Meta keywords were once an important part of SEO. Website owners would add a list of keywords in their website’s code to tell search engines what their page was about. It was a way to improve rankings and help search engines understand the content better.

But times have changed. Today, major search engines like Google no longer use meta keywords to rank pages. In fact, overusing them can even do more harm than good.

What Are Meta Keywords?

Meta keywords are words or phrases added to the code of a web page. These keywords help describe what the page is about. They are placed in the HTML “meta” section and are not visible to regular visitors — only search engines can see them.

Here’s a basic example of how a meta keyword tag looks in code:
<meta name=”keywords” content=”digital marketing, SEO tips, content strategy”>

In the early days of SEO, website owners used this tag to tell search engines what topics their content covered. The idea was to help search engines show the right pages for the right search terms.

The Original Purpose of Meta Keywords

The main goal of meta keywords was to improve search engine understanding. Before search engines became smart, they needed extra help to figure out what a page was about. So, by adding a list of related keywords, website owners could boost their chances of appearing in search results.

For example, if your page was about “SEO tools,” you might include meta keywords like “keyword research,” “Google ranking,” or “on-page SEO.” Search engines would read these and match your content to similar search queries.

Back then, meta keywords were a quick way to improve visibility. But over time, people started misusing them, stuffing too many keywords or using unrelated terms just to get more traffic. Because of this, most major search engines, including Google, stopped using meta keywords to rank pages.

Why Meta Keywords Are No Longer Important?

Meta keywords used to help websites rank better in search engines. But today, they are no longer useful for SEO. The main reason is that many people started abusing meta keywords — by adding too many or using unrelated words just to trick search engines.

Because of this, major search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo stopped using meta keywords as a ranking factor. In fact, Google has not used meta keywords for SEO since 2009. That means adding them to your website will not improve your rankings.

Search engines today are much smarter. They understand the actual content of your page — your headings, paragraphs, image tags, and more. They focus on quality, relevance, and user experience — not on hidden keyword tags in your website code.

Are Meta Keywords Still Used for Anything?

Even though meta keywords are not useful for Google SEO, they may still have small uses in some cases. For example:

• Some internal search engines (like on old CMS or websites) might still read meta keywords to help users find content.
  
• Certain plugins or tools may allow you to add meta keywords for organizational purposes.
  

However, these are rare situations. In most cases, adding meta keywords doesn’t help and in some cases, it could even hurt your SEO if you overuse them or repeat the same words too many times.

So, instead of spending time on meta keywords, it’s better to focus on things that matter like writing good content, using the right headings, and improving the user experience on your website.

What to Focus on?

Since meta keywords are no longer useful for SEO, it’s better to focus on things that actually help your website rank in search results today. Here are some important things to work on:

1. Meta Title and Meta Description

These are the parts people see in search results. A good meta title includes your main keyword and tells users what the page is about. The meta description gives a short summary and encourages people to click your link. Properly optimized meta titles and descriptions can also help your content appear in AI-powered search and featured snippets – see our guide How Meta Tags Affect AI Search and Featured Snippets for more details.

2. Use Keywords Naturally in Your Content

Instead of hiding keywords in the code, add them where they make sense — in your headings, first paragraph, and throughout the content. Make sure your writing is clear and easy to read.

3. Write Helpful and Original Content

Search engines like high-quality content that answers real questions. Try to write blog posts, guides, or pages that solve a problem or teach something useful.

4. Improve Page Structure

Use headings (H1, H2, H3) to organize your content. Add bullet points or numbered lists where needed. This makes your page easier to read — for both people and search engines.

5. Make Your Site User-Friendly

Google cares about user experience. Your website should load fast, work well on mobile, and be easy to navigate.

Conclusion

Meta keywords were once useful for SEO, but times have changed. Today, Google and most other search engines do not use meta keywords to rank your website. In fact, using them too much can even harm your site.

Instead of spending time on meta keywords, focus on what really matters, like writing clear and helpful content, using the right keywords naturally, improving your meta titles and descriptions, and making your website fast and user-friendly.

Search engines now care more about quality, user experience, and real value. So, if you want to grow your traffic and visibility, follow the best SEO practices that work today.

FAQs and Answers

What are meta keywords?

Meta keywords are an HTML meta tag listing the main topics of a webpage. In early SEO, site owners used them to tell search engines what the page was about. Today they are obsolete for ranking – major engines ignore meta keywords.

Do meta keywords still matter for SEO?

No. Google, Bing, Yahoo and other major search engines stopped using the keywords meta tag as a ranking factor years ago. In fact, Google officially announced in 2009 that it no longer uses meta keywords to rank pages. Overusing them now won’t improve rankings and can even hurt your SEO.

Should I use meta keywords on my website?

Generally, no. Meta keywords are not needed for modern SEO. Instead of wasting time on them, focus on content quality, page speed, and real keyword placement in titles, headings, and body text. Only consider meta keywords if your site depends on legacy systems; otherwise they add no SEO value.

How many meta keywords should I use if at all?

If you decide to include meta keywords (for example, for internal tracking or a niche search engine), keep it minimal. Use around 5–10 highly relevant terms only, and never stuff unrelated words. Excessive or irrelevant keywords look spammy

Can meta keywords harm my SEO?

Yes. Stuffing too many or off-topic keywords into the meta keywords tag makes your site appear spammy to search engines. While Google ignores meta keywords, an overloaded tag can reflect poor SEO hygiene or trigger filters on some platforms. In short, misuse of meta keywords can hurt credibility and is best avoided.

Which search engines still use meta keywords?

Almost none of the big ones. Google, Bing, and Yahoo ignore meta keywords. However, some international engines do read them. For example, Yandex (Russia’s top search engine) and Baidu (China’s top engine) still consider meta keywords when determining page relevance. If you target those markets, meta keywords can play a very minor role; otherwise, they can be skipped.

What should I focus on instead of meta keywords?

Concentrate on modern on-page SEO elements that truly impact rankings. The most important are title tags, meta descriptions, headings, and high-quality content. For example, optimize your <title> and <meta name="description"> tags with relevant terms and a compelling summary. Improve page structure with clear H1/H2 headings and use keywords naturally in the content. These factors – not hidden keyword tags – drive SEO success today

Are meta keywords outdated?

Yes. Meta keywords are an outdated relic of 1990s SEO. Google and others have ignored them for over a decade. Modern search engines parse page content, headings, and links instead. In short, meta keywords have no real SEO power today and are best considered “retired” as a ranking tool.

How are meta keywords different from other meta tags?

Meta keywords were simply a list of keywords, whereas other meta tags (like the title tag, meta description, and robots tag) serve different purposes. Crucially, title and description tags still matter for SEO and user experience, while meta keywords do not. For example, title/description tags help control how your page appears in search results, whereas meta keywords have been largely ignored. To understand this better, check out our guide on Meta Keywords vs Meta Tags: What’s the Real Difference?

Which meta tags are important for SEO now?

The key meta tags today are the title tag, meta description, and meta robots/canonical. These control indexing and how snippets appear. A well-written title and description improve click-through rate. Meta robots (and canonical tags) guide search engines on indexing behavior. In other words, focus on these tags for SEO, not on the obsolete meta keywords.