Meta Keywords

Why It Matters (or Doesn't)

• Major search engines ignore it. Google confirmed years ago that it does not use the meta keywords tag as a ranking signal. Bing has said it is used primarily as a spam detection signal — if anything, keyword stuffing in the tag can hurt you.
• It reveals your strategy to competitors. Your meta keywords are visible in your page source. Competitors can view them and see exactly which terms you are targeting. Since the tag provides zero ranking benefit, this is all downside.
• It wastes development effort. Time spent maintaining and updating meta keywords across hundreds of pages is time better spent on content quality, meta descriptions, and actual on-page optimization that search engines care about.
• Some niche search engines still use it. A handful of smaller or specialized search engines may still reference the meta keywords tag. If your audience relies on those platforms, the tag might have marginal value. For mainstream search, it does not matter.

What to Do About It

1. Do not bother adding it to new pages. If your pages do not already have a meta keywords tag, there is no reason to add one. Your development time is better spent on content and user experience improvements.
2. If you keep it, keep it minimal. If your CMS automatically generates the tag or you have legacy pages that include it, use three to five highly relevant terms at most. There is no benefit to listing dozens of keywords.
3. Never stuff it with irrelevant terms. Loading the tag with every conceivable keyword variation, competitor names, or unrelated terms is a spam signal. If a search engine does look at the tag, stuffing will only hurt you.
4. Focus your energy on what works. Instead of meta keywords, invest in writing strong title tags, compelling meta descriptions, quality page content, and proper heading structure. These are the signals search engines actually use.
5. Remove it entirely if you prefer. Removing the meta keywords tag from all your pages has zero negative impact on search rankings. If cleaning up your HTML is a priority, the tag is a safe one to cut.

Common Mistakes

• Treating it as a ranking factor. The single biggest mistake is spending time optimizing meta keywords as if they influence search rankings. They do not, and have not for over a decade.
• Stuffing the tag with dozens of terms. Long lists of keywords in the meta tag look spammy to any search engine that does check and expose your full keyword strategy to competitors who view your source.
• Confusing meta keywords with meta descriptions. These are two completely different tags. The meta description still matters for click-through rates and search snippets. The meta keywords tag does not. Make sure you are putting your effort into the right one.
• Assuming all meta tags are obsolete. Just because meta keywords are ignored does not mean all meta tags are useless. The meta description, meta robots, meta viewport, and other tags remain important for SEO and user experience.