Adding Meta Descriptions for Topics

Description meta tags contain brief summaries of web pages and are recognized by all major search engines. These tags might not factor into the search rankings by all search engines, but they are still useful for search engine optimization in web-based outputs, because they can help with the click-through rate in HTML5 output. We recommend that you create a meta tag set file, which adds an empty description meta tag by default. This is faster than adding it separately to each topic. This meta tag then becomes available at lower file levels (including topics), and you can then provide the value in the topic properties.

How to Add a Description Meta Tag Value for a Topic

  1. (Recommended) In the Project Organizer, expand the Advanced folder and add a new meta tag set. See Creating Meta Tag Sets.
  2. In the Content Explorer, right-click the topic file and select Properties.
  3. Select the Meta Tags tab.

  4. If you are using a meta tag set (recommended), expand it.

    If you are not using a meta tag set, click Add custom text meta tag to add a new text meta tag, which is added under the Custom section. Then, enter description as the name.

  5. In the Value field, enter a description for the topic.

    Tip When adding a value for a description meta tag, it is a good idea to ensure the following:

    • It should not be too long (fewer than 155 characters if possible) or too short.

    • It should accurately reflect the contents of the page.

    • It should contain relevant keywords, although you should never "stack" keywords by simply repeating them.

    • It should be unique (i.e., not the same description as you have in lots of other topics).

  6. Click OK.

This description is stored as metadata in the <head> tag of the topic file. The markup looks like this:

Copy 
<meta name="description" content="This topic provides a general introduction to MadCap Flare, its benefits, and basic steps for getting started." />

Note If you do not provide a meta description, Flare will use the abstract character limit to create an abstract from the text in your topic.

Example A documentation team wants to enhance the overall experience for users to find available information in their online Help system. They establish in-house guidelines for how these meta tags should be constructed, and create brief descriptions of each web page. The team sets out to increase content discoverability (which in turn should build user trust, and increase brand awareness). They work to optimize text in search results for HTML5 output—with the goal of increasing clicks and traffic.

Level

They create a meta tag set, which automatically includes a description meta tag. They leave the value empty, and add text at the topic level in the Properties dialog.

  1. In the Project Organizer, right-click the Advanced folder and select Add Meta Tag Set.

  2. Complete the File Name field and click Add.

  3. When you want to provide the actual description text for a topic, open the Content Explorer, right-click the topic, and select Properties.

  4. In the Value field, enter a description for the topic.

  5. Click OK.

    This is an example of a description meta tag value shown in search results output.

Findability

  • SEO Description meta tags help to increase discoverability on the web. It is better to add this tag for topics rather than leaving it blank or relying on a search engine to auto-generate a description.

  • Content Management In Flare, you might rely on the Used Meta Tags analysis report or the File List window pane to view a list of files that show the description tags used and their definitions.