---
title: "keywords · Meta Tag · zhead"
canonical_url: "https://zhead.dev/meta/keywords"
last_updated: "2026-08-19T02:35:55.959Z"
meta:
  description: "Lists comma-separated keywords relevant to the page. HTML still defines the tag, but Google Search ignores it and many other search engines give it little or no weight."
  "og:description": "Lists comma-separated keywords relevant to the page. HTML still defines the tag, but Google Search ignores it and many other search engines give it little or no weight."
  "og:title": "keywords · Meta Tag · zhead"
---

Meta tags

# keywords

Lists comma-separated keywords relevant to the page. HTML still defines the tag, but Google Search ignores it and many other search engines give it little or no weight.

## Code examples

Good example

```
<meta name="keywords" content="HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Web Development">
```

A valid set for a page when an internal tool is configured to read the tag.

Good example

```
<meta name="keywords" content="Chocolate Cake Recipe, Baking, Desserts">
```

Three relevant tokens in the format defined by HTML.

Avoid this example

```
<meta name="keywords" content="HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Web Development, Web Design, Frontend, Backend, Programming, Coding, Tutorial, Learn, Course">
```

A broad list makes poor input for any tool that relies on the tag. Google ignores it either way.

Avoid this example

```
<meta name="keywords" content="">
```

An empty list gives consumers nothing to use and should be omitted.

## Recommendations

- 01 Do Not Add It for Google Google Search does not use the keywords meta tag for indexing or ranking.
- 02 Use It Only for a Real Consumer A site search tool or content system may read this metadata. If yours does not, omit the tag.
- 03 Keep Tokens Relevant When a tool does consume the tag, use a short comma-separated set that actually describes the page.

## Related documentation

- [Google Search Central: Special Tags](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/special-tags)
- [HTML Living Standard: Semantics](https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/semantics.html#meta-keywords)

## Related meta tags

### [author](https://zhead.dev/meta/author)

name

Names one author of the page. Add another author meta tag for each additional author.

```
<meta name="author" content="Jane Doe">
```

Names the author exactly as credited on the page.

### [charset](https://zhead.dev/meta/charset)

charset

Declares the character encoding used by the HTML document. In modern HTML, the value must be UTF-8.

```
<meta charset="utf-8">
```

The required character encoding for modern HTML.

### [description](https://zhead.dev/meta/description)

name

Summarizes the page for directories and search engines. Google may use it as a search result snippet when it describes the page better than the visible content does.

```
<meta name="description" content="Bake 12 vanilla cupcakes in 35 minutes. Includes metric measurements, storage notes, and fixes for cakes that sink.">
```

Specific details tell the reader what the recipe covers.

### [google](https://zhead.dev/meta/google)

name

Carries Google-specific page controls. Google currently documents nopagereadaloud for this metadata name.

```
<meta name="google" content="nopagereadaloud">
```

The documented Google-specific opt-out for page read-aloud services.

### [google-site-verification](https://zhead.dev/meta/google-site-verification)

name

Verifies ownership of a site in Google Search Console. Google provides the exact token to place on the site’s top-level page.

```
<meta name="google-site-verification" content="your_verification_code">
```

Replace this placeholder with the exact token issued by Search Console.