Do meta keywords still matter?

No. Google has ignored the meta keywords tag since 2009, and filling it does nothing but show competitors your keyword list. Anyone auditing your site who flags 'missing meta keywords' has just flagged themselves.

Free · no signup · last reviewed August 29, 2026

No. Google has ignored the meta keywords tag since 2009, and filling it does nothing but show competitors your keyword list. Anyone auditing your site who flags 'missing meta keywords' has just flagged themselves.

The meta tags that DO matter: the title tag (your search-result headline and a real ranking factor) and the meta description (not a ranking factor, but it's your ad copy in the results. It earns the click).

Spend the energy there: one clear, specific title per page with the service and place, and a description that makes your result the obvious click. That's the whole meta game in 2026.

This is the work. Want it done?

Everything here is free to use yourself. That’s the point. If you’d rather a senior marketer just handle it, in your accounts and your name: 20-minute call, no pitch deck.

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