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iWeb '08 (or '06 for that matter): Meta Tags?

Argelius

Argelius

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 16, 2005
292
6
I've researched this to death, but have been left more confused than enlightened.

My question: is there a way to add meta tag information to an iWeb created website?

I know iWeb 06 (and I assume 08) does not natively allow you to do this.

Is there a workaround? If so, if you could point me to a URL that explains, in some detail, how to do it, that would be amazing....

Thanks.
 
I have not been able to use iWeb '08 yet—keeps quitting while updating my domain—but I assume the answer is no (based on a short session at the Apple store). You will most likely have to do them by hand. What are you trying to do with the meta tags? Most search engines rely on body copy as a more effect way to identify the pages. That said there are some nice features and things that can be done with meta tags... best solution: open up your page(s) in TextEdit and insert your meta info, you will need to re-enter the info whenever you update the page.
 
Thanks for bringing this up.

I am really disappointed with iWeb2 because it DOESN'T allow meta tags! I mean, WTF apple? Is it too hard to have a window for content and keywords??!? Don;t tell me there was 'no time' or that it wasn't appropriate.

What I did was open it up in an editing program (you can use wordprocessing) and added them myself.

Guess it doesn;t matter anyway, because unless I am doing fatuous, narcissism like a photo blog or mindless blog in their exact format I will just make my stuff with Dreamweaver.
 
inserting meta tags

Lesser Evets said:
Thanks for bringing this up.

I am really disappointed with iWeb2 because it DOESN'T allow meta tags! I mean, WTF apple? Is it too hard to have a window for content and keywords??!? Don;t tell me there was 'no time' or that it wasn't appropriate.

What I did was open it up in an editing program (you can use wordprocessing) and added them myself.

Guess it doesn;t matter anyway, because unless I am doing fatuous, narcissism like a photo blog or mindless blog in their exact format I will just make my stuff with Dreamweaver.
Click to expand...

I really appreciate your comments; however, I would like to know what exactly you are editing with your word processing as I am having the same problem with iWeb.
 
CaptainHaddock said:
Search engines don't use meta tags any more.
Click to expand...

That's simply not true. Any good SEO service will tell you that meta tags can be very important to raising the ranking of your website.

That being said, I'm interested in know what is the best way to get meta tags into iWeb pages. I know how to do it manually, but that's a royal pain. I've looked at RapidWeaver (I bought a copy a while ago), but I'm really not that impressed by the difficulty that one faces with modifying theme files. I also don't like the lack of direct WYSIWYG (the need to constantly switch to Preview is irritating, at least). So, for my quick and easy site, I want to stick with iWeb for its usability, but I do want to get a number of meta tags in there. I'm guessing that this could be done with Apple script, so I'm wondering if anyone has ever done that.

Again, I know how to do it manually with a text editor, or even another web editor, but I'm just trying to find out if there are any easier ways to do this.

Thanks!
 
CaptainHaddock is correct, in part. Most search engines do not place priority or Meta Tags and some do not read that at all. Google is one search engine that does not read them at all. Yahoo! on the other hand does read them, who knows how they rank them in comparison to body text.

Here is a fairly recent publication on the topic, worth the read.

Personally I would recommend that you spend more time on writing well formed body copy then to fight with iWeb and attempt at inserting Meta Tags.
 
Google algorithms

Meta Tags account for 2% of the algorithm that google uses to rank your site anyway but they are still important, the main important values for getting your site ranked are as follows:-

Meta Tags - Content title and keys words must be repeated to enhance search
Where your site was built
Including contact details on site is important
The inclusion of key words throughout your content
regular news updates, specifically having more than your competitors (THESE MUST BE news worthy articles)
Back links

Google actually looks at 300 different things believe it or not!
 
If I'm wrong, please let me know, but it seems that all of this is moot.

It seems to me that the completely sensible posts on this page are beside the point: the big problem with iWeb is that it is thoroughly insulated from the search engines BY DESIGN! There are lots of conversations about how to get around that in the forums and blogs, but I haven't worked out the best way for myself yet. Apple support is extremely discouraging. As far as they are concerned, they designed it for consumers who didn't want to be accessible to Google searches, etc., and wanted the privacy of posting family photos where no one else can see them unless they are sent a link. There is no way to add metatags because, according to Apple support, the search engines couldn't find them even if you added them. They also have no provision for email addresses that use your domain (e.g. info@mysite.com). The forums are full of conversations about how to work around it, but I haven't done it yet and am not sure how successful I'll be. Their biggest crime, as far as I'm concerned, is that they don't have big disclaimers up front that would help people like me not waste weeks of their time setting up a site that is worthless because no one can get to it unless they know the address. iWeb is very easy to use and I like it, I just wish I had known up front that it was so bizarrely limited. I plan to try to get the site I've built to work for my needs, but I am very frustrated with my experience with Apple support. Many of their support techs have only ever worked with iWeb, so they don't have any idea what I'm talking about when I want to do these things.
 
Tsunami Blue said:
It seems to me that the completely sensible posts on this page are beside the point: the big problem with iWeb is that it is thoroughly insulated from the search engines BY DESIGN!
Click to expand...

This is not true. Search results with iWeb and without html modification is possible. My site, when searched for with the proper search terms, comes up in google (page 2 of the search results, images from my site also show up in the image search. Also, if I search for my pages titles they come right up in google, page 1 at the top). I am not altering iWeb pages in anyway. What I am doing is spending time writing good copy and titles for pages.

Also remember that web search visibility can take time, month(s) even. My advise would be to not stress over search results, they will consume you, this was one of the many pitfalls of the whole .com era. The best way to gain visibility is through well formed text, titles, descriptions and to do site promotion..... which is another topic.
 
CaptainHaddock said:
Search engines don't use meta tags any more.
Click to expand...

Not only is that not true, but meta tags are used for many other things. Google Webmaster Tools requires that one verify they own or control a website, and one way to do that is to add a special meta tag. iWeb makes this simple step really difficult for the audience that iWeb is targeting. Ironic.
 
I just came across 2 slightly differnet software packages that will do pretty much everything you need to do to an iweb website..

iweb buddy and iweb seo

I have only downloaded them in the last few hours but I have added better page titles, descriptions, keywords, meta tagsand google analytics to my iweb site ;)

I thought I'd post incase it helps anybody else who was struggling like me.

Anybody else using them succesfully? got better ranking?
 
I've used iWeb SEO and it was easy to add the keywords and descriptors to websites. However it is very bare bones software with few options for saving tags or settings. Be prepared to re-enter details before each upload if you make changes to your site.
 
in need of an idiots guide!

Hello all,

Would anyone be kind enough to give me a step by step - idiots guide to what meta tags are and how to add them on iweb.
I have never made a website before now and have got mine up and running, have been told to be found well by search engines to add meta tags but i dont really get what they are and how to add them......
Any IT genious free to help?

thanks :D
 
Not so. Google uses them for site management in Web Tools, etc. for example

CaptainHaddock said:
Search engines don't use meta tags any more.
Click to expand...

(A little bit of knowledge may not be a dangerous thing here, but it's not of service.)

There is no good reason why iWeb couldn't allow for meta tags and key words in some manner.
 
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