HTML Head Keywords
The HTML <head> is the non-visible part of a page that holds metadata such as the title, meta tags, stylesheets, scripts, and other document-level information.
Start here
- Delete the meta keywords tag—it's ignored by Google.
- Invest your time in writing great title tags and meta descriptions.
- Always include charset, viewport, and robots meta tags.
- Never put visible content or SEO copy in the
<head>. - Use structured data in the
<head>for rich results.
Here's what you actually need to know about the HTML head and keywords.
What I'd do first
- Delete the meta keywords tag from every page. It's dead weight.
- Write a unique, descriptive
<title>for each page. This is your biggest SEO lever in the head. - Craft a compelling
<meta name="description">that summarizes the page and includes your target keyword naturally. - Ensure essential technical tags are present:
<meta charset="UTF-8">,<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">, and a canonical tag if needed. - Use
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow">to control crawling (ornoindexif you don't want the page in search results).
Plain-English take
The <head> is like the ID card for your webpage. It doesn't show up on the screen, but it tells browsers and search engines who you are, what you're about, and how to behave. The <title> is your name, the meta description is your elevator pitch, and the viewport tag makes sure your site looks good on phones. The old meta keywords tag? That's like writing your hobbies on your ID card—Google stopped reading it years ago.
When it actually matters
- You're building a new site: Set up your
<head>correctly from day one. It's cheap insurance. - You're auditing an old site: Check for missing or duplicate
<title>tags, generic meta descriptions, and any lingering meta keywords tags. - You're troubleshooting indexing: If Google isn't showing your page the way you expect, the
<head>is the first place to look. - You're optimizing for featured snippets or rich results: Structured data (JSON-LD) goes in the
<head>and can unlock special search features.
What I got wrong
- I used to stuff meta keywords with every synonym I could think of. I thought it was a ranking signal. It's not.
- I once put a paragraph of SEO copy inside a
<meta>tag, hoping it would be indexed. It wasn't—and it broke the page. - I assumed more metadata was always better. Turns out, a bloated
<head>can slow down your page and confuse crawlers. - I forgot the viewport tag on a client's site. Their mobile traffic tanked until I added it.
Next step
Quick answers
What are HTML head keywords?
HTML head keywords are a <meta> tag that lists keywords relevant to the page content. They are placed in the <head> section of an HTML document.
Does Google use meta keywords for ranking?
No. Google has stated that the meta keywords tag is ignored for ranking purposes. It does not affect search performance.
Should I still use meta keywords?
It is not necessary for SEO. The tag remains part of the HTML specification but offers no ranking benefit. Focus on title tags and meta descriptions instead.
What is the difference between meta keywords and meta description?
Meta keywords list terms for the page, while meta description provides a summary shown in search results. Meta description is used by Google; meta keywords are not.
Sources
Primary documentation is linked directly. Anything commercial is marked nofollow.
- MDN Web Docs — Web page metadata — Clear, developer-focused explanation of what belongs in the HTML head and what it is used for.
- W3C — HTML5 Document metadata — Standards-level reference for document metadata and the historical `keywords` metadata model.
- Google Search Central — Authoritative source for current SEO guidance on what Google uses and ignores.
Notes from Callum Bennett.