original article: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/ranking-factors/meta-keywords/