Meta Tags

Meta tags are essential for improving search engine rankings, social media sharing, and good user experience.

Definition

Meta tags provide important information about a webpage, such as the page description, keywords, and author. They are used primarily by search engines and browsers to optimize search results and improve the user experience. This guide explains how to add and manage meta tags on your Columbia Sites website.

Usage and Specifications

Meta tags are commonly used for the following purposes:

  1. Search engine optimization (SEO): Meta tags help search engines understand the content of your page, which can affect how your page ranks in search results.

  2. Social media sharing: Meta tags allow you to customize how your page appears when shared on social media platforms.

  3. Improved user experience: Meta tags are also used as page summaries; when keywords are used in the meta tag, they provide users with a preview of the page content in search results.

How to Create Meta Tags

Navigate to Your Page Settings:

  • Go to Shortcuts > Add Content or select an existing page from the Content tab.

Add Meta Tags:

  • Within the page settings, scroll down to the Meta Tags section.

  • Here, you can enter the title, description, keywords, and social media-related meta tags.

  • Note: By default, the page summary is used for meta tags. If your page does not include a summary, be sure to enter the meta tag information manually in this section.

Add Meta Tags

Save Changes

Important Notes

  • SEO Optimization: Keep meta descriptions concise and relevant to your page's content for better SEO performance.

  • Character Limits: Ensure that your meta tags adhere to character limits to avoid truncation in search engine results.