📊 Complete SEO Meta Tags & Optimization Guide
Beginner-Friendly Guide for Teams with Zero SEO Knowledge
What People See in Google Search Results:
📝 META TITLE (Also called "SEO Title" or "Title Tag")
CRITICAL RULES - READ CAREFULLY:
- Why? Google cuts off anything longer
- How to check: Count characters (including spaces) in Microsoft Word or use
charactercounttool.com
- What is primary keyword? The main search term you want to rank for
- Example: If targeting "gate repair Austin", this phrase MUST be in title
Format for Service Pages:
Examples:
✅ Good: "Gate Repair Austin | Fast & Affordable | ABC Gates" (59 chars)
✅ Good: "Emergency Gate Repair Austin TX | ABC Gates" (48 chars)
❌ Bad: "Welcome to our website about gate repair services" (51 chars but no location, not compelling)
❌ Bad: "Gate Repair in Austin, Texas | Professional Gate Repair Services | ABC Gate Company" (84 chars - TOO LONG!)
Format for Blog Posts:
Examples:
✅ Good: "How to Fix a Sagging Gate: 5 Easy Steps | ABC Gates" (53 chars)
✅ Good: "Gate Won't Close? Try These 7 Solutions | ABC Gates" (54 chars)
Format for Homepage:
Example:
✅ Good: "ABC Gates | Professional Gate Repair & Installation Austin" (60 chars)
How to Write a Good Meta Title:
- Start with your main keyword (what people search for)
- Add your location (city, state) for local businesses
- Add your brand name at end
- Make it compelling (use words like "Professional", "Fast", "Affordable", "Expert")
- Count characters - MUST be under 70
Meta Title Checklist:
- Primary keyword in title ✅
- Under 70 characters (60-65 is ideal) ✅
- Location included (for local businesses) ✅
- Brand name included ✅
- Sounds compelling and natural ✅
- Unique from all other pages (every page needs different title) ✅
- No keyword stuffing (don't repeat same word 3 times) ✅
Common Mistakes to AVOID:
❌ Using default title: "Home | ABC Company"
❌ Too long: Gets cut off in Google like this: "Gate Repair Services in Austin Texas for Residential and Commer..."
❌ No location: "Gate Repair Services" (people search "gate repair Austin" not just "gate repair")
❌ Same title on multiple pages
❌ ALL CAPS: "BEST GATE REPAIR IN AUSTIN" (looks spammy)
❌ Keyword stuffing: "Gate Repair, Gates, Gate Installation, Gate Maintenance Austin"
📝 META DESCRIPTION
What is it? = The gray text below the title in Google search results. It describes what the page is about.
CRITICAL RULES:
- Why? Google cuts off anything longer on mobile
- How to check: Count characters at
charactercounttool.com
- Primary keyword (naturally, not forced)
- Clear benefit (what does user get?)
- Call-to-action (what should they do?)
- Location (for local businesses)
- Phone number (optional but recommended for service businesses)
Format for Service Pages:
Examples:
✅ Good Example 1:
"Need fast gate repair in Austin? Our certified technicians fix all gate types same-day. Free estimates. Call (512) 555-0123 now!" (144 characters)
✅ Good Example 2:
"Professional gate repair Austin TX. 20+ years experience. Licensed & insured. Emergency service available. Get your free quote today!" (151 characters)
✅ Good Example 3:
"Automatic gate not working? We repair all gate brands in Austin. Same-day service, upfront pricing. Schedule your repair online or call us!" (158 characters)
❌ Bad Example 1:
"We are a gate repair company." (30 characters - TOO SHORT, no details, not compelling)
❌ Bad Example 2:
"ABC Gate Company has been providing exceptional gate repair services to residential and commercial customers in the greater Austin, Texas metropolitan area for over two decades." (178 characters - TOO LONG, will get cut off)
❌ Bad Example 3:
"Gate repair gate installation gate maintenance gates Austin Texas gates automatic gates." (88 characters - keyword stuffing, makes no sense)
Format for Blog Posts:
Examples:
✅ Good:
"Learn 5 proven methods to fix a sagging gate yourself. Step-by-step guide with photos. Save $200+ on repairs. Read our complete guide!" (153 characters)
✅ Good:
"Why won't your gate close? Discover 7 common causes and easy DIY fixes. Plus, when to call a professional. Get your gate working today!" (151 characters)
How to Write a Good Meta Description:
- First sentence: Answer the search query or state main benefit
- Middle: Add credibility (years in business, licensed, fast service)
- End: Clear call-to-action ("Call now", "Get free quote", "Read more")
- Include location for local businesses
- Add phone number if room allows
- Make it compelling - why should they click YOUR link?
Meta Description Checklist:
- 150-160 characters ✅
- Primary keyword included naturally ✅
- Clear benefit stated ✅
- Call-to-action included ✅
- Location mentioned (for local businesses) ✅
- Unique for every page (no duplicates) ✅
- Actually describes page content (no misleading descriptions) ✅
- Sounds natural when read aloud ✅
- Compelling and makes you want to click ✅
Common Mistakes to AVOID:
❌ Too short: "Gate repair in Austin" (only 24 chars - wasted opportunity!)
❌ Too long: Gets cut off like this: "We provide professional gate repair services to all of Austin and surrounding areas including Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown..."
❌ Boring/Generic: "ABC Company offers gate repair services."
❌ Same description on multiple pages
❌ Doesn't match page content (description talks about installation but page is about repair)
❌ No call-to-action (what should user do next?)
🏷️ H1 TAG (Main Heading)
What is H1? = The biggest heading on your page. Usually the first thing people read.
CRITICAL RULES:
- ✅ Only ONE H1 per page (Never more!)
- ✅ Must include primary keyword
- ✅ Should be similar to Meta Title (but can be slightly different)
- ✅ Length: 20-70 characters ideal
- ✅ Clear and descriptive (user should immediately know what page is about)
Examples for Service Page:
✅ Good: "Professional Gate Repair Services in Austin, TX"
✅ Good: "Austin Gate Repair | Fast & Reliable Service"
❌ Bad: "Welcome!" (not descriptive, no keyword)
❌ Bad: "Services" (too vague)
Examples for Blog Post:
✅ Good: "How to Fix a Sagging Gate: Complete DIY Guide"
✅ Good: "7 Common Gate Problems and How to Solve Them"
❌ Bad: "Gate Information" (too vague)
How to Check H1:
- Right-click on the main heading
- Click "Inspect" or "Inspect Element"
- Look for
<h1>tag in the code - OR use Rank Math SEO plugin - it shows if H1 exists
H1 Checklist:
- Only ONE H1 on the page ✅
- Includes primary keyword ✅
- Similar to meta title ✅
- Clear and descriptive ✅
- 20-70 characters ✅
🏷️ H2, H3, H4, H5, H6 Tags (Subheadings)
What are they? = Smaller headings that organize your content into sections.
Think of headings like a book:
- H1 = Book Title
- H2 = Chapter Titles
- H3 = Section Titles within Chapter
- H4 = Subsections
CRITICAL RULES:
✅ Use proper order: H1 → H2 → H3 → H4 (DON'T skip levels!)
- ✅ Good: H1, then H2, then H3
- ❌ Bad: H1, then H3 (you skipped H2!)
- ✅ H2 for main sections (your main topics)
- ✅ H3 for subsections under H2
- ✅ Include keywords naturally (don't force it)
- ✅ Make headers descriptive (tell user what section is about)
- ✅ Use questions as headers (matches how people search)
Example Structure for a Service Page:
Example Structure for a Blog Post:
Heading Best Practices:
✅ DO:
- Use keywords naturally in H2/H3 tags
- Keep headings short and clear
- Make them descriptive (user knows what's coming)
- Use questions (How, What, Why, When)
- Break up long content with headings
❌ DON'T:
❌ Stuff keywords: "Gate Repair Austin Gate Services Gate Maintenance"
❌ Use vague headings: "Information" or "Details"
❌ Skip heading levels (H1 to H3, skipping H2)
❌ Use multiple H1 tags
❌ Make headings too long (keep under 70 characters)
Heading Checklist:
- Only one H1 on page ✅
- Multiple H2 tags for main sections ✅
- H3 tags under H2 sections where needed ✅
- Proper hierarchy (no skipping levels) ✅
- Some headings include keywords naturally ✅
- Headings are descriptive and scannable ✅
- Questions used where appropriate ✅
- Google uses them to understand content structure
- Users scan headings to find info quickly
- Voice search often pulls answers from headings
- Featured snippets often come from H2/H3 sections
🖼️ IMAGE OPTIMIZATION (Alt Text & File Names)
What is Alt Text? = Text description of an image. Screen readers use it for blind users. Google uses it to understand what image shows.
CRITICAL RULES:
✅ Every image MUST have Alt Text (no exceptions!)
Alt Text Best Practices:
- Describe what's IN the image clearly
- Include target keyword (where natural)
- Keep under 125 characters
- DON'T start with "image of" or "picture of"
- Be specific and descriptive
Alt Text Examples:
For a photo of technician fixing a gate:
✅ Good: "Technician repairing automatic driveway gate in Austin residential area"
✅ Good: "Professional gate repair specialist adjusting motor mechanism"
❌ Bad: "Image" (not descriptive)
❌ Bad: "IMG_1234" (means nothing)
❌ Bad: "gate repair Austin gate repair services gate repair" (keyword stuffing)
❌ Bad: "Picture of a gate" (too vague, starts with "picture of")
For a diagram showing gate parts:
✅ Good: "Diagram showing automatic gate components including motor, track, and control panel"
✅ Good: "Labeled illustration of residential swing gate parts and hardware"
For company logo:
✅ Good: "ABC Gate Repair Austin
