Let’s dive right in about the three website meta tags that we believe, and are witnessing, still matter in the game of SEO (search engine optimization).

#1: SEO Page Title Tags And SEO Post Title Tags

In countless posts about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), we’ve talked about how important it is for organizations to use appropriate high-volume keywords and geographic “triggers” in their behind-the-scenes meta SEO page title and meta SEO post title tags.

Some digital marketers may believe that tagging pages and posts appropriately to be found on Google in relevant geographies is far less important with the introduction of AI search tools, including Google SGE. Of course, that could always become the case down the road, but based on what we’re currently seeing related to one-off and ongoing SEO-tactic implementation and Google rankings audits we continue to complete, we continue to believe that constructing your SEO tags appropriately and entering them in the appropriate spot in your website CMS (content management system) is extremely important to achieving optimal SEO results. Whether it be via WordPress plug-ins like Yoast or AllInOneSEO (the SEO plug-in we use on our site) or capabilities that come with a Web Builder platform like WIX or GoDaddy — entering page and post title tags is one of the most critical, if not the most-critical of SEO steps to take if you want your website to rank well for relevant, desirable search terms used by your target audiences in relevant geographies.

We always like to say “SEO Page and SEO Post Title Tags are your most important piece of SEO real estate.” They tell Google what a particular page of your site or blog post is all about, including the products and services you offer, and where you offer them. As Google crawls/indexes your website it looks for direction and information about the former from your site. And, now, unlike 5 years ago, these tags are likely to be included in reader-facing search-engine results (plus, they appear in website visitors’ browsers), so it’s important to get these right! And, It’s worth hiring an expert like our SEO company, Results Communications, to ensure your website title tags are optimized to achieve the best possible Google rankings results.

#2 Meta Description Tags

The above tags may or may not be included in the description (lines of text) that Google serves up in a search engine results listing along with a link to your website since, as mentioned above, Google will likely include your SEO page/post title tag now, plus pull other snippets of content from your site. We used to say that, “meta descriptions don’t directly influence how organizations’ websites rank in Google.” But rather, that they indirectly influence it because if meta description content/copy is compelling and includes a call-to-action like “learn why SEO page title tags are your most important piece of SEO real estate” or “read why you shouldn’t expose yourself to blue light before bed,” more individuals will be likely to click on the link to your website that accompanies such content.

And the above-mentioned, in turn, drives more traffic to your website. And, Google gives preference to serving up higher-traffic-volume sites in its search results because it likes to serve up the most creditable sites, and Google uses traffic volume as an indicator of a site’s positive reputation/credibility.

What Is Website Click-thru Rate (CTR)?

It’s important to note that we’ve recently read that Google does now take into consideration a website’s click-thru-rate (CTR) when deciding how to rank various competing websites. Per Google’s own AI overview related to this, “Google uses CTR as a signal of how engaging and reader-friendly content is, and it can indicate how well a website is performing in terms of SEO and user engagement. High CTRs can tell search engines that people like what a website has to offer, which can help it rank higher in search results.” So what is the CTR and how can you find out what yours is?

Your website CTR represents the percentage of search-engine searchers who, after having a listing with a link to your website served up to them in search-engine results, actually click on the link to visit your website.

Since Google still reigns by far as the most-used search-engine, it’s most important to understand your website CTR as pertains to Google searchers who are searching on relevant terms in your desired geography. As the below print screen taken from Google Search Console shows, you can get information on your website click-thru rate using your Google Search Console account (reach out to us if you need help setting up a Google Search Console account or understanding the value of having one).

#3: Image Alt Tags

Like the other two types of website meta tags, we’ve talked about image alt tags in previous posts, including this blog post about the need to tag website infographics so that visually impaired site visitors can have these tags read to them by their screen reader.

We recently conducted an audit to try to assess why a professional-services client’s website wasn’t ranking as well in Google as some of their competitors. The audit revealed a key differentiator between the client’s website and their competitors was that the competitors’ sites had higher website diagnostic scores related to accessibility.

Accessibility impacts user experience, without a doubt, and Google continues to place great emphasis on user experience when deciding which websites to serve up first for various search terms in various geographies, so it stands to reason Google would reward “accessible” websites from a user-experience standpoint.

We encourage all of our clients to make ‘n take the time to write effective alt-tags that make their website a positive user experience for ALL website visitors, including those challenged by disability — not just because this activity supports SEO, but because it’s the right, human thing to do.

Let Us Write Or Rewrite (Revise) Your Meta Tags To Support Being Found On Google

Our team has years and years of experience writing/constructing optimized SEO tags to support websites being found on Google. Reach out today to learn how we can help with putting the right meta tags in place on your website!