Metadata

What is metadata?

Meta is a prefix that describes "an underlying definition " in most applications of IT. Metadata thus summarize basic information about data, which can make it easier to find and work with specific data instances.

For example are Author, creation date and modification date, and file size. Examples of very basic Metadata of documents. The ability to search for information according to these Metadata filter makes it much easier to find a specific document.

Besides document files Metadata used especially for images, videos, spreadsheets and websites. Their use on websites is important and necessary because they describe the content of the page and also the keywords are linked to the content. The Metadata are expressed - in relation to websites - in the form of metatags.

Metadata in search engines

Also in the search results of the search engines (SERP's) are Metadata, to be found in the form of the description and summary of the sites. These meta descriptions and meta tags are very relevant for users, as their details can determine whether you decide to click on the website or not.

Until the end of the 90s, these were considered Metadata still considered part of the key factors in determining the position of a search. The increase in Search engine optimization (SEO) towards the end of the 1990s, however, has led to many websites becoming the so-called Keyword stuffing have passed over.

With this the Search engines "tricked to make one website appear more relevant than another. For this reason, count Metadata of a website now no longer belongs to the Ranking Factors from Google. However, this does not mean that they are no longer relevant!

To counteract attempts at manipulation, Google continuously changes their Ranking Criteria. In particular the Google algorithm is thereby Often customized.

Metadata can be created manually or by automatic. Manual creation is usually more accurate, allowing the user to enter any information they feel is relevant or needed to describe the file.

Automated metadata creation can be much simpler and usually only shows information such as file size, file extension, when the file was created and who created the file.

Advantages

SEO Metadata offer many advantages for the Search engine optimization. They are an important tool to make websites more visible to search engines. SEO Metadata help search engines better understand the content of a page and in choosing which pages are most relevant for search results.

They also help generate visitors. Search engines use SEO Metadatato sort the search results in a specific way. This allows websites to be displayed preferentially in search results.

Disadvantages

A disadvantage of SEO Metadata is that they are difficult to implement. They need to be carefully maintained to ensure that they deliver the best possible results. When the Metadata are not set up correctly, they can do more harm than good.

Use cases

SEO Metadata can be used in several ways. They can be used to describe content, write titles and descriptions, identify keywords and much more.

They can also be used to help search engines categorize content. This can be used when creating search engine ads, building links to other pages and generating Traffic be useful.

10 metadata examples:

Conclusion

SEO Metadata are an important tool for making web pages more visible to search engines. They can help a page to be found better by search engines by making the Ranking improve the page and categorize content. However, the cost of implementing and maintaining the Metadata be high.