If you’re new to the world of search engine optimisation (SEO), you may have come across terms like meta titles, meta descriptions and alt text.
As a writer, it’s one of the most common things that I see forgotten, for big, established brands and startups alike. And while it might seem like one other thing to think about, getting it right can really be a big deal.
While it might seem like technical jargon that you don’t need to know about, they play a crucial role in improving your website’s visibility and search engine ranking. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at what these terms mean and why they matter.
What are meta titles, meta descriptions and alt text?
These are all basically part of the scructure of a website and describe what’s on there. They’re good for SEO and having all three is considered best practice for a website that’s optimised.
This means that when search engines are crawling the internet looking for the best web pages to send people who are searching for specific keywords. Keyword research is a big part of making sure your meta titles, meta descriptions and alt text are working for you.
Meta titles
A meta title, also known as a title tag, is an HTML element that appears in the head section of a webpage. It is the text that appears at the top of a web browser window and is usually displayed as the headline of a search engine result. Meta titles should be concise, accurately describe the content of the page, and include relevant keywords that users might search for.
Meta descriptions
A meta description is a brief summary of the content on a webpage. It is also an HTML element and appears below the meta title in search engine results. The purpose of a meta description is to provide users with a preview of what they can expect to find on the page. Like meta titles, meta descriptions should be concise and include relevant keywords.
Alt text
Alt text, short for alternative text, is a description of an image on a webpage. It is used by screen readers to describe the content of an image to visually impaired users. Alt text also plays a role in SEO because search engine crawlers cannot “see” images, so alt text helps them understand what the image is about. Alt text should be descriptive and include relevant keywords.
Why meta titles, meta descriptions and alt text matter
Meta titles, meta descriptions, and alt text all play a crucial role in SEO. When properly optimised, they can help improve your website’s visibility and search engine ranking. Meta titles and descriptions are often the first thing users see when they search for a particular keyword, so they should accurately describe the content on the page and include relevant keywords.
Alt text, on the other hand, helps search engines understand the content of an image, which can improve your website’s overall relevance and authority. Alt text is also good for people who use a screen reader, as it can read out what an image is, plus if your image can’t display for whatever reason it’ll say on screen what it should be.
In addition to their SEO benefits, meta titles, meta descriptions, and alt text can also improve user experience. Clear, concise titles and descriptions can help users quickly understand the content of a page and decide whether to click through to it.
Need help with your meta titles, meta descriptions or alt text?
I can help to take the weight off your fingers by writing optimised meta titles, meta descriptions and alt text for your site.
Get in touch to find out more, and we can take your content to the next level together.