Meta tags are lines of HTML code placed in the <head> section of a webpage that provide structured information about that page to search engines, browsers, and social media platforms. They're invisible to visitors but critical for how your page gets indexed, ranked, and displayed in search results. The two meta tags that matter most for SEO are the title tag (technically a tag, not a meta tag, but grouped with them) and the meta description. The title tag is what appears as the blue clickable headline in Google results and browser tabs. Keep it under 60 characters to avoid truncation. The meta description is the snippet of text below the title in search results—aim for 150–160 characters. While meta descriptions don't directly influence rankings, a well-written one can increase click-through rate by 5–15%, which does send positive signals to Google. Other meta tags include the robots meta tag, which tells crawlers whether to index the page or follow its links. We use this on thank-you pages, staging sites, and duplicate content we don't want indexed. The viewport meta tag controls mobile responsiveness—essential since Google's been mobile-first since 2019. Open Graph and Twitter Card meta tags control how your content looks when shared on social platforms, which indirectly affects traffic and brand perception. Some meta tags are obsolete. The keywords meta tag was killed by Google in 2009 due to spam, though Bing claims to use it as a spam signal if you stuff it. The author meta tag has minimal value now that Google deprecated authorship markup. At Ottawa SEO Inc., we audit meta tags on every site we optimize. Common issues we fix: duplicate title tags across pages, missing meta descriptions (which forces Google to generate its own, often poorly), and title tags that don't include the target keyword within the first 30 characters. Proper meta tag optimization is table stakes—it won't rescue a bad site, but skipping it will cost you clicks even if you rank well.