PDA

View Full Version : Penalty for Meta Tags?

TravelNow
19-12-2001, 17:51/05:51PM
I try to keep up on search engines for my own obsessive passions and to help with our Affiliate's web sites. However, I heard from an affiliate with the following-

"I have read at AltaVista and Google that they are not considering the description and keyword meta tags any more. Actually, I read they are penalizing the use of it in certain instances.


This is not something I remember seeing yet. I have basically gone on the may not help, but good ones can't hurt theory until now. Does anyone have insight into this?

---
Sidenote- there has been great information and some really helpful people in this forum. I generally try not to post in places because I cannot always get back to respond in good time - but I think I may like you guys :nerd:

Jessica Hutson
http://affiliate.travelnow.com
Alan Perkins
19-12-2001, 17:55/05:55PM
Welcome to the forums TravelNow! :hi:

AV uses title and description, Google just title.

Both may penalise for spamming within the title and description, but neither will for "fair use".
ihelpyou
19-12-2001, 17:56/05:56PM
Welcome to the forums TravelNow! :hi:

No truth in that at all. It is true that Google does not look at the description tag and keywords tag, but no penalty at all. AltaVista Does look at both and uses your description tag. Many other tags you may find on a site are simply ignored by both. Google will even use your description tag in certain circumstances like if the page has no or little content for Google to pull from.
TravelNow
19-12-2001, 18:02/06:02PM
That would explain why none of my research turned it up- it isn't true ;)

Thanks for your input- I really didn't want to tell this guy not to worry if there was something I had not heard about happening.

Since short and correct meta tags are one of the first things we work on (it's an easy way to get them started looking at the source code of their pages), I don't want to steer anyone wrong.

Jessica
ihelpyou
19-12-2001, 18:07/06:07PM
Hey Jessica, you should make up a signature file to display on all of your posts. :)
TravelNow
19-12-2001, 18:11/06:11PM
Thanks for the reminder - testing it now
Kal
19-12-2001, 21:45/09:45PM
Hi Jessica :hi: and welcome!
Hope
20-12-2001, 06:58/06:58AM
Welcome Jessica!
TravelNow
20-12-2001, 10:38/10:38AM
Thanks all for the warm welcome!

:hi:
Blue
20-12-2001, 12:04/12:04PM
Welcome to the forums Jessica! :hi: