The meta keywords tag was once a way to tell search engines what a page was about. Because it was easily abused, Google stopped using it for ranking, and Google's documentation does not list it among the meta tags it supports. Adding it does nothing for Google and can show competitors your target terms.
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What to do instead
Put the keyword where it matters to readers and search engines: the title tag, the H1, the opening paragraph and natural wording through the page. Write a clear meta description for the snippet, which affects clicks even though it is not a ranking factor.
Does any engine use it?
Some smaller or older systems may read it, but it is not worth maintaining. If a plugin adds it automatically, you can usually switch it off.
Common mistakes
Spending time filling it in
Effort is better spent on content and titles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for Google, but it serves no purpose, and long keyword lists reveal your targeting.
Keep reading
- Meta Description: A meta description is an HTML summary of a page. Google sometimes shows it as the snippet under a search result; it does not directly affect rankings.
- Title Tag: A title tag is the HTML element that names a page. Google often uses it as the clickable headline in search results, so it shapes both ranking and clicks.
- Meta robots tag: The meta robots tag is an HTML tag that tells search engines whether to index a page and follow its links.
- Keyword Stuffing: Keyword stuffing is loading a page with repeated keywords or lists of terms to manipulate rankings. Google treats it as spam.
- Above the Fold: Above the fold is the part of a page visible before scrolling. It decides first impressions and whether a visitor sees the answer or a wall of ads.
- AI-Assisted Writing: AI-assisted writing uses language models to help research, outline, draft or edit content. Google judges the result on quality, not on how it was made.
- Anchor Text: Anchor text is the clickable text of a link. It tells readers and search engines what to expect on the page the link points to.
- Answer-First Writing: Answer-first writing puts a direct, complete answer to the reader's question at the start of a page or section, then adds context and detail.
