Improving Web Site Access Through the Use of Metatags

It is widely acknowledged that incorporating metatags into a Web site will enable it to appear higher on search engine results lists. Additionally, the use of metatags provides a foundation for future information retrieval and discovery on the World Wide Web. The goal of the National Biological Information Infrastructure is to ensure the best access and delivery of biological information to our customers, partners, and stakeholders — and the use of metatags is one method we're employing to do just that.

The way search engines use metatags is constantly changing; however, the fact that they aid users in finding information remains. The NBII has developed the following list of metatags for our partners to implement in their biological information repositories or Web sites. Each metatag is briefly described and an example is provided.

The metatags in the table below are all standard HTML 3.0 (or above)-supported tags.

Metatag	Definition	Metatag format and sample value
Author	The Author tag contains either the page creator or page maintainer, depending on local Web site policies.	<meta name="author" content="Bob BioBot">
Title	Even though the Title tag is not considered a true metatag, it is still very important and provides users with general information about the page. Search engine results/hit lists also display the Title tag. Up to 80 characters can be contained within this tag.	<TITLE>National Biological Information Infrastructure</TITLE>
Keywords	Keywords are probably the most important metatag that a Web site manager can include. Up to 1,000 characters can be contained within this tag.	<meta name="keywords" content="NBII, Biology, ….. ">
Page Description	The Description tag is used by search engines to display information about the page and to index its contents. Up to 200 characters can be contained within this tag.	<meta name="description" content="This is the textual description for your page. Please make sure your spelling is correct and include any relevant keywords within the Description Tag.">
Language	Even though most NBII partner pages are in English, the NBII is participating in a number of international efforts; therefore, the Language tag adds value to the Web site.	<meta name="language" content="en-us">
Classification	The Classification tag is used by a number of Web search engines when a site is registered and when a site is indexed for placement with similar sites. Typical values include "Government," "Science," and "Education."	<meta name="classification" content="Government, Science">
Ratings/PICS	The Ratings and PICS tags are used by Internet providers and search engines to limit access to a particular page. Often, this is used to restrict access to "mature audience only" pages for children using the Internet. Typical values include "General," "Restricted," "Mature," and "Safe for Kids."	<meta name="rating" content="General">

If you would like to implement NBII meta-tags on your site, please contact Mike Frame.

Last Updated: Friday, 08-Jun-2001 14:01:58 MDT