Ohmystinkinheck

If you use your blog for any reason other than personal journaling (for instance, I offer WordPress Wednesday tutorials), then you probably have read up a bit on Search Engine Optimization and are looking for ways to better promote to the search engines the valuable content you’re offering on your blog.

Though the question still lingers whether or not plugging in meta tag descriptions and keywords is still a necessary part of search engine optimization, there is a nifty little plugin that will automatically generate these for you.

In other words, if meta tag descriptions and keywords are truly important, you’re covered in a pain free, hassle free way. And if they are a thing of the past (OOOOOH so Web 1.0), then all you need to do is continue writing your excellent content and the work will be done for you.

So, let’s begin.

You’ll only need four things for this tutorial.

1. A self-hosted WordPress blog.
2. The add-meta-tags-1.6 download you can find here.
3. Software to extract the plugin from the .zip file
4. A FTP program of some sort - be it Filezilla, Coda, your web host’s file manager, whatever. You just need to be able to upload the .php file into your WordPress /plugins/ directory

Once you have downloaded the add-meta-tags-1.6.zip file, unzip/extract the contents of the file to your hard drive (I like to download everything first to my desktop, and then later place it in the file of my choice)

Then, within the unzipped file, find and upload the add-meta-tags.php file into your plugins directory. If you do not remember how to upload files to directories on your server, please refer to this tutorial for step-by-step information.

Remember, you can find your /plugins/ directory by following this path in your WordPress blog’s server directory:

/wp-content/plugins/

Once uploaded, log into your WordPress Dashboard, go to your Plugins tab (Options > Plugins),

Then, find the Add Meta Tags plugin…

…and activate the plugin within your administration panel.

You’re done.
No, seriously - you really could stop right there and be done.

However, there is more that can be done with this plugin, so let me walk you through it and show you how you how to customize it in a couple of areas.

Customizing the Home Page Description and Keywords

As it has been mentioned, no configuration is required for the plugin to function. It will automatically add meta tags to your front page and to each post in single post view.

By default, on the home page of your WordPress blog the plugin grabs your WordPress Tagline for your meta description and it uses your category names for your meta keywords. And if you don’t have a clue as to what I’m talking about, once you’ve installed the plugin, you can follow the next few instructions and you’ll see.

Go to your home page of your blog and anywhere on that page (though not atop an image) right click and scroll down to select “View Source”.

The markup for your home page will pop up in a different window. If you look for your meta description and keyword, you’ll see that it will look something like this:

That’s a wee bit small. It says:

<meta name="description" content="Because what else do you have to do on Wednesdays?" />
<meta name="keywords" content="blogroll, tutorials" />

By default this plugin has grabbed the WordPress blog tagline to serve as the meta description on my home page. Where do I find my WordPress tagline? Under Options within my Dashboard. See?

It really isn’t a very search engine smart savvy description for a website that has WordPress tutorials, so I’ll modify it in a bit - thinking specifically about what keywords are best represented on the website.

The meta keywords were grabbed from the names of the categories currently set-up on the WordPress Wednesday blog.

If that satisifies my heart and soul for my home page, I don’t need to mess with anything else. If I want to add a few more keywords, keyword phrases, and/or a customized description, I can do so by going to this plugin’s configuration panel under Options > MetaTags within the Wordpress’ back-end.

Any descriptions or keywords keyed within the plugin’s configuration panel will be used automatically over the defaults.

Now, if you go back to the home page to view the source code (remember to right click, scroll down to select “View Source”), you’ll see my customized meta description and keywords have been generated.

Meta Description and Keywords for Single Posts

So now that your home page meta description and keywords have been customized, check out how the plugin works for single posts. Single posts are the individual post pages. You can see what I’m talking about by clicking on the hyperlinked title of a post and viewing JUST THAT POST’s PAGE.

This is also the post that your readers who subscribe to your feed will click to from their feed readers.

Single posts really can be helpful in the search engines. They are more naturally focused on a specific topic (like this one is focused on helping you install a meta tag plugin) and therefore, are viewed individually in the description and the keywords.

By default, in single post view, the plugin will grab an average 250 character excerpt of the first complete sentence in the post and use it as the meta description. I like this because my first sentence is usually pretty focused on the tutorial at hand and makes for a strong meta description.

You can see below how it works.

The meta keywords in single post view pull from categories and tags.

So, as long as you lead off with a solid descriptive sentence, file your post in a category or categories that are keyword relevant, and/or utilize a tag structure, your single post view meta descriptions and keywords will generate very well all on their own.

The Internet…where Content is KING.

Even when you have the perfect keywords and/or descriptions, your site will not just skyrocket to the Top Ten in Google without a bit of work. Content is still crucial. In fact, it is most crucial. Longevity, strong link relationships and content is the trivium of search engine optimization. Work those and you’ll find your place in time.

9 Responses to “Automated meta descriptions and keywords.”

1. Angella

   Having you is having my own Internet/WordPress fairy in my back pocket!

2. witchypoo

   I wish I had known about this a few months ago. I have been typing in keywords for SEO for each post. Thanks for this!

3. Frances

   I have several blogs over at WordPress.com, and I like it there.
   I have often wondered how difficult it would be to use the software elsewhere.
   I shall be checking in on your blog on Wednesdays!
   Found you on the blog365 Mega Feed.

4. Brea

   More good stuff! I’m loving your WordPress Wednesday tutorials!! Keep ‘em up!

5. Mrs. Wilson

   I can’t wait to get through the other tutorials so I can use this one! Wordpress Wednesdays ROCK!!!

6. Shannon

   man…. is it confusing wednesday again? heck I am still trying to find the people who post on my blods on wordpress. ok…. but maybe in a bit… i need a nap.

7. Kerry

   I am so glad it is Wednesday. Last night I was thinking about it, and I couldn’t wait for it to be Wednesday to see what you were going to write about ;-)

8. lisa

   thank you yet again for all the help! Is this why my blog never shows up in my google alerts? (I set up an alert for my own blog yet none of my own posts show up?) thanks!

9. Steph

   Crud. I don’t use this plug-in. I use the All-in-one SEO pack. Now I’m thinking I need to switch. CRUD, I say!!

   I’m also still looking for your tip jar, lady.