WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF META TAGS?

The advantages of meta tags are:

1. Improved search engine visibility: A website can improve its visibility in search engine results pages by including relevant keywords and a compelling description in the meta tags (SERPs).

2. Increased organic click-through rates: A well-written meta description can entice users to click on a website's link in SERPs, increasing traffic to the site.

3. Better organization: Meta tags can help organize a website's content by providing information about the page's purpose, topic, and keywords.

4. Improved accessibility: Meta tags such as the robots tag can be used to improve accessibility for search engines and users with assistive technologies.

The disadvantages of meta tags are:

1. Search engines may ignore meta tags: Search engines may not always use the information provided in meta tags, and they may not be a significant ranking factor.

2. Keyword stuffing: If meta tags include too many or irrelevant keywords, they can be seen as spammy and may harm a website's search engine visibility.

3. Not all meta tags are supported: Some meta tags, such as the keywords tag, are not supported by all search engines and may not have any effect.

To overcome the disadvantages of meta tags, it's important to use them correctly and appropriately.

1. Use relevant keywords in the title tag and meta description: Use keywords that accurately describe the content of the page and are relevant to the user's search query.

2. Avoid keyword stuffing: Use keywords naturally and relevantly, and avoid including too many keywords in the meta tags.

3. Use supported meta tags: Stick to using meta tags that are supported by most search engines, such as the title tag, meta description, and robots tag.

4. Use structured data: Use schema.org structured data to provide more information about the content of the page to search engines.

5. Focus on creating high-quality content: High-quality content is the most important factor in SEO, meta tags are just an addition to it.

In summary, meta tags can be useful in improving a website's visibility and accessibility, but they should be used correctly and appropriately to avoid potential disadvantages.

REFERENCE

Meta tags and search engine optimization - web hosting talk (no date). Available at: https://www.webhostingtalk.com/blog/meta-tags-and-search-engine-optimization/ (Accessed: March 12, 2023).