When creating a website, your first thoughts are likely in regards to the design and functionality, and with endless development possibilities out there, it’s easy to get lost in the cosmetics. But it’s even easier to overlook something like the metadata “under the hood” of the website. So how do you enhance your metadata for best search engine optimization? 
First of all, what IS metadata and why does it matter?
HubSpot CEO Brian Halligan wrote a great blog that explains metadata as the “information about a web page that is not part of the ‘core’ content of the page.” He notes that this “provides useful information regarding the page to various pieces of software (a browser, search engine crawlers, etc.).”
In this age where SEO reigns king, metadata certainly should matter to your website development strategy. Fully optimizing your meta descriptions on all website pages and landing pages of your website can have a true impact on your SEO strategy. Though only a portion of the greater search algorithm, it’s still important to have your metadata implemented to reflect your keyword strategy and brand messaging.
Where can I optimize my metadata for SEO?
Taking a look behind the scenes, you certainly need to be aware of the metadata associated with each of your company’s website pages.
Thankfully, here at WordWrite, our HubSpot platform informs us when we happen to omit any metadata on our website pages as well as landing pages. The tool even tells us the functionality of meta keywords (being “hidden words associated with the page that help search engines know what the page is about”) and meta descriptions (being the “description shown when your site appears in search engines and directories”).
Taking it one step further, HubSpot scours every page to tell us where we might have missed something or what we might need to change to improve the page performance. In regards to metadata, HubSpot identifies if the meta description is unique or if the page title is optimized. It also notifies us if the meta description is too short or too long, noting that search engines cut off descriptions at 150 characters.
What should you keep in mind for optimizing your metadata?
When writing your meta descriptions, be mindful of elements such as keywords, message alignment, and keeping it unique. Since all these elements drive your overall SEO strategy, it’s best practice to incorporate these keywords and messages in the back-end development of your website.
As always, you should monitor the performance of your metadata to appropriately optimize your website. Test to see what’s working and change what might not be. This will help to continually improve your company’s website and SEO strategy.
What’s next?
Make it a priority to analyze your company’s metadata at least annually. If your keywords have changed or you’ve added new ones, it’s a good idea to reevaluate if your meta descriptions still align with your overall strategy.
When creating new pages, always make sure you’re addressing the metadata associated with all elements of a web page, including the title, meta description, and even the alt tags associated with images. Aligning your keyword strategy with these elements of a website will be some of the best steps you can take to getting your business found online.
Want to learn more? Our friends at HubSpot created this great SEO kit to take your company’s SEO strategy to the next level. Check it out here.
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Christy Goodman is senior account executive for WordWrite Communications. She can be reached at christy.goodman@wordwritepr.com and on Twitter @christylgoodman. 
