Meta Description / Meta Keywords

[APICDA]

So, I am using Wordpress and the seo by yoast.....  I have heard that meta keywords and descriptions are no longer recognized or used by search engines with respect to page rankings in the serps.  Is this true?  If so, why do people still recommend using these?  I thought content is  king these days?

[AndersS]

Hi!

You are right regarding keywords. They are a waste of time. In regards to the meta description, this is still used for display in the SERPs, so it's still worth the extra few minutes to craft a well-thought text explaining what the page is really about.

Hope this helps
Anders

[APICDA]

Thank you, I have not been keeping up with things, so, nice to hear I am somewhat in the right track

[jamesm5i]

Hey Quilbur

As stated, the meta keywords tag isn't worth your time and can even show competitors which keywords you plan to target.

Meta descriptions, while not a major ranking factor, can help with click-thru rates on search engine results pages. If any of the query appears in your description, it will bold. The bold text gives the searcher that much extra assurance that you are the source to trust.

[DougRoberts]

You meta description, while not a ranking factor, can significantly affect the number of click-thoughs you get in the search result pages (SERPS).

Think of your Page title, and description as the equivalent of a small ad you might place in a newspaper. It's got to be relevant, interesting and compelling for the searcher. You want them to think that they're going to find what they're looking for if they click on your page.

Try to match snippet to the searchers intent implied by the keyword (where possible).

[Matt-Williamson]

Hi Quilbur

These guys have all given you some great answers I just thought you might like this extra little bit of info - Bing actually takes meta keywords as a spam signal since about 2011.

Have a look at this article by Danny Sullivan - http://searchengineland.com/the-meta-keywords-tag-lives-at-bing-why-only-spammers-should-use-it-96874

As the only thing that meta keywords actually do is make it easier for your competitors to know what keywords you are targeting  (as jamesm5i stated) I never implement them.

I always make sure that there is a strong call to action on the meta description as I have seen the results of implementing this with sites already in postions 2 and 3 - a strong call to action increased the search traffic generated by them significantly.

[josh-riley]

The right meta description can get people to click - so while not ranking factor, it's very critical to success in driving traffic.