ASK YNOT

Dear YNOT,

I’m still trying to master the use of Meta tags. Are they as important as so many webmasters say? Do the same rules apply now like they did years ago? Any ideas on the best way to go about doing them? I know this is a lot to ask, so any help would be appreciated, thanks!!!

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Yes, metatags are still just as important now as they were years ago.ASK YNOT

Dear YNOT,

I’m still trying to master the use of Meta tags. Are they as important as so many webmasters say? Do the same rules apply now like they did years ago? Any ideas on the best way to go about doing them? I know this is a lot to ask, so any help would be appreciated, thanks!!!

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Yes, metatags are still just as important now as they were years ago. The reason is that the robots that collect and catalogue information for the search engines still read metatags. The metatags are now a starting point for the robots to determine what the content of your site is. Additionally, there are several directives you can place in your metatags to direct the robots which pages to follow and when to check back for updates. If you’ve been away for a while, read the primer on metatags here:

Meta Tags 101
http://www.theadultwebmaster.com/articles/meta_tags_101.phtml
J. Edwards/TAW

The big difference between now and then is that ranking and classifying your page in the search engines is no longer dependent just on the keywords in your metatags. Your website(s) placement is a conglomeration of factors and calculations that take into account several things, including the keywords in these metatags. So you shouldn’t expect to see your site listed in a search engine just because of the metatags.

You need to develop a strategy where all of the key things a search engine looks for reinforce each other to get your site listed. I’ve included some excellent articles from the YNOTMasters A&I section to assist you:

The Fusion of Marketing and Design: Creating Search Engine Friendly Web Sites
http://www.ynotmasters.com/news/ynews/issues/030702/page5.html
Cynthia Fanshaw/AdultChamber

Website Promotion tips for Google!
http://www.ynotmasters.com/articles/site_promotion/featured/998569447-1.html
Professor X/YNOT A&I

Develop a Good Search Engine Strategy
http://www.ynotmasters.com/articles/site_promotion/featured/980202361-1.html
Brad Gosse/YNOT A&I

Alternatives to the High Cost of Listing
http://websearch.about.com/library/searchtips/bltotd010903.htm
about.com

Hope that gets you going in the right direction!

Cheers,
Jim
YNOTMasters