Search Engines Uncovered
Meta Author Tag Explained
by Jerry West
Updated January 17, 2008

When it comes to Meta Tags, there are many opinions floating around the web. Let me tell you, if you are looking at gaining a distinct advantage with Meta Tags in the search engines, I have news for you: It isn't 1999 anymore.

So, what Meta Tags are worth injecting in your site for the basis of search engine optimization?

Note: If you are looking for a comprehensive list of Meta Tags and how to use them in your pages properly, please see our comprehensive article: Meta Tags Explained.

Meta Author: To declare the author of the HTML or XML document.

Example:

<META NAME="Author" CONTENT="George Costanza, gcostanza@vandalayindustries.com">

This meta tag reference's the name of the person who created the HTML or XML document being viewed. If you use this tag, it is recommended to use the author's first and last name.

Some may tell you that is it is standard that you also include the email address of the author; however, I do not recommend this action as you may find yourself drowning in Spam. There are a lot of "site scrapers" out there which look for email addresses to harvest. If the author wishes to be contacted, include a contact form on the HTML page.

The tag is not indexed by Google, Yahoo! or MSN, so it will not help you in search engine ranking, but it is recognized as part of the "Meta Tag Standard."

Where Do You Put the Meta Author Tag?: It goes in the "head" section of your webpage and I recommend it be placed FOLLOWING your Meta Description and Meta Keyword tag.

Recommendation: This tag is optional. If you have many individuals contributing to the content of your site, use this tag to help track which author wrote what page.

Personally, I use it to not only track who in my company authored the page, but it has come in handy when other sites have ripped off our pages and neglected to take out the Meta Author tag. It is always great to hear their denials of wrong doing until you have them pull up the code. There's just silence. Sweet.

Back to Meta Tags Explained & Uncovered.

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Jerry West is the Director of Internet Marketing for Web Marketing Now. He has been consulting on the web since 1996 and has assisted hundreds of companies gain an upper-hand over their competition. Visit Web Marketing Now for the latest in marketing tips that are tested and proven.

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