{"id":10345,"date":"2022-02-06T17:04:07","date_gmt":"2022-02-06T17:04:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/02\/06\/are-meta-keywords-a-google-ranking-factor\/"},"modified":"2022-02-06T17:04:07","modified_gmt":"2022-02-06T17:04:07","slug":"are-meta-keywords-a-google-ranking-factor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/02\/06\/are-meta-keywords-a-google-ranking-factor\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Meta Keywords A Google Ranking Factor?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Meta keywords allow you to tell search engines what topics are covered on the page.<\/p>\n

But can meta keywords affect your organic search rankings?<\/p>\n

Read on to learn whether there is any connection between meta keywords and improved Google rankings.\n<\/p>\n

The Claim: Meta Keywords Are A Ranking Factor<\/h2>\n

What are meta keywords?<\/p>\n

This is a meta tag that appears in the HEAD section of the page\u2019s HTML.<\/p>\n

If this chapter had meta keywords, they would look like this.<\/p>\n

<meta name=\u201dkeywords\u201d content=\u201dmeta keywords, html tags, meta tags, Google ranking factors\u201d><\/p>\n

Because meta keywords give you the ability to add a seemingly unlimited number of keywords to your page, their impact on search rankings has always been questioned.<\/p>\n

The Evidence Against Meta Keywords As A Ranking Factor<\/h2>\n

In 2009<\/a>, Google Search Central published a post about the meta keywords tag.<\/p>\n

The first question asked is, \u201cDoes Google ever use the keywords meta tag in its web search ranking?\u201d<\/p>\n

The answer? No.<\/p>\n

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\u201cOur web search (the well-known search at Google.com that hundreds of millions of people use each day) disregards keyword metatags completely. They simply don\u2019t have any effect in our search ranking at present.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Why did Google begin to disregard the meta keywords tag?<\/p>\n

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\u201cBecause the keywords meta tag was so often abused, many years ago Google began disregarding the keywords meta tag.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

At the time, Google did not see this decision changing.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s possible that Google could use this information in the future, but it\u2019s unlikely. Google has ignored the keywords meta tag for years and currently we see no need to change that policy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In Google Search Central\u2019s Advanced SEO documentation, Google goes on to list the meta tags that they recognize for search. They include the meta description and meta robots.<\/p>\n

Meta keywords, however, were not mentioned in the documentation about meta tags.<\/p>\n

Yahoo and Bing also disregard the meta keywords tag.<\/p>\n

In 2009<\/a>, Yahoo made the revelation at SMX East that the meta keywords tag has been unsupported for months.<\/p>\n

In 2014<\/a>, Bing wrote a blog post, \u201cBlame The Meta Keyword Tag.\u201d<\/p>\n

In it, they wrote the following.<\/p>\n

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\u201cToday, it\u2019s pretty clear the meta keyword tag is dead in terms of SEO value. Sure, it might have value for contextual ad systems or serve as a signal to \u2018bots plying the web looking for topics to target, but as far as search goes, that tag flat lined years ago as a booster.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In 2021<\/a>, Google updated a page on irrelevant keywords. In it, they reinforce the fact that you shouldn\u2019t use keywords to \u201c\u2026appear in a list or group, or out of context (not as natural prose)\u201d<\/p>\n

Further, they say that the use of keyword stuffing<\/a> anywhere on your page could constitute web spam:<\/p>\n

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\u201cFilling pages with keywords or numbers results in a negative user experience, and can harm your site\u2019s ranking.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Meta Keywords As A Ranking Factor: Our Verdict<\/h2>\n

\"Are<\/p>\n

We know, based on what Google told us in 2009, that meta keywords are definitely not a Google ranking factor \u2013 and even at that time, they hadn\u2019t been used for \u201cmany years\u201d before that.<\/p>\n

Bottom line: Meta keywords are a relic of a bygone SEO era.<\/p>\n

When do keywords matter in meta tags?<\/p>\n

They matter in the meta description<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Because Google sometimes uses meta descriptions in search results, it\u2019s important to include the main keyword in a well-written meta description.<\/p>\n\n

Featured Image: Paulo Bobita\/Search Engine Journal<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n