The META Language Tag: A Guide to Proper Usage

The META language tag is a critical component of website optimization. Proper usage of this tag can help search engines accurately identify the language of a web page, which is essential for multilingual websites. Incorrect usage of this tag can negatively impact a website’s search engine ranking. In this blog post, we will discuss the history of the META language tag, its creator, correct usage with examples, incorrect usage with examples, and usage that could reduce the presence of the site on search engines.

History of the META Language Tag

The META language tag was first introduced in the early days of the World Wide Web. Its purpose was to allow web developers to specify the primary language used on a web page. This information was used by search engines to accurately classify and rank websites in their search results. Over time, the META language tag became an essential component of website optimization.

Creator of the META Language Tag

The creator of the META language tag is not known. However, it is widely believed to have been introduced by Marc Andreessen, the co-founder of Netscape Communications Corporation, in the early 1990s.

Correct Usage of the META Language Tag

The META language tag should be included in the head section of a web page’s HTML code. The tag should include the name of the content attribute and its corresponding value. Here are three examples of correct usage:

To specify the primary language of the web page:

<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en-us">

To specify the language and character encoding of the web page:

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">

To specify the language and character encoding of the web page with HTML5: <meta charset=”UTF-8″>

Incorrect Usage of the META Language Tag

Incorrect usage of the META language tag can negatively impact a website’s search engine ranking. Here are three examples of incorrect usage:

Using the META language tag to specify multiple languages:

<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en-us, fr, es">

Using the wrong language code: <meta http-equiv=”Content-Language” content=”english”>

Not using the META language tag at all.

Usage That Could Reduce the Presence of the Site on Search Engines

Using incorrect or missing META language tags can negatively impact a website’s search engine ranking. Additionally, using machine translation or other methods to create multilingual content without proper human editing can result in poor quality content, which can also negatively impact a website’s search engine ranking.

Conclusion

The META language tag is a crucial component of website optimization for multilingual websites. Proper usage of this tag can help search engines accurately identify the language of a web page, which is essential for accurate classification and ranking in search results. Incorrect usage of this tag can negatively impact a website’s search engine ranking. By following the correct usage guidelines and avoiding incorrect usage and poor quality content, websites can improve their search engine ranking and provide a better user experience for their multilingual audience.