We have all heard the term metadata, but what is it – and, more importantly, why do web editors need to care? Read on to get the lowdown.

What is metadata?

Metadata is data used to describe information and content that you present on your asset. Metadata is vital in making your page (and other assets) accessible and findable via search engines.

Important metadata information includes title, description, keywords, page author and date of creation. This data provides information about your content and delivers further context for your audience.

Why is good metadata important?

Search engines show relevant page title, page URL and a short description (snippet) under your content’s search results. This information provides a glimpse of what you audience can expect to find on the page. This information also helps search engines to collect, organise and rank your pages.

Metadata may be visible e.g. appear on search engine results page or as a page description on a landing page or invisible. Either way, it’s important to for this information be concise, relevant and keyword rich.

Where to find metadata

You can find metadata information under the Metadata tab in the CMS. It is vital to enter the page description before publishing the asset. The keywords fields will be the only other relevant field needed to be changed in this area.

Metadata best practice

Metadata is adaptable but there’s some guidelines. It is important to provide relevant data to ensure you have the best chance of reaching your audience.

  • Ensure your metadata is keyword rich to best reach your targeted audience.
  • Page titles should be short and relevant to the content on hand. (Maximum 60 characters)
  • Page descriptions should summarise what the page is about including keywords from the content. (Maximum 160 characters).

You can learn more about metadata and SEO guidelines for content writers on the Web User Guide.

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