Does Google look at meta keywords? This question has been a topic of discussion among SEO professionals for years.
Meta keywords were once a crucial part of website optimization, with many website owners using them to help search engines determine the relevance of their pages.
However, as SEO practices evolved, Google and other major search engines stopped using meta keywords as a ranking factor. This shift in approach has left many wondering whether these keywords still hold any value for SEO today.
Google's discontinuation of meta keywords was largely due to abuse by marketers who would stuff irrelevant keywords into these tags, trying to manipulate search rankings.
As a result, Google made the decision to no longer consider meta keywords in its ranking algorithm. While meta keywords are no longer relevant for SEO, other meta tags, such as the meta title and meta description, remain essential for improving search visibility and user engagement.
In this blog, we'll delve into why Google discontinued meta keywords, explore the role of other important meta tags, and discuss the best SEO practices for optimizing your website in today’s search landscape.
What are Meta Keywords?
Meta keywords are a type of meta tag found in the HTML code of a webpage. They were once used by search engines to understand the content and relevance of a page.
These keywords were typically hidden from users and provided search engines with a list of terms that described the page's content.
The idea was that by including relevant keywords in the meta keywords tag, website owners could improve their chances of ranking higher for those terms.
For example, if you ran a website about cooking, you might use meta keywords like “recipes,” “cooking supplies,” or “kitchen gadgets” to help search engines understand the page’s focus.
However, over time, SEO professionals began to abuse meta keywords by stuffing them with irrelevant or overused terms in an attempt to manipulate search rankings.
This led Google to stop using meta keywords for ranking purposes in 2009. While other search engines like Baidu and Yandex still use them to some extent, meta keywords are no longer a factor in Google’s search ranking algorithm.
In SEO, meta keywords were once considered an essential part of on-page optimization. However, they no longer play a role in Google rankings.
Here’s why:
- SEO Relevance: Meta keywords used to help search engines understand the content of a page and improve rankings.
- Abuse by SEO Professionals: Over time, meta keywords were overused or stuffed with irrelevant terms, leading to manipulation of search rankings.
- Shift in Focus: The importance of meta keywords has diminished, with SEO now focusing on more impactful factors.
- Current SEO Focus: Modern SEO strategies prioritize content quality, user experience, and other meta tags, such as title tags and meta descriptions, for ranking.
Why Did Google Discontinue the Use of Meta Keywords?
Google discontinued the use of meta keywords as a ranking factor primarily due to the abuse and manipulation of the meta tag by SEO professionals.
Initially, meta keywords were intended to help search engines determine the relevance of a page’s content.
However, over time, they were exploited by website owners and marketers who would stuff the meta keyword tag with excessive or irrelevant terms in an attempt to manipulate search rankings.
As a result, the meta keywords tag became less reliable and ultimately ineffective in accurately representing the content of a webpage.
Google, in particular, recognized that this practice was skewing the search engine results, leading to less relevant content ranking higher.
While other search engines like Baidu and Yandex still use meta keywords to some extent, Google completely removed them as a ranking factor in 2009.
The goal was to improve the quality of search results by focusing on more effective and reliable ranking signals.
The widespread misuse of meta keywords had a significant impact on SEO and ranking practices.
Here’s how:
- Keyword Stuffing: SEO professionals started overloading the meta keywords tag with irrelevant or repeated keywords in an effort to rank higher, often leading to poor-quality content appearing at the top of search results.
- Lower-Quality Search Results: Because of manipulation, pages filled with irrelevant keywords were ranking higher than more relevant, well-crafted content.
- Google's Response: To ensure better quality search results and curb manipulation, Google stopped considering meta keywords for rankings, prioritizing other more reliable factors.
- Shift Toward Content and User Experience: The focus of SEO shifted to content relevance, user experience, and technical SEO factors like page load speed and mobile optimization, which have a more direct impact on ranking.
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Should You Remove Meta Keywords From Your Web Pages?
Whether you should remove meta keywords from your web pages depends on your SEO strategy and target search engines.
If your primary focus is Google, removing meta keywords is highly recommended since they no longer serve any purpose in Google’s ranking algorithm. Google stopped using meta keywords in 2009, and they have no impact on search rankings today.
However, if you're targeting search engines like Baidu and Yandex, which still use meta keywords to some extent, you may consider keeping them.
In this case, it’s important to use them sparingly and ensure they are highly relevant to the content on your page.
For most modern SEO practices, focusing on other important meta tags, like meta descriptions, title tags, and robots meta tags, is far more beneficial.
These elements play a key role in improving search visibility and user engagement, which can ultimately lead to higher rankings.
5 Best Practices for Meta Keywords Usage
If you still decide to use meta keywords, here are some best practices to follow:
- Keep It Relevant: Only include keywords that directly reflect the content of the page. Irrelevant or overly broad keywords will not add value and may contribute to keyword stuffing.
- Limit the Number: Avoid overloading your page with a long list of keywords. Limit meta keywords to 3–4 highly relevant terms to ensure quality and focus.
- Avoid Keyword Stuffing: Refrain from adding duplicate or excessive keywords. This practice is outdated and can harm your SEO efforts.
- Use Other Meta Tags: Instead of relying on meta keywords, focus on more important meta tags like the meta title, meta description, and robots meta tag. These are still significant in ranking algorithms.
- Monitor Your Competitors: If your competitors are using meta keywords, check how they are implemented. This can give you insight into how meta keywords are being used in your industry or niche.
5 Most Important Meta Tags for SEO in Google's Ranking Algorithm
When meta keywords are no longer a valid ranking factor, it becomes crucial to focus on the following meta tags for better SEO performance:
- Meta Title Tag: This tag is one of the most important SEO elements. It defines the title of your page and appears in search engine results, browser tabs, and when shared on social media. It should be concise, relevant, and include your primary keyword.
- Meta Description Tag: Although not a direct ranking factor, the meta description tag significantly impacts your click-through rate (CTR). A compelling meta description can encourage users to click on your result in search engines. It should summarize the page content in a few sentences and include relevant keywords.
- Meta Robots Tag: This tag controls how search engines crawl and index your page. The most common directives are "index," "noindex," "follow," and "nofollow." This tag is crucial for preventing unwanted pages from being indexed or influencing your rankings.
- Meta Viewport Tag: For mobile SEO, the viewport tag is essential. It ensures that your website is properly displayed on different screen sizes, which improves mobile user experience and impacts rankings in mobile-first indexing.
- Canonical Tag: This tag helps to avoid duplicate content issues by specifying the preferred version of a page when there are multiple versions of similar content. This tag is crucial for SEO to prevent ranking dilution due to duplicate content.
What to Focus on Instead of Meta Keyword?
Since Google no longer uses meta keywords for ranking purposes, it’s essential to focus on more impactful elements for improving your website's SEO.
Meta keywords were once a fundamental part of on-page optimization, but they no longer contribute to Google's ranking algorithm.
Therefore, instead of wasting time optimizing meta keywords, prioritize other SEO factors that significantly influence rankings.
To ensure your pages are optimized, you should focus on meta tags that are still relevant for ranking, such as meta title tags, meta description tags, and robots meta tags.
Additionally, it's crucial to work on content quality, user engagement, backlinks, and technical SEO factors like site speed and mobile optimization.
These elements continue to hold value in Google's algorithm and have a far greater impact on SEO performance than meta keywords ever did.
Download PDF Now5 Steps to Safely Remove Meta Keywords from Your Website
If you’ve decided to remove meta keywords from your website, it’s a straightforward process. Since meta keywords no longer contribute to SEO rankings, removing them is a good way to streamline your page’s HTML and focus on more relevant SEO elements. The process will typically involve editing your website’s code to ensure that meta keywords are no longer included in the <head> section of your pages.
Here are the main steps to safely remove meta keywords from your website
1. Access Your Website’s HTML Code
Log in to your website’s content management system (CMS) or access the HTML files directly if you're managing the website code. You’ll need to navigate to the <head> section of your web pages where the meta keywords are typically located.
2. Locate the Meta Keywords Tag
In the <head> section, search for the <meta name="keywords" content="..."> tag. This is the tag that contains the keywords you want to remove.
3. Delete the Meta Keywords Tag
Once you find the meta keywords tag, simply remove it. This will prevent search engines from reading irrelevant or outdated keywords when crawling your page.
4. Test Your Changes
After removing the tag, make sure to test your pages to ensure everything is functioning correctly. You can use tools like Google Search Console to check if any issues arise from the removal.
5. Update Your Website’s SEO Strategy
While removing meta keywords, be sure to focus on other SEO best practices such as optimizing your meta titles, descriptions, and content quality. Use tools like Google Analytics and SEMrush to further enhance your SEO approach.
FAQs: Does Google Look at Meta Keywords In Web Ranking?
Why Did Google Stop Using Meta Keywords For Ranking?
Google stopped using meta keywords because they were often abused by SEO professionals who would stuff irrelevant or overused terms into the meta tag. This manipulation led to lower-quality search results, prompting Google to ignore meta keywords in its ranking algorithm.
Do Meta Keywords Still Matter For SEO?
For Google and most major search engines, meta keywords no longer matter for SEO. However, some search engines like Baidu and Yandex still use meta keywords to some extent, though their impact is minimal compared to other SEO factors.
Should I Remove Meta Keywords From My Website?
If your primary focus is Google SEO, it's best to remove meta keywords from your website as they no longer contribute to ranking. Instead, focus on optimizing other meta tags like meta title, meta description, and meta robots tags.
How Do I Remove Meta Keywords From My Website?
To remove meta keywords, simply locate the <meta name="keywords" content="..."> tag in your website’s HTML code and delete it. Make sure to test your website afterward to ensure no issues arise from the removal.
Can Meta Keywords Affect My Website’s Performance?
Having meta keywords on your website won't directly affect performance, but they can clutter the HTML code. Removing them can streamline your website and ensure you're focusing on more effective SEO elements.
What Should I Use Instead Of Meta Keywords For SEO?
Instead of meta keywords, focus on optimizing meta title tags, meta description tags, and ensuring high-quality content that aligns with the keywords your audience is searching for. Backlink strategies and content relevance are also important for SEO.
Is There Any Search Engine That Still Uses Meta Keywords?
Yes, search engines like Baidu and Yandex still use meta keywords, but their influence on rankings is limited compared to other SEO factors like content quality and backlinks.
Conclusion
Does Google look at meta keywords? The answer is no, as Google stopped using them for ranking purposes back in 2009. While meta keywords once played a role in SEO, they have since become obsolete in modern search engine algorithms, particularly for Google. Instead of focusing on outdated practices like meta keywords, it's essential to prioritize other meta tags and SEO strategies that directly impact search rankings. By optimizing your meta title, meta description, and content quality, you can boost your website's visibility and performance. Additionally, focusing on user experience, mobile optimization, and valuable backlinks will have a far greater influence on your SEO success. As search engine algorithms continue to evolve, staying updated with current SEO best practices will help ensure your website remains competitive and visible to users. Centric, a digital marketing agency, specializes in helping businesses adapt to these modern SEO strategies, ensuring they stay ahead of the curve in the ever-changing digital landscape.
