Meta keywords no longer in use
-
Can someone point me to the official article explaining why meta keywords are no longer taken into account by search engines please?
I know Moz has indicated that search engines ignore them, but I would like to read a bit more about it - what was the reason behind it and since when.
-
One of the main reasons they stopped looking at them is because it was easy to spam and stuff the tags. Any site can easily stuff the meta tags, so it's an unreliable ranking factor.
A few years back it was beneficial for when directories/info sites would scrape your site. When they list your site they would use those keywords for categories, and possibly even anchor text. You don't see it as much anymore, especially since that scraped information is just junk content.
The way I see it, it can hurt your site to have the KWs. Your competitors can easily see what keywords you are going after (which they probably can anyway by looking at a given page). Giving them one spot to check on every page though will make it much easier for them to benefit from your keyword research.
Some people like to use meta tags as product tags on their site. So if you search for "black cats" on a cat website, anything with the meta tag black cats would come up first. It also works for when you want to make a black cat page that features every single black cat related item on your site. Of course, you can just do internal tagging for this, and don't need to use the meta tags.
Moral of the story: not much use for them.
-
I think you're right - if we can't find a reason for using them, best to ignore / remove it altogether.
-
From what I understand algorithm would figure this out from the title, description and content.
I thought more of any other potential use such as advanced search where you can select specific tags to look within - did anyone hear of any place they can be used except for SEO purposes?
-
I really wouldn't worry about meta-keywords. Much better to spend the time on the content!
-
Search engines may still use it for discovery. Meaning simply answering the question: what should the page potentially rank for?
best, G
-
Is there any other area that meta keywords could be used - for any other purpose perhaps?
From what I understand it is only ignored, but not penalised unless stuffed with keywords?
-
I usually say that if Google does it the others are doing it as well.
So:
The meta keywords tag is not in use for SEO with regard to Google and Yahoo.
I'm pretty sure Bing doesn't either.
Best, G
-
Here's a post about how Bing views keywords:
The Meta Keywords Tag Lives At Bing & Why Only Spammers Should Use It
So, over-stuffing your keywords isn't totally ignored and can cause a penalty on Bing.
Meta keywords were so abused in the past that they could no longer be used to accurately tell what the page was about. As a relevance/ranking signal it became worthless.
-
Thanks Gustav,
Is it only Google that this applies to or other search engines followed the same rule?
-
Here's Googles post about it:
http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2009/09/google-does-not-use-keywords-meta-tag.html
Hope this was what you were looking for.
Best, G
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Find out what keywords a site is ranking for
I want to find out what keywords a site is ranking for. In other words, I want to find out how Google is currently seeing a site. I've used Google KW tool - not very accurate when you simply type in the URL. Is there anything in SEOMoz I can use? New to this. thanks
Moz Pro | | goodge0 -
Keyword difficulty percentage changes from day to day
Hello Mozzers. First time caller, long time listener. Just a quick query I hope. Why do keyword difficulty percentages in the keyword difficulty report change drastically sometimes when the report is run from one day to another? Thanks for your help. Thanks for your help.
Moz Pro | | dctdigital0 -
How do i target keywords locally
I am working for a cosmetic surgeon with clinics in three geographic places. I would like to give him specific keywords that he can go after successfully. When I use the keyword tool with terms like botox cosmetic staten island or breast augmentation tarrytown, I get competitive rankings like 36% or 37%, but it doesnt tell me if there are only a few searchers doing this per month. In Google's Adwords tool, it thinks that the number fo searchers with these same terms is too small to measure, literally giving me back a dash (= insignificant traffic). However, it I use Google Adwords with more general terms, say breast augmentation surgeon, and get a medium/110 global monthly searches, when I come back to SEOmoz tool and assess the same keyword, I find that the traffic picks up doctor sites in Arizona and elsewhere, where clearly no one who wants cosmetic surgery in new York is going to fly to Arizona for it. So, how do I ensure a balance between targeting too little traffic but including the names of specific towns, and targetting more general terms but not having local prospects. Has anyone tackled this in a specific medical niche?
Moz Pro | | DianeDP0 -
Seomoz keyword research
Hi, does seomoz have keyword research tool? or any plan to have one in near future?
Moz Pro | | imsameer0 -
What Q&A Forum Platform Does SEOmoz Use?
Completely custom built, or a 3rd party offering that can be customized? One of the most usable forums I've seen!
Moz Pro | | SEOPA0 -
Keyword tool results - broad match or exact?
Do the SEOmoz keyword rankings display results for exact match or broad match?
Moz Pro | | ClaytonKendall0 -
For those using Omniture instead of Google Analytics
Instead of connecting Google Analytics into the SEOMOZ campaign monitor, is there a way to link Omniture or alter their output to plug into SEOMOZ?
Moz Pro | | Dekoda_Jones1 -
Tracking Local Keywords in Campaigns.
When selecting keywords to track in campaign mode, how should I enter the keywords for a company located in a city that shares the same name as another city in a different state? My assumption is that if you're searching for "Garden City Plumber" within Garden City Michigan that Google will know your IP and show local results (as opposed to results from Garden City California). If I want to track the key phrase "Garden City Plumber" in campaign mode how will SEOMoz know which city to deliver results for? Thanks in advance.
Moz Pro | | OptioPublishing
Jason0