Q: What are Meta Tags?
A: Meta tags are special codes that are embedded in your web page that are used by search engines to help index you. These codes relate to the content of your website. If you view the HTML source of your web page, you will see these codes near the top of the page in the "header" section. So you can see what Meta Tags look like, here's a Meta Tag section of what we may use on our own web site SiteRightNow.com, where you can make your own web site without programming.

Q: How do I create Meta Tags?
A: If you are a SiteRightNow.com member, you will see a Meta Tags button on your control panel screen. You can just fill out the meta tag form with the requested information, and the control panel will program the meta tag codes for you automatically.

For those of you who are programming web sites using HTML, you type the Meta Tag codes near the top of your page in the head section. You can refer to the syntax in the example that is shown above. You want to at least include your web site's TITLE, SUBJECT, DESCRIPTION, and KEYWORDS.

Q: Is there a secret on how to create my Meta Tags so my web site will show up higher than other web sites?
A: Unfortunately, each search engine has its own way of ranking your web site. This makes it difficult to make one generic page that will show up the same on all search engines. I have generally found that including your most important phrase at the beginning of each meta tag section helps. Also, search engines don't only look at your meta tags. They also look at the rest of your page and how often other web sites link back to you. It often helps to use your most important key word phrases throughout your page in normal conversation. You want to avoid just repeating a key word phrase over and over again. Most search engines will detect this practice, and they may not list you at all.