Meta Tag Guidelines

1. Meta Tag Guidelines

Meta tags help search engines understand the content of each page on your website. When used correctly, they can improve your visibility in search results and increase the number of visitors to your site.

The two most important meta tags are the meta title and the meta description.

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1.1 Meta Title

The meta title is the title that appears as the clickable link in search engine results.

Guidelines

• Keep it between 50 and 60 characters, including spaces.
• Use a clear, accurate, and professional tone.
• Ensure it accurately reflects the content of the page.

What to Include

• The most important keywords for the page.
• Your business or organisation name, where space allows.
• Clear and readable wording.

Avoid

• Using all capital letters.
• Excessive punctuation.
• Keyword stuffing.

Example

Guided Walking Tours of Ennis – Ennis Walking Tours

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1.2 Meta Description

The meta description is the short summary displayed beneath the title in search engine results.

Guidelines

• Aim for 130 to 160 characters.
• Use an informative and engaging tone.
• Encourage users to click through to the page.

What to Include

• A concise summary of the page content.
• A clear call to action such as:
  • Book now
  • Learn more
  • Contact us today
• Relevant keywords used naturally.

Example

Join expert-led walking tours of historic Ennis. Explore landmarks, hear great stories, and book your place online today.

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1.3 One Meta Title and Description Per Page

Each page on your website should have a unique meta title and meta description.

Using duplicate titles or descriptions across multiple pages can:

• Confuse search engines
• Reduce search visibility
• Negatively impact rankings

Avoid the Following

• Quotation marks (" ") as they may cause formatting issues in some search engines.
• Generic phrases such as:

Welcome to our website

These provide little or no SEO value.

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1.4 Use Your Keywords Wisely

Think about the words and phrases people are likely to search for when looking for the information on your page.

Include these keywords naturally within both the:

• Meta title
• Meta description

Focus on writing for people first and search engines second. Well written, relevant meta tags are more effective than simply adding as many keywords as possible.