Stop ignoring metadata: This SEO shortcut is hiding in plain sight
- Lyn Spindley
- Jan 27
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 12
Access and update metadata: a practical guide for SEO success
Metadata is like the backstage crew of your website—it doesn’t take centre stage, but without it, the show wouldn’t go on. Knowing how to access, update, and optimise metadata can be the difference between ranking on page one of Google or being lost in the weeds.
This guide will take you step by step through finding, editing, and maximising your metadata for better SEO performance.
Top 3 places where metadata lives
HTML headers
Metadata for web pages lives in the <head> section of your website’s HTML, providing search engines with essential information about your page.
Key elements:
Title tags: the clickable blue links in SERPs.
Meta descriptions: brief summaries that appear below titles.
Robots tags: instructions for search engines (e.g., noindex, nofollow).
How to access the headers
Browser tools: right-click any page, select “Inspect,” and check the <head> section.
CMS platforms: use SEO plugins like Yoast (WordPress) or built-in fields in Shopify and Squarespace.
CMS platforms
Modern CMS platforms make metadata management simple.
WordPress: SEO plugins provide user-friendly fields.
Shopify: add titles and descriptions directly in product settings.
Squarespace: SEO settings are built into the page editor.
Images and media
Image metadata is essential for SEO and accessibility. Key elements include:
Alt text: describes images for search engines and visually impaired users.
File names: keyword-rich names improve visibility in image searches.
How to access images and media files
Use your CMS media library to add or edit alt text and filenames, or edit them as you publish them using image settings (⚙️)
How to update metadata
Updating meta titles and descriptions
Titles: keep them under 60 characters and include primary keywords.
Descriptions: write concise, engaging summaries with CTAs under 160 characters.
Example:
Title: “The best running shoes for marathon training – free shipping!”
Description: “Shop high-performance running shoes designed for marathon training. Free shipping on all orders over £50!”
Optimising alt text and filenames for images
Use natural language to describe images and include relevant keywords.
Rename files from generic names like “IMG123.jpg” to descriptive ones like “blue-running-shoes.jpg.”
Implementing schema markup
• Add structured data to enhance your search results with rich snippets.
• Tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper simplify implementation.
"The Structured Data Markup Helper helps you mark up elements on your web page so that Google can understand the data on the page. Once Google understands your page data more clearly, it can be presented more attractively and in new ways in Google Search." -- Google Help
Treat cheat sheet: 5 steps to access and update metadata
Find your metadata: use browser tools or CMS platforms to locate metadata elements.
Update titles and descriptions: write concise, engaging text with keywords and CTAs.
Optimise images: add descriptive alt text and rename files for SEO.
Use schema markup: enable rich results like FAQs, reviews, and product details.
Fix issues: identify and resolve duplicate or missing metadata regularly.
Fix metadata for high impact
Metadata might be hiding behind the scenes, but its impact on your SEO performance is anything but invisible. By knowing where to find it, how to optimise it, and which elements matter most, you can transform your website’s rankings, visibility, and user engagement.
Want to unlock your website’s full potential? Let’s talk!
Reach out at hello@treatmarketing.co.uk.
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