Page Meta Data

To create a page is easy, to make it easy to find is where meta data plays an important part.  As search engines have become more sophisticated its important to make sure pages reflect all the ways they can better help users connect to content.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) / Meta Data / Why?

Quality content means better search results, sort of.  Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are a set of guidelines which try to help make search engines read and understand your data.  While this is not a foolproof path to success, making good content means having a Page Title and Page Description.

Properties

In the edit mode for V5 templates there are two indicators at the top of the page which will help you verify and even create a better set of meta data.  Both fields are actually edited in the properties panel (at the top of the properties page); however, there is a editor option next to the page description which will open to show you the word count on your page.  

Page titles

Titles are the link text that is returned in the search result.  Make it unique and understandable using as few words as possible.  If every page is "home" or "about" its not very helpful so make sure its accurate to the page content.

Page descriptions

Descriptions should provide context to the page's content and use.  Search engines don't directly take the text into account when determining rank order but will use them to generate the text snippets below the search result link.  That text will help users determine if they should visit the page.

• Keep descriptions short to no more than 100 - 155 characters.
• Use keywords and call to action words.  Google may bold these words when it matches your description.  If there's tasks/actions to be done,  things like ordering, requesting, buying, or reserving, etc. make sure you include those in your description.
• Search and update your description to match phrases that you find online that would match your content.  This is not keywords loading, the text should make sense when read and not be a list of words.
• Keep each page's description unique.  Just as in a title that says "about" on every page, having a rubber stamped description will not help people find your content.
• Use the word breakdown in the description tool to help make sure that the words you'd expect people to search for are actually on your page.

Google and other engines may change the text in your description to match better with what the user has searched for, this is normal.  Search results in mobile may also be altered to better fit the device.  It is always good to at least have a page description to start with, even if Google or other engines modify that content.