Meta keywords tag
What is a meta keywords tag?
The meta keywords tag is an HTML <meta name="keywords"> element that lists keywords a page is supposed to be about. Search engines used it in the 1990s, but it was abused so heavily with stuffed and irrelevant words that Google stopped using it. Google confirmed in 2009 that it doesn’t use the meta keywords tag in web search ranking.
The tag is harmless to leave in place for Google, but it has no SEO benefit. It can even reveal your target keywords to competitors who look at your source code. Some internal site search tools still read it, which is the only good reason to keep it.
Don’t confuse it with other meta tags that do matter. The meta description can be shown as your search snippet, and the meta robots tag controls indexing. Only the keywords tag is obsolete.
Why meta keywords tag matters for SEO
Knowing the tag is obsolete saves time. Old plugins, checklists and agency reports sometimes still ask for it; effort is better spent on the title tag, content and internal links.
It is also a useful example of why stuffing doesn’t work: signals that are easy to manipulate get ignored. See keyword stuffing.
How to handle meta keywords
- Don’t add meta keywords for SEO.
- Remove existing ones if they list competitor names or look stuffed, or simply leave them if harmless.
- Put your keyword effort into titles, headings, body copy and internal anchor text.
Meta keywords tag example
<!-- Ignored by Google for ranking -->
<meta name="keywords" content="sourdough, starter, bread, baking">Meta keywords tag FAQ
Does Google use meta keywords?
No. Google announced in 2009 that it doesn’t use the meta keywords tag in its web search ranking.
Why did Google stop using meta keywords?
Because site owners could write anything in the tag, it was widely stuffed with irrelevant terms. Google relies on the visible content of the page instead, which is far harder to fake.
Should I remove meta keywords from my site?
It isn’t urgent; they don’t hurt rankings in Google. Remove them if they reveal strategy to competitors or look spammy.
Related SEO terms
Keyword stuffingBlack hat
Keyword stuffing is filling a page with keywords, numbers or place names in an unnatural way to manipulate rankings, against Google’s spam policies.
A title tag is the HTML element that names a page. Google often uses it as the clickable headline in results, so it affects rankings and clicks.
A meta description is an HTML tag that summarises a page. Google may show it as the snippet under the title; it affects clicks, not rankings.
On-page SEO is optimising the content and HTML of each page, such as text, title tag, headings, images and internal links, to rank and earn clicks.
Ranking factors are the signals search engines use to decide how high a page appears, such as relevance, content quality, links and page experience.