seo-meta

SKILL.md

SEO Meta Tags

Status: Production Ready ✅ Last Updated: 2026-01-14 Source: Schema.org, Open Graph Protocol, Twitter Developer Docs


Quick Start

Every page needs:

<head>
  {/* Basic SEO */}
  <title>Service in Location | Brand Name</title>
  <meta name="description" content="Value prop. Differentiator. Call to action." />
  <link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/page" />

  {/* Open Graph */}
  <meta property="og:title" content="Service in Location" />
  <meta property="og:description" content="Value prop. Differentiator. CTA." />
  <meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/og-image.jpg" />
  <meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com/page" />
  <meta property="og:type" content="website" />

  {/* Twitter Card */}
  <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
  <meta name="twitter:title" content="Service in Location" />
  <meta name="twitter:description" content="Value prop. Differentiator. CTA." />
  <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://example.com/og-image.jpg" />

  {/* JSON-LD Structured Data */}
  <script type="application/ld+json">
    {JSON.stringify({
      "@context": "https://schema.org",
      "@type": "LocalBusiness",
      "name": "Business Name",
      "description": "What we do",
      "@id": "https://example.com",
      "url": "https://example.com",
      "telephone": "+61-XXX-XXX-XXX",
      "address": {
        "@type": "PostalAddress",
        "streetAddress": "123 Main St",
        "addressLocality": "Sydney",
        "addressRegion": "NSW",
        "postalCode": "2000",
        "addressCountry": "AU"
      }
    })}
  </script>
</head>

Title Tag Patterns

Character Limits:

  • Google: 50-60 characters (desktop), 78 (mobile)
  • Social: 60-70 characters

Page Type Formulas:

Page Type Pattern Example
Home [Brand] - [Primary Service] in [Location] Acme Plumbing - 24/7 Emergency Plumber Sydney
Service [Service] in [Location] | [Brand] Hot Water Repairs Sydney | Acme Plumbing
Location [Service] [Suburb] | [Brand] Plumber Bondi | Acme Plumbing
About About [Brand] - [Tagline/USP] About Acme - Licensed Plumbers Since 1995
Contact Contact [Brand] - [Location] | [Phone] Contact Acme Plumbing - Sydney | 1300 XXX XXX

Title Modifiers (add credibility):

  • 24/7 Emergency
  • Licensed & Insured
  • Free Quotes
  • Same Day Service
  • Family Owned
  • Award Winning

Anti-Patterns (avoid):

  • ❌ "Welcome to..." (wastes characters)
  • ❌ Keyword stuffing (plumber plumbing plumbers)
  • ❌ ALL CAPS (looks spammy)
  • ❌ Special characters (★ § ¶)

Meta Description Patterns

Character Limits:

  • Desktop: 155-160 characters
  • Mobile: 120-130 characters

Formula:

[Value prop] [Service] in [Location]. [Differentiator]. [CTA].

Examples by Page Type:

Home Page:

Fast, reliable plumbing services in Sydney. 24/7 emergency response, licensed plumbers, upfront pricing. Call 1300 XXX XXX for same-day service.

Service Page:

Expert hot water repairs in Sydney. Fix or replace electric, gas & solar systems. Licensed technicians, 1-year warranty. Book online or call 1300 XXX XXX.

Location Page:

Trusted plumber in Bondi. Blocked drains, leaks, hot water, gas fitting. Same-day service, upfront quotes. Call your local plumber on 1300 XXX XXX.

Power Words (use sparingly):

  • Trust: Licensed, Certified, Insured, Guaranteed, Trusted
  • Speed: Fast, Quick, Same Day, Emergency, 24/7, Instant
  • Value: Affordable, Competitive, Upfront, No Hidden Fees, Free Quote
  • Local: Local, Nearby, Your Area, [Suburb Name]
  • Quality: Expert, Professional, Experienced, Award Winning

Open Graph Tags

Required Tags:

<meta property="og:title" content="Service in Location" />
<meta property="og:description" content="Value prop. Differentiator. CTA." />
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/og-image.jpg" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com/page" />
<meta property="og:type" content="website" />

Image Requirements:

  • Dimensions: 1200x630px (1.91:1 ratio)
  • Format: JPG or PNG (JPG preferred for file size)
  • File size: <1MB (ideally <300KB)
  • Text overlay: Keep important text center (safe zone: 1000x530)

og:type Values by Page Type:

Page Type og:type
Home, Service, Location website
Blog Post article
Business Profile business.business

Optional but Recommended:

<meta property="og:site_name" content="Brand Name" />
<meta property="og:locale" content="en_AU" />

Twitter Cards

Card Types:

Type Use Case
summary Small square image (1:1), basic info
summary_large_image Large image (1.91:1), most common

Required Tags:

<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Service in Location" />
<meta name="twitter:description" content="Value prop. Differentiator. CTA." />
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://example.com/og-image.jpg" />

Optional:

<meta name="twitter:site" content="@yourbrand" />
<meta name="twitter:creator" content="@authorhandle" />

Fallback Behavior:

  • If twitter:title missing, uses og:title
  • If twitter:description missing, uses og:description
  • If twitter:image missing, uses og:image

Best Practice: Define og:* tags first, only add twitter:* if values differ.


JSON-LD Structured Data

LocalBusiness Schema (Most Important)

Use for homepage and contact page:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Plumber",
  "name": "Acme Plumbing",
  "description": "Licensed plumbing services in Sydney",
  "@id": "https://acmeplumbing.com.au",
  "url": "https://acmeplumbing.com.au",
  "logo": "https://acmeplumbing.com.au/logo.png",
  "image": "https://acmeplumbing.com.au/og-image.jpg",
  "telephone": "+61-XXX-XXX-XXX",
  "email": "info@acmeplumbing.com.au",
  "priceRange": "$$",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "123 Main Street",
    "addressLocality": "Sydney",
    "addressRegion": "NSW",
    "postalCode": "2000",
    "addressCountry": "AU"
  },
  "geo": {
    "@type": "GeoCoordinates",
    "latitude": -33.8688,
    "longitude": 151.2093
  },
  "openingHoursSpecification": [
    {
      "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
      "dayOfWeek": ["Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday"],
      "opens": "07:00",
      "closes": "17:00"
    }
  ],
  "sameAs": [
    "https://facebook.com/acmeplumbing",
    "https://instagram.com/acmeplumbing"
  ]
}

Specific Business Types (instead of generic LocalBusiness):

  • Plumber, Electrician, Locksmith, HVAC (HVACBusiness)
  • Dentist, Attorney, Accountant
  • Restaurant, Cafe, FoodEstablishment
  • Store, AutoRepair, BeautySalon

Service Schema

Use for service pages:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Service",
  "name": "Hot Water Repairs",
  "description": "Fast hot water system repairs in Sydney",
  "provider": {
    "@type": "Plumber",
    "name": "Acme Plumbing",
    "url": "https://acmeplumbing.com.au"
  },
  "areaServed": {
    "@type": "City",
    "name": "Sydney"
  },
  "availableChannel": {
    "@type": "ServiceChannel",
    "serviceUrl": "https://acmeplumbing.com.au/hot-water-repairs",
    "servicePhone": "+61-XXX-XXX-XXX"
  }
}

FAQ Schema (Rich Snippets)

Use for FAQ sections:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "How much does a plumber cost in Sydney?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Plumbing rates in Sydney typically range from $100-$150 per hour for standard work. Emergency callouts may incur higher rates. We provide upfront quotes before starting work."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "Do you offer same-day service?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Yes, we offer same-day plumbing service across Sydney for urgent repairs. Call us before 2pm for same-day availability."
      }
    }
  ]
}

BreadcrumbList Schema

Use on all pages except homepage:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
  "itemListElement": [
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 1,
      "name": "Home",
      "item": "https://acmeplumbing.com.au"
    },
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 2,
      "name": "Services",
      "item": "https://acmeplumbing.com.au/services"
    },
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 3,
      "name": "Hot Water Repairs",
      "item": "https://acmeplumbing.com.au/hot-water-repairs"
    }
  ]
}

Canonical URLs

When to Use:

  • Every page should have a self-referencing canonical
  • Duplicate content (pagination, filters, print versions)
  • Syndicated content
  • Cross-domain duplicates

Self-Referencing Canonical:

<!-- Always include, even if no duplicates -->
<link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/page" />

Pagination:

<!-- On page 2+ -->
<link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/services" />
<!-- Not https://example.com/services?page=2 -->

Common Mistakes:

  • ❌ Missing canonical (Google chooses for you)
  • ❌ Relative URLs (use absolute URLs)
  • ❌ Canonical pointing to different content
  • ❌ Multiple canonicals (only one per page)

Validation Tools

Check Your Implementation:

Tool Purpose URL
Google Rich Results Test Test structured data search.google.com/test/rich-results
Schema Markup Validator Validate JSON-LD validator.schema.org
Facebook Debugger Test Open Graph tags developers.facebook.com/tools/debug
Twitter Card Validator Test Twitter Cards cards-dev.twitter.com/validator
Screaming Frog Audit all pages screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider

Browser Extensions:

  • SEO Meta in 1 Click (Chrome)
  • META SEO inspector (Firefox)

Quick Reference Checklist

For every page, include:

  • <title> (50-60 chars, unique per page)
  • <meta name="description"> (150-160 chars, unique per page)
  • <link rel="canonical"> (absolute URL)
  • Open Graph tags (og:title, og:description, og:image, og:url, og:type)
  • Twitter Card tags (twitter:card, twitter:title, twitter:description, twitter:image)
  • JSON-LD structured data (LocalBusiness on homepage, Service on service pages)
  • BreadcrumbList schema (all pages except homepage)
  • Mobile viewport meta tag
  • Charset meta tag (UTF-8)

Never:

  • ❌ Duplicate titles across pages
  • ❌ Use "Welcome to..." in titles
  • ❌ Omit og:image (critical for social sharing)
  • ❌ Use generic @type (LocalBusiness instead of Plumber)
  • ❌ Skip CTA in meta description

Error Prevention

Common Issues

Issue Cause Fix
No rich snippets in search Invalid JSON-LD Use validator.schema.org, check commas/quotes
Social share shows wrong image og:image missing or wrong size Use 1200x630px, test with Facebook Debugger
Title truncated in search Too long Keep under 60 chars
Description truncated Too long Keep under 160 chars
Multiple pages rank for same keyword Duplicate titles Make each title unique

Testing Workflow

  1. Validate HTML: Use W3C validator
  2. Test Structured Data: Google Rich Results Test
  3. Test Social Sharing: Facebook Debugger + Twitter Card Validator
  4. Mobile Preview: Google Search Console URL Inspection
  5. Cross-Browser Check: Test meta rendering in Chrome/Firefox/Safari

Best Practices Summary

Title Tags:

  • 50-60 characters maximum
  • Include primary keyword + location + brand
  • Unique for every page
  • Use modifiers (24/7, Licensed, Free) sparingly

Meta Descriptions:

  • 150-160 characters maximum
  • Include value prop + differentiator + CTA
  • Write for humans, not search engines
  • Every page needs unique description

Open Graph:

  • Always include og:image (1200x630px)
  • Use absolute URLs
  • Keep og:title under 60 chars
  • Test with Facebook Debugger before launch

JSON-LD:

  • Use specific @type (Plumber, not LocalBusiness)
  • Include all contact info (phone, address, email)
  • Add openingHoursSpecification for better display
  • Validate with schema.org validator

Canonical URLs:

  • Every page needs canonical
  • Always use absolute URLs
  • Self-referencing is good practice
  • Only one canonical per page

Production Notes:

  • Use react-helmet-async for React apps (SSR-safe)
  • Generate JSON-LD dynamically from CMS/database
  • Cache meta tag components for performance
  • Monitor Search Console for indexing issues
  • Update structured data when business details change
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