Most search engines will use your "meta tags" to help determine how your site is listed, and how it is ranked against other sites. Meta tags are part of the HTML code of a site, and contain descriptive words and phrases that help web surfers find exactly what they are looking for. Many web page editors refer to meta tags as "page title," "page description," "key words," etc., but be sure to understand the importance of these entries. There should be a title tag, a description tag, and a keywords tag on each of your pages.
When someone enters a search query into a search engine, it will be compared against your key words (and sometimes against the title and description, or perhaps even other words pulled directly off your pages). Generally, the better the match, the more likely your site will rise to the top of the listings. Obviously, it is extremely important to have key word tags that will maximize how well your site is ranked by the various search engines (go back to the lists of most-frequently-used search terms and make sure you include any and all that are appropriate to your site!). Use the GoTo.com Search Term Suggestions site to help you choose the best phrases.
Your title tags should include the most important key words of your site. For instance, this site is called "Web Magic" on my main page, but the word "magic" isn't one of my key words. So my title tag is "A Beginner's Guide to Making a Web Site for Profit." People browsing search engine listings will instantly know what this site is about by the title.
Your description tags should also include all your important key words, and should be as informative and appealing as possible. This is where you need to convince surfers to select your site from the long lists of choices that they will have. Some search engines will only display the first 10-15 words of your description, so start it off with a short and concise statement, and continue with more details.
Download a free trial of WebPosition Gold for more assistance with preparing your pages for search engines.
