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
- Validate HTML: Use W3C validator
- Test Structured Data: Google Rich Results Test
- Test Social Sharing: Facebook Debugger + Twitter Card Validator
- Mobile Preview: Google Search Console URL Inspection
- 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