What are meta keywords?

Meta keywords refer to HTML tags that were once commonly used in web development to provide search engines with a list of targeted keywords relevant to a webpage's content. The idea was that by including these keywords in the meta tag, website owners could influence search engine rankings and improve visibility for particular terms.

Over time, search engines evolved, and the meta keywords tag became less relevant due to abuse and over-optimization by webmasters. As a result, it has been deprecated as a standard SEO practice, with major search engines like Google indicating that they do not use meta keywords to rank web pages. The focus has shifted to high-quality content, user engagement, and a more holistic approach to search engine optimization.

Understanding this timeline is crucial for recognizing the importance of content quality and user experience in modern SEO strategies, and it highlights why incorporating meta keywords as a practice is no longer advisable.