Meta data exists "behind the scenes" on a website and most people don't realize it's there. However, meta data is critical because it's helps search engines find your pages and makes a webpage more accessible.
Meta Description
A meta description is a brief and concise summary of a page's content. They are used by search engines and may appear in search results. If meta descriptions are not entered properly, it's a missed opportunity for easy SEO.
Expectations for Meta Descriptions
- Each page has a unique meta description
- Meta description is written in one or more grammatically-correct sentences
- Meta description is between 100-150 characters
- Meta description always contains the phrase "WSU" as well as other keywords when possible
Image Alt Text
Images also have meta data -- specifically, alt text-- that needs to be supplied for each image file. Alt text plays an important role in making images accessible.
Learn more about the standards for images on the WSU website and how to make multimedia files accessible.