Meta tags are data that work “behind the scenes” on your website but that most human eyes never see. There are many varieties of meta tags, but the most important ones in terms of search engine optimization are meta keyword, description, title, and image tags. Making sure that each page of your site has these meta tags – and that they are properly optimized by including the right words – has long been one of the mantras of webmasters and SEO gurus. But, do meta tags really matter?

Yes, meta tags do matter. However, they fall into the category that I refer to as “necessary-but-not-sufficient” for good SEO. In other words: yes, it is essential that each page of your site feature ample and relevant meta tags. And, yes, these tags need to be carefully compiled such that they are in alignment with the branding objectives and product/service offerings of your site. That said, having appropriate meta tags in your site’s code does not mean your site will suddenly rocket to the top of the search rankings.

I bring this up because, in my experience, people tend to have extreme views on the importance of meta tags: they either see them as one of the top 5 things they can do to improve their rankings or they believe that worrying about meta tags is so “1998″ (i.e., outdated) that they hardly warrant any attention – thus completely leaving them off of their websites altogether. Both views are out of touch with reality.

My advice on meta tags: spend some time creating the right meta tags for your site and inserting them into your code. Then, re-evaluate them every 3-6 months to make sure they remain a good fit for your site.  In the meantime, get to work on more dynamic and effective means of driving traffic to your site.