Difference Between Meta Tag Description and Keywords
META DESCRIPTION TAG is one of many possible meta tags that appear in the header of a web page. While most meta tags are invisible to your websites visitors the Meta Description tag is important in that the Meta Description appears in search results and appears as a preview of what the website visitor will find if they click the search listing to visit your web page.
What this Web Page Looks Like in a Search Listing.
![What this Web Page Looks Like in a Search Listing.]( "What this Web Page Looks Like in a Search Listing.")
What this Web Page Looks Like in a Search Listing.
KEYWORDS are the phrases (and words that make up the phrases) people will type into a search engine to find what they are looking for, as far as information on a website. For search engine optimization it is an extremely good idea to insert your main keyword or keyword phrase in the meta description tag AND the meta keywords tag.
For example, the main keyword phrase for this web page is difference between meta tag description and keywords. We have also included that keyword phrase in the Meta Description Tag. When you performed a search that got you to this web page, the Meta Description for this web page should be the text description for the search.
To view the Meta Description for this or any web page:
- Right click the web page (make sure your mouse pointer is not over an image or video when you right click) and select view source from the pop up menu.
- At the top of the page will be all the Meta Tags including the Meta Description Tag.
The Meta Description Tag for this Web Page.
![The Meta Description Tag for this Web Page.]( "The Meta Description Tag for this Web Page.")
The Meta Description Tag for this Web Page.
Proper Meta Description for Good SEO
Think of the Meta Description tag as an advertisement whose purpose is to entice online searchers to visit your web page.
A proper and SEO optimized Meta Description Tag:
- Should be at least 150 characters long. Anything longer than that will be chopped off in the search description but it won't hurt to make your description longer if you wish.
- Should include your main keyword phrase. The closer to the beginning of the description the better.
- As an added, attention getting bonus, use special characters to make your description really pop and stand out in the search results.
Free Meta Description Creator Tool
Use the form below to easily create a great meta description for your web page. As you type the number of characters of your meta description will be displayed so you can be sure it is the correct length.
When you press the Create Meta Description Tag button a popup window will appear with your Meta Description. Insert it in your HTML code anywhere between the <head> and </head> tags.
Meta Description Tags for this Website
At this website we make our Meta Description Tags a compilation of all the H2 tags on the web page, which we have found is a unique but effective approach. The reason for this approach is:
- The H2 tags contain either the main keyword phrase OR parts of the main keyword phrase or LSI keywords so using the H2 tags as the Meta Description for a web page means the Meta Description will be keyword rich.
- The H2 tags contain all of the most important points of what a web page is about and provides the searcher and potential website visitor with an accurate, honest, birds-eye view of what they can expect when then visit the web page.
Meta Keywords Tag
There is also a Meta Keywords Tag in web pages as well. While Meta Keywords Tag and Keywords are not the same thing, your main keyword phrase should be included in the Meta Keywords Tag.
Many websites today do not bother including the Meta Keywords Tag because many feel the Meta Keywords Tag is no longer relevant or even looked at by search engines. We disagree. At the very least, supplying a Meta Keywords Tag provides another, legit way to include your main keyword phrase in your web page. It can't hurt. Even if it is totally ignored by search engines today, the rules tomorrow might change. It takes no more effort to include the Meta Keywords Tag so do it.
