1. Computing & Technology

Discuss in my forum

meta tag

By , About.com Guide

Definition:

A meta tag is a specific HTML tag used to define meta data on your Web pages.

The most commonly used meta tags are:

  • description
  • keywords
  • author
  • refresh

Meta tags are placed in the <head> of an HTML document, and they typically do not display where the reader can easily see them. They are used to provide additional information about the page either for databases and search engines or for the author of the site to keep a record of the pages.

Meta tags are written using the <meta> HTML tag, and typically look something like this:

<meta name="keywords" content="meta tags, search engine optimization, SEO" />

Meta Tags and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Meta tags are most often used for search engine optimization (SEO). The two most critical meta tags used in SEO are: description and keywords. These are sometimes used by search engines to place the pages in the search directory, and they are used to provide a short description of the Web page in the search results.

Meta Tags and Page Refresh

The meta refresh tag is often used to redirect your customers from one Web page to another. It is a simple and reliable way to get your customers to the correct page of your site without requiring any server or programming knowledge.

©2012 About.com. All rights reserved.

A part of The New York Times Company.