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Adobe Dreamweaver CS3

Working with Meta Tags

Meta tags give important instructions to the web browser. Meta tags are placed within the <HEAD> </HEAD> section and search engines search through these tags to help direct users to your page. The information the user is searching for is matched to the information in your meta tags.

return to topImportant Meta Tags: Keywords and Description

When a web page is finished, it is important that users are able to find it on the Web. To give a page the best chance of being found by a user, it is essential that the Keywords and Description meta tags are filled in with as much helpful and descriptive information about the web page as possible.

NOTE: For more information about meta tags, visit Designing Pages for Search Engines.

Keywords
The Keywords meta tag allows you to specify important words which help describe what the page is about.  When someone uses a search engine, these keywords are used to match what the user is searching to what you have specified your page is about.

Description
The Description meta tag allows you to write a brief, 2-3 sentence abstract about the page.  This abstract is displayed below the link to the page within a search engine's results. The abstract should tell the user what the page is about, thus encouraging them to access the contents of the page.

 

return to topAdding a Meta Tag for Keywords

  1. From the Insert menu, select HTML » Head Tags » Keywords
    OR
    On the Insert bar, in the Common pane, from the Head pull-down list, select KeywordsKeywords button
    The Keywords dialog box appears.
    Keywords meta tag dialog box

  2. In the Keywords text box, type keywords that describe your document
    NOTE: Use commas to separate keywords.

  3. Click OK
    The meta tag for keywords appears within the Head section of your document.

return to topAdding a Meta Tag for Description

  1. From the Insert menu, select HTML » Head Tags » Description
    OR
    On the Insert bar, in the Common pane, from the Head pull-down list, select DescriptionDescription button
    The Description dialog box appears.
    Description dialog box

  2. In the Description text box, type a couple of sentences that describe the contents of the web page

  3. Click OK
    The meta tag for description appears within the Head section of your document.

return to top Editing Meta Tags

To use these instructions, you must be in Show Code and Design or Show Design view.

  1. If the Head Content toolbar is not displayed, from the View menu, select Head Content
    OR
    Press [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [H]
    The Head Content toolbar appears.
    Head Content toolbar

  2. Click the icon of the element you want to edit
    The Properties pane will reveal the meta tag contents to be edited.

  3. In the Properties pane, make the desired edits
    Keywords Meta tag properties pane

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