The Foundation of Optimization, or Simply On-Page SEO

The foundation of optimization lies in the correct writing of meta tags — title, description, and keywords. Why are these elements so important, and how should they be correctly implemented in a site’s code? Let’s take a closer look.

The title tag is the most important tag for each page, as it appears in search results, so it must be crafted with the utmost care. Main recommendations:

• the title length should not exceed 60–70 characters (including spaces and punctuation), with a maximum of 10 words. Avoid stop words – they waste space and are ignored by search engines;

• the more words in the tag, the less weight each one has. Ideally, include only a few key phrases relevant to the page’s topic;

• keywords should be ordered by importance: the first word or phrase carries the most weight, then the next, and so on;

• do not repeat the same keyword multiple times in a row – search engines may treat it as black-hat SEO;

• each page should have a unique title; avoid auto-generators.

The description tag is also crucial, as it is shown not only to bots but also to users. Whether a visitor clicks through often depends on it. Therefore, the description should be concise, informative, and persuasive. If neglected, the search engine will generate one automatically from the page text – but it’s always better to write it manually with user intent in mind.

The keywords tag is no longer essential, as most search engines ignore it, but if composed correctly, it won’t harm:

• all listed keywords should appear in the page’s text or links;

• phrases should be in nominative form, separated by commas;

• each word should appear only once (some repetition within phrases is acceptable up to 2–3 times);

• the total number of words should not exceed 20.

There are no strict official rules from Google or Yandex regarding meta tags. The guidelines above are based solely on practical experience. The key recommendation: focus on people, not just search engines. Meta tags should be written in clear, accessible language, relevant to the content, and accurately reflecting its essence.