Meta tags provide additional information about a webpage to browsers and search engines.
They are placed inside the head section and play a key role in SEO, encoding, and content interpretation.
The Meta Description Tag
The meta description provides a short summary of a webpage.
Search engines often display this description in search results.
A clear and meaningful description improves click-through rates.
It should be between 150–160 characters and describe the page content accurately.
The Meta Keywords Tag
The meta keywords tag was used earlier to specify keywords for search engines.
Modern search engines mostly ignore this tag.
Although meta keywords are not important today, understanding them helps when maintaining older projects.
The Charset Meta Tag
The charset meta tag defines the character encoding for the webpage.
It ensures that text displays correctly across browsers and languages.
UTF-8 is the most commonly used encoding and supports multiple languages and symbols.
This meta tag should be placed at the top of the head section.
Meta Tags and SEO
Meta description helps attract users from search results.
Charset ensures correct text rendering but does not directly affect ranking.
Common Meta Tag Mistakes
- Missing meta description
- Duplicate descriptions across pages
- Incorrect or missing charset
Why Meta Tags Matter for Jobs
Meta tags are essential for SEO and production readiness.
Employers expect developers to configure meta tags correctly.
Practice Task
Add meta description and charset tags to a webpage. Write a unique description for each page.
What You Will Learn Next
In the next lesson, you will learn about viewport settings and mobile optimization.