HTML Tags: What Need Them in SEO?

Do you know what these tags are?

What are HTML Tags in SEO?

You need to note that HTML tags are short pieces of code on your web page. They provide technical info about its content.

The purpose of these tags is to tell search engines how to interact with your page. These tags also confirm how to display the content in Google Search and visually adjust the page’s content in web browsers. All this is done for a better user experience. You should know how these tags look in the HTML document of the web page.

Before you dive into the usability and importance of these tags on the page, you should know the difference between regular HTML tags, meta tags, and their attributes.

HTML tags vs. meta tags vs. attributes

Note that HTML tags, meta tags, and attributes are technically all just small pieces of code present in the HTML document. All these tags are located at different places on the web page. Moreover, they play different roles in SEO and content creation:

1 HTML tag
They are any tag in the HTML document that provides technical info about the web page. Or it is any code that visually adjusts its content to users and search engines. HTML tags consist of opening, closing, or empty tags commands. These are specific info between them.

2 Meta tag
These tags provide contextual info about the page in thesection of the HTML document. Remember that only search engines and web browsers can see the meta tags and meta descriptions.

3 Attributes
Attributes generally provide additional info about the HTML or meta tags. They typically consist of special terms within the tag that can influence the behavior. Remember that attributes serve as a ranking signal. They serve as a directive to search engines.

Here are some reasons.

Why are HTML tags important in SEO?

HTML and meta tags indicate to Google what the page is about. Once they get this info, the web crawler should interact with its content. It also gets the info on how the content should be displayed in Google Search.

Whenever a crawler like Googlebot visits a page, it scans its content along with the provided tags. The bots get a better understanding of the page and decide to crawl and index the page.

a Crawling & indexing

Certain tags, like robot meta tags, generally control the behavior of search engines. They also manage their crawling and indexing process. You must know that Google supports various tags that can instruct web crawlers.

From the SEO perspective, you should control the crawling and indexing process via tags. The process will help you deal with various content issues on your website.

Duplicate content – Do you know that HTML tags can prevent Google from visiting and indexing pages that are duplicates of each other? Finally, they display those that are important to you.
Sensitive information – You may block web crawlers from visiting pages containing personal info about users.
User-generated content – These tags can also help you block those parts of the content that random people create. Meaning those sections of the code like – comments, reviews, spammy links, etc.

In summary, by implementing HTML/meta tags, you efficiently control crawling and indexing on your website. This process will help prevent penalization by Google. It will also tell the search engine which pages should appear in the Search.

b Relevancy and rankings

If you have proper tags in your page’s HTML document of your page – it will help search engines better understand the content. Do you know that some tags also serve as ranking factors in Google’s algorithm?

Although Google efficiently understands the content on web pages, meta tags, and HTML markups – it can further describe its meaning. Thus boosting the overall SEO of your website.

In addition, HTML tags, especially headings, can improve the readability of the content. Thus boosting the UX on your website. As a result, you can see an increase in organic traffic, higher CTR, and more potential conversions.

c Visibility in SERPs

Lastly, tags can also influence the appearance of your pages in Google Search and other platforms. For example, you can use the title tag and meta description in a page’s header to create a basic snippet in Google Search.

By implementing and optimizing HTML/meta tags, you can boost your presence in SERPs. Finally, improve the performance of your pages, and attract more users to your website.

Some common ones.

1 Title tag

he title tag is a small HTML code snippet in a webpage’ssection. It helps search engines understand the main topic of the page’s content. Google considers title tags as a ranking factor. It enhances the relevance of a webpage for specific search queries. Additionally, title tags are utilized as a clickable link to the web page’s snippet in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Besides aiding in SEO, title tags are also utilized in the browser’s title bars and tabs, like Chrome, Firefox, etc. These tags facilitate better user experience and navigation between opened windows, bookmarks, favorites, and folders.

Creating title tags for web pages is a simple process. If you use a CMS like WordPress, you can install one of the popular SEO plugins, such as Yoast SEO. Such tools can quickly generate a title tag for each page in just a few clicks.

2 Meta description tag

The meta description tag is a brief piece of text that offers descriptive information about a webpage. It is located in thesection of the HTML document. Although the meta description tag does not carry much weight in Google’s ranking algorithm, it is used for the organic snippet in Google Search.By crafting compelling meta descriptions, you can enhance the performance of your ranking pages. At the same time you can attract more organic traffic from Google.

Just like with title tags, you can use one of the popular SEO plugins to create appealing descriptions for all of your essential pages. These plugins, such as Yoast SEO. These tools provide an easy-to-use interface for optimizing your meta descriptions and improving your overall SEO.

Here are the other popular HTML tags.

1 Heading tag

Headings, such as H1, H2, H3, etc., are HTML tags that visually divide content into separate sections on a webpage. The primary purpose of heading tags is to provide a logical structure to the content. At the same time, it improves the content’s readability for users and search engines.

In addition to improving readability, headings also serve as a ranking signal for Google to assess a web page’s relevance for particular keywords. According to a Semrush study, pages with well-structured headings, including H2, H3, and H4 tags, tend to perform better in search engine results than those without headings.

Furthermore, an optimized heading structure on a webpage can also appear as a featured snippet for specific search queries. This highlights the importance of using headings to properly structure your content and improve your website’s visibility and organic traffic from Google.

2 Image alt attribute

The image alt attribute, or alt text, describes an image contained within the img tag. It serves the purpose of aiding visually impaired users and search engines in comprehending the contents of an image.

While Google has improved its image recognition capabilities, it still relies on alt text to grasp the context of an image and its relevance to the surrounding content on the webpage. With adequately optimized alt attributes, some of your images may also show up in Google Image Search. It would result in a potential boost in organic traffic to your website.

If you use WordPress, you can easily add alt text to your essential images directly in the WP editor or in the Media » Library. By taking the time to optimize your image alt attributes, you can improve your website’s accessibility. At the same time increase its visibility in search engine results.

Being one of the most widely used content management systems on the internet, WordPress is highly regarded for its flexibility and automated processes. WordPress allows for easy and quick setup of a website optimized for search engine optimization (SEO).

WordPress automatically adds some of the tags mentioned above, such as the tagging of posts and page titles for search engines. It is an added feature in WordPress.

It is vital to take note of your website’s permalink structure, as it not only aids in search engine optimization but also enhances user accessibility. Changing the permalinks in WordPress can make it easier for users to comprehend the topic of your content. Which ultimately benefits both SEO and user experience.

Utilizing WordPress hosting, you can automate all of the HTML SEO tags through various themes and plugins. This eliminates the need for manual implementation, allowing you to focus solely on creating engaging content for your audience.

However, it is essential to note that regardless of your SEO strategy, the content truly resonates with the audience. One highly recommended WordPress plugin for SEO optimization is Yoast SEO. Yoast provides easy access to the most essential HTML tags required for SEO.

Increase Traffic with HTML Tags

Having great content alone is not enough to attract and retain visitors to your website. HTML tags for SEO play a critical role in making sure that your content is discovered by potential readers. With so many websites competing for attention on the Internet, it’s essential to take advantage of every opportunity to stand out.

Whether you are using a CMS like WordPress or building your site from scratch, incorporating the proper HTML tags can make all the difference. This important step is necessary to avoid missing out on valuable traffic and potential customers. So, please don’t underestimate the power of adequately optimized HTML tags for SEO, as they can be a crucial factor in your online success.

Read on similar topics online writing, competitive SEO strategies, HTML code, keyword density, local SEO Dubai, hidden text, Yoast SEO, link farm, link farm, and more.