Meta tags / title tags

[doodlebug]

Is ok to use the same keywords for both title tags and meta tags ?
For example a pet site might have a page on hamsters and keywords for that page would be hamster, rodents, small pets etc is ok to use these as meta and title tags or should they vary ?

Thanks

 

[Takwa]

don't think any search engine use meta tags anymore... so I guess it doesn't matter

 

[WaftyCrank]

Search engines don't weight them as high as they used to but they do matter as part of the overall on page/site seo bundle. I would recommend sticking to one or two keywords for title and yes I would include these in the meta keywords tag. I'd also mention it in the description then on page too.

Drop in an anchor text using the same keyword from another page on yor site to that page and you've done your seo a good service. Job isn't finished by a long way but you've assisted for sure.

 

[doodlebug]

Thanks for replies, I,ve never used the title tags before, maybe time to get doing so

 

[denchomsky]

Meta 'keywords' are not given a high value with google's current algorthym mainly because they were being abused.

Meta 'description' is quite important as this is given value and is what appears in the google results.

<title> tags are more important, and do not have to be restricted to a couple of keywords, it has become quite common to include keywords, the URL of the site and other information, in the title tags, for example for a site selling mens clothes called maleclothes.co.uk you could put, and it could be beneficial : <title>Mens trousers Mens shirts and Mens jumpers at maleclothes.co.uk</title>

Using the same keywords would not be an issue as long as you do not go crazy repeating the words loads of times.

Google's algorithms can change so IMO it is worth including all meta information and <title> tags to future proof your sites.

Also don't forget your heading tags and alt tags.

 

[doodlebug]

Thanks mate, there's so much to do regarding SEO but I guess if your not going to do it right then you might aswell not bother

 

[jj1]

IMO title tags are VERY important in SEO - MUST contain keywords. The meta description and keyword tags are not (I believe) used by Google but might be used by other search engines. I personally put keywords into keyword tag (obviously) and weave them subtly into the description tag - which Google uses as the two line teaser in the serps.

 

[Edwin]

Both title and description meta tags have an important part to play. The description meta tag is used together with the title to create the search engine listing for your site, as returned by Google*
*That's not always the case - if the search keyphrase matches something on the page that's not in the description meta tag, Google will sometimes pull together a couple of sentences from the page itself to make the listing. In other words, the listing description is not constant - Google varies it dynamically based on the search. But the meta description still gets used a lot of the time, especially if you put popular keywords in it.

This may help...
http://blog.webmastering.co.uk/seo/meta-title-and-description-tags/

 

[doodlebug]

Another good post by Edwin
That blog points out some good views on SEO.

Thanks (rep added)