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 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 href="https://example.com/page" />
`**Pagination**:`
<!-- On page 2+ -->
<link 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> (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

seo-meta

Seo Meta