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Creating Cool Web Sites with HTML, XHTML, and CSS
tip
My search engine-optimizer friends (called SEOs in the biz) tell me that <meta> tags for keywords and description are passé and not worth including anymore. Titles and the first few sentences are much more important for page ranking on search engines. Personally, I still include the <meta> tags, but I strive to ensure that I’m doing everything else I can to maximize the findability of my sites.
Here’s how you use the <meta> tag: <meta name=”keywords” content=”technical support, Microsoft Windows, Mac, Linux, Microsoft Office, Unix, Open Office, OpenOffice, X, GNOME, Novell, NetWare, Help, Answers, AnswerSquad.com, MICROSOFT WINDOWS, MAC, LINUX, ANSWERSQUAD.COM, Windows, Mac” /> <meta name=”description” content=”Got Technical Questions? You need AnswerSquad! We offer a high-quality email discussion list staffed with expert professionals - top-notch tech authors who can explain even the most complex topics to normal human beings. Microsoft Windows, Mac, Linux, Office? We Wrote the Book!” />
The search on a system such as AltaVista shows the title of the page and the description as the summary of the site rather than showing the first few dozen words found (which is the usual “description” used by search engines if they can’t find something better to display). Here’s how the result of the search might look: AnswerSquad: Windows, Windows XP, Mac OS X, Unix, Linux, Red Hat Linux, Mac OS, Windows 2000, C, C++, Java, HTML, Microsoft Office, Open Office, X, GNOME and NetWare Support / Help / Questions Answered by Experts Got Technical Questions? You need AnswerSquad! We offer a high-quality email discussion list staffed with expert professionals—top-notch tech authors who can explain even the most complex topics to normal human beings. Microsoft Windows, Mac, Linux, Office? We Wrote the Book! http://www.answersquad.com/ —size 14k—15 Jan 04
on the web
Search Engine Watch is a great site for learning the latest scoop on how different search engines rate and index pages. Even better, it’s run by a friend of mine, Danny Sullivan, so that’s another good reason to visit! Check it out online at www. searchenginewatch.com.
Now that you know the value of meta keyword and meta description tags, poke around on some other sites, such as those suggested in the following sections, to see how they use the <meta> tag to improve their listings in search engines.