Metadata Explained

What Is Metadata and Why Does It Matter?

Metadata is a behind-the-scenes part of your website that helps search engines (like Google) and social platforms (like Facebook) understand what your pages are about. Think of it as a quick summary or label for each page on your site.

Types of Metadata

There are two main types of metadata you might run into when managing your website:

Meta Title

• This is the title that appears in search engine results.

• It’s also the text you see in the browser tab.

• Example: If your homepage has a meta title of “Custom Web Design in Bloomington, IL | Cybernautic Web Design”, that’s what Google might show when someone searches for you.

Meta Description

• This is the short paragraph that shows up under the title in search results.

• It should briefly describe what the page is about and encourage people to click.

• Example: “Looking for a custom web design company in Central Illinois? Cybernautic designs and builds high-quality websites tailored to your business and designed to get results.”

Social Metadata (Optional but Helpful)

• Some website editors (including ours) allow you to set a page-specific image that will appear when someone shares your page on Facebook, LinkedIn, or other services that scrape meta data to provide a more user-friendly link preview. 

• This helps ensure your content looks polished and clickable when shared on social media.

Why Metadata Matters

• Better Search Visibility: Well-written metadata can improve how your site appears in search results and help more people find you.

• Higher Click-Through Rates: A clear, engaging description can encourage users to click your link over someone else’s.

• Stronger Social Sharing: Custom social metadata ensures that your content looks good when shared—complete with the right image, title, and message.

Where to Edit Metadata

In Editor, you have access to two ares where metadata can be edited:

Global Metadata

Global Metadata is the metadata for the site at large and the default used when a specific page doesn't have its own. It can be found by:

• Clicking on the "Settings" icon in the top Editor navigation bar
• Then clicking the "SEO Settings" tab in the left sidebar.
• Here you can edit the site's global Meta Description, your default Social Sharing Image and the site's Favicon. 
• When you're done, click the "Save SEO Settings" button.

Favicon: This is the small icon that appears in the browser tab next to your page title. It helps users visually recognize your website among multiple open tabs or in their bookmarks.

Page-Specific Metadata

For each individual page in your website, you can assign specific metadata for that individual page. You can access this by:

• Clicking on the page you want to edit.

• Clicking the Page Settings wheel (next to the "Save Page" button)

• Here you can update the page's Meta Title, Meta Description and Social Sharing Image

• When you're done, click the "Save Page" button.

Note: You may also have the ability to edit the Page Title and/or Page URL — just be careful when you do this because changing the URL of a page can lead to 404 errors and broken links. Reach out to our support team if you have any questions!

Tips for Writing Great Metadata

• Keep meta titles under 60 characters.

• Keep meta descriptions under 160 characters.

• Use keywords that describe your business and location (if relevant).

• Make it readable and compelling—think of it like an ad for your page!

Wrapping Up

Ensuring properly formatted metadata for your site's main site pages is included in our hosting & maintenance package! But if you're looking to optimize and get the most out of metadata, we highly recommend considering one of our Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plans. Reach out to your strategist to learn more!