Meta Tags for Small Business Websites: What Google Cares About

Alright, let’s be honest – meta tags sound boring, right? Just another bit of techy jargon web people throw around. But if you’ve got a small business website, knowing a bit about them can actually help your site show up on Google. And that means more people seeing what you’ve got to offer. So let’s break it all down, nice and simple.

What Are Meta Tags, Anyway?

Meta tags are little bits of text that live in the background of your website – the codey bit that normal visitors don’t see. They tell search engines like Google stuff about your site, like what it’s about and how to display it in search results.

They don’t change how your site *looks*, but they can change how it *gets found*. Which, let’s be honest, is kind of the whole point of having a website in the first place.

Which Meta Tags Does Google Actually Care About?

Here’s the thing – there are loads of different meta tags, but Google only really pays attention to a few of them. So let’s look at the ones that actually matter:

1. <title> tag (yes, it’s technically a meta tag)

This is the one that usually shows up as the blue link in search results. It also appears at the top of your browser tab.

Why it matters: Google uses it to understand what your page is about. It also helps people decide if they want to click your link.

Tips:

• Keep it under 60 characters if you can but there is no technical limit to the length and Google will sometimes rewrite it on the search display, even if it is less than 60 characters.
• Put your business name in there if it makes sense.
• Make it match what’s actually on the page!
• Put the most important thing at the front of the title.  So, for example “Polymer Clay Supplies in North Wales : The Crafty Kitten”, as the branding isn’t the most important thing (see this post about whether people care about your brand).

2. <meta name=”description”>

This gives a short summary of your page. Sometimes Google uses it in search results – though not always. Sometimes they just pick their own bit of text off your page (cheeky, right?), tests have shown on some searches it only uses the description 4% of the time.

Why it matters: Even if Google rewrites it, a good description can make people more likely to click.

Tips:

• Keep it under 160 characters.
• Tell people what they’ll get if they click.
• Include important keywords naturally – don’t stuff!

3. <meta name=”robots”>

This one tells search engines what to do with your page. Should they index it (add it to search results)? Should they follow the links on it?

Why it matters: If you accidentally tell Google not to index your site, you’re in trouble!

Tips:

• If you want Google to index your page and follow links, you don’t even need to include this tag – that’s the default.
• But if you want to block a page from search, use: <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow">

4. <meta charset=”UTF-8″>

Okay, this one’s not for search engines exactly – but it helps your page display properly. It tells the browser how to handle special characters like £ or é.

Why it matters: A broken page with weird symbols isn’t going to impress customers or Google.

What About Open Graph and Twitter Tags?

These aren’t really for Google – they’re more for social media. But they’re still worth knowing about if you share your website on Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and so on.

They control how your page looks when it’s shared – the title, image and description that show up in the preview.

Here’s an example of an Open Graph tag:

<meta property="og:title" content="Best Coffee in Brighton - Joe's Java">

Why they matter: They don’t help with Google ranking, but they can make your link look good on social media – and that might mean more clicks.

Do you need them? Not essential, but worth it if you share links a lot. Some website builders like WordPress or Wix add them for you automatically.

Are There Any Tags You *Don’t* Need?

Absolutely. There’s a bunch of old-school meta tags that don’t really do anything these days. Google’s moved on.

1. <meta name=”keywords”>

This used to be a big deal in the early 2000s. You’d stuff it full of keywords like “cheap trainers”, “best shoes UK”, and hope for the best.

Why you don’t need it: Google hasn’t used this for ranking in years. In fact, if you overdo it, it can make the page look spammy to Google.

2. <meta http-equiv=”refresh”>

This one reloads the page after a set amount of time, or redirects to another page. Google doesn’t like this trick unless you’ve got a really good reason.

Tip: If you need to redirect, do it properly using a 301 redirect in your server settings.

3. Author, rating, revisit-after, and other weird ones

You might see meta tags for “author”, “rating”, “revisit-after” and all sorts, including one that was called ICBM (for: intercontinental ballistic missile !) – . Google mostly ignores them. They don’t hurt, but they don’t help either.

Do Meta Tags Help With SEO?

Some of them, yeah. But not all. Think of it like this:

• Title tag: Big deal. Helps rankings and clicks.
• Description: Doesn’t boost rankings, but can boost clicks.
• Robots tag: Important for controlling what gets indexed but only if you don’t want something indexed – otherwise it’s not needed.
• Open Graph/Twitter: Helps with social, not Google.
• Keywords tag: Useless. Forget it.

So yes – they do help, but not all by themselves. Google also looks at your actual page content, how fast your site loads, how mobile-friendly it is, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

How to Add Meta Tags to Your Website

It depends on what you used to build it. Here’s a quick rundown:

If you use WordPress

Install an SEO plugin like Yoast or Rank Math. These let you add meta titles, descriptions and more without touching code.

If you use Wix, Squarespace or Shopify

Most of these have built-in tools to edit your meta tags. Just look for the SEO section when editing a page.

If you code your own site

Pop the tags into the <head> section of your HTML. Like this:

<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Amazing Bakes - Home Baked Cakes in Leeds</title>
  <meta name="description" content="Get fresh, handmade cakes delivered in Leeds. Perfect for birthdays, weddings or just because!">
  <meta name="robots" content="index, follow">
</head>

What Happens If You Don’t Use Meta Tags?

Your site won’t explode, but it might not perform as well. Google will try to figure things out for itself, but it’s better to give it a hand. Especially with the title and description – otherwise it might just pick a random bit of text off your page. Which isn’t always flattering.

It’s like letting someone else write your shop sign. They might get it right… or they might not.

Quick Meta Tag Checklist for Small Biz Sites

If you’re in a rush, here’s a basic checklist:

• Title tag: Clear, accurate, typically under 60 characters but don’t stess if your reach 70 or so – Google will  truncate it.
• Meta description: Useful summary, typically under 160 characters, but be prepared for Google to not display your carefully crafted description.
• Charset: Set to UTF-8.
• Robots: Only needed if you want to block indexing.
• Open Graph/Twitter: Optional, good for social shares.

Final Thoughts

Meta tags aren’t magic, but they’re a solid bit of website housekeeping. They help Google (and people) understand your site, and that’s always a good thing.

You don’t need to get fancy. Just make sure your titles and descriptions are useful, honest, and not written like a robot. That’s half the battle won already.

And if you’re not sure where to start, most website builders make it easy – you don’t need to be a tech wizard.

So go on, give your site a little meta makeover. Your future customers (and Google) will thank you.