Webmaster Papers




Google
 
Web webhostingpapers.com




/pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">

So Much About META Tags!


I've written about META tags in the past, and I thought I'd help you expand your search engine optimization efforts and increase your web hits.

Rule #1: META tags always go in between the HEAD tags on your website. Rule #2: NEVER include any line breaks in any META tag!

Most everyone knows the two basic META tags: keywords and description.

Keywords should be in a descending order of importance. Move your most important keywords to the front, and don't repeat yourself (e.g. auto,parts,auto parts,Auto Parts). Keep the list short, to about 25 keywords. If you cater to more than one ethnic group of people, consider keywords in other languages. Lastly, eliminate spaces between the words. Make them "comma" instead of "comma space".

Descriptions should also be kept short and to the point. Around 100-125 characters is about the max usable length. Make sure you use a few important keywords in your description, be informative but brief.

Web designers should include these tags as well:

These three tags may change if you are the owner of the company/website but not the creator. In that case, the first two lines would be about the company owner, while the third should be the creator or the creator's web address.

For visiting robots, you may want to add this line:

Although most robots use the robots.txt file, Google in particular also pays attention to the third item - noarchive. This tells the search engine to index the page, but not to cache it. This comes in handy if you change your page often. Google will then always send the user to the latest version of the page, not one that it cached.

Latly, you may want to consider these two META tags for our wonderful Microsoft-controlled world:

The first turns off a feature in MS Internet Explorer which displays "smart tags", or dynamic links, to your website. These links can actually send the user to your competition's website. Not good!

The imagetoolbar tag prevents Internet Explorer 6+ users from swiping your custom-made graphics by disabling a toolbar. This toolbar is usually displayed by doing a right-click on a graphic and saving it to disk. While people can still swipe your graphics, at least they'll have to go through a little trouble to get it. Hopefully its enough of a deterrant to keep them away.

Will Hanke is owner of Lighthouse Technologies, http://www.techlh.com a web design, programming and hosting company. He is also author of several software applications in use by companies across the US.

RELATED ARTICLES


Website Maintenance: What Does it Take to Manage Your Website?
Every action has a beginning phase where you launch your activity, a middle period in which you must sustain and develop it and a conclusion. Many people set up a website enthusiastically but then they find that they don't have the skills or knowledge to maintain and develop it. So, what are the challenges in this middle phase of a website's life and how can you meet them?
Website Checklist
10 Basic Things Your Website Should Have ...
Digitalize It! : (Modification of images with tools such as Adobe CS and Corel)
Then it was a choice among crayons, paints and palettes for an artist and designer to create art. It was a box of crayons that make one happy designer during his early years of formation.
Why You Want to Include an FAQ In Your Site
Congratulations! You've got a brand new site and it's doing pretty well. You check your statistics every day and the hits and page views keep climbing, your links are all in order and everything looks very good. On top of that, your guestbook is filling with great comments and you're getting a few emails now and then with praise and perhaps a question or two.
Build A Successful Website For Dummies

Build It And Build It Cheap! Part II
If you are familiar with my work, then you have probably taken a look at the first part of this article, and may well be on your way to having your website up and running. Congratulations!!! It's hard work, but having pride in the accomplishment is worth it! Now you have to find the people who want to see it, AKA--site traffic.
How to Build Your Own Website - More Steps
To build a website, there are four methods to choose from:
The Psychology of Color in Web Design
Persons engaged in website design, here's a scoop for you! Would you just like to know that by understanding the basics of cognitive psychology around color and patterns, we could further improve our Web design!
How To Create A Professional Website In Less Than A Week
Here's a really simple way... any novice can create a fully functional website in less than a week.
Web Marketing: Design Mistakes That Drive Customers Away In Droves
They may look cutting edge, but if you want a web site that contributes to your bottom line here are some design ideas you will want to avoid:
The Secret To A Profitable Website
Whether you are planning on having a website built for your business or you are looking for ways to increase the sales being generated (if any) from an existing website the following information will be of enormous benefit to you.
Build Web Pages from the Top Left Corner Down
There are two important reasons to build your website from the top left hand corner down.
Web Production And Design Tips
You have identified that to have an internet prescence would be of benefit to your small business, however are not sure how to proceed. This article gives free tips on web design services and practices and on how to keep your web designer happy and on side.
How to Find Inexpensive Web Design
Web design is a very competitive area and there is no longer any reason why people should pay large amounts for website design services.
Every Website is a Human Being?s Attempt at Achieving a Goal or Obtaining Happiness
Have you ever thought about the real stories behind all the websites on the Internet? There are over 10 million sites out there and a human being with some hope or dream driving the process constructed each one. Too much of our modern world is presented to us in a barrage of superficial pictures that only show a very external glimpse of the true reality beneath the surface. Wouldn't you like to know about the people who live behind this wall of technology? Humanity is the force behind all the websites, and for that matter, all technology that we use without a second thought everyday. Behind every advance in technology is a human being who wanted to get something done, then did it.
Ten Tips For Your Web Site Home Page
1. Loading time:
Do You Hate Your Website? Web Site Sales To Hit $316 Billion Over The Next 6 Years
What dollar amount does your web site contribute to this $316 billion dollar trend?
Your Graphics- Are They Really Working For You?
(Making Your Graphics Work For You)
Get FASTER Download Times By Making BIGGER Web Pages!
As a webmaster you already know how important it is that your web pages download fast. In a nutshell, if your pages are slow, then you're losing visitors. And if you're losing visitors, you're losing money.
How to Make the Online Sales Copy for Your Website More Conversational
It has been said that the best online sales copy is one that talks to your prospect as if you are in together in a conversation.