| February
11, 2003 - Check Your Meta Tags!
A recent question about metadata
on the Web reminded me it's good for all of us to check
those tags every now and then and be sure they are still
relevant - or that they are there at all! Metadata
(literally data about data) is the information hidden in
the code of web pages which users never see unless they
know how to look. Why is this invisible information important?
It's part of how search engines and directories categorize
your Internet site. The better your metadata, the easier
for new users to find you and the more effective your other
Internet business efforts can be.
You should be able to see
the metadata right from your web browser. On a Windows PC
running Internet Explorer, select View, then select Source.
(Most browsers and platforms allow you to view the source
information - if you are running a different program or
operating system, consult your browser help screen for View
Source). This will open a new window with the text information
that computers use to build Web pages.
The metadata is usually toward
the top of all this information. You should have a Title,
Description, and Keyword area. If you don't have all of
them, or if the description is now a little old or a critical
keyword is missing, it's never too late to update them.
You may want to review a few complimentary or competitive
Web sites the same way to see what keywords they are using
to attract the right kind of customers. SearchEngineWatch.com
- often sited and for good reason! - has more information
on this and other topics.
Once you have carefully reviewed
your metadata to ensure the right words are there, be sure
to consider resubmitting your site to the major search engines.
As long as you haven't submitted recently (60 to 90 days
in most cases) the engines and directories can than do a
quick computer review of your changes - maybe improving
your listing placement and helping the right kind of customer
find you!
As always, please feel free
to email or call if you have questions.
Steve Boland
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