HTML Tag Basics: A Beginner's Guide to Structuring Web Pages for SEO
Tags: webdev, beginners, programming, html
Published: 2023-04-01 01:24:06

HTML, which stands for Hypertext Markup Language, is the basic code used to make websites. It helps organize and show content on web pages, and it's really important for website developers need to learn. Think of HTML tags like building blocks - they give instructions to your web browser on how to display your website. In this beginner's guide, we'll go over the basics of HTML tags and how you can use them to make your website easy to find on search engines.

## What are HTML Tags?

HTML tags are used to define different elements on a web page, such as headings, paragraphs, images, links, and lists. Each HTML tag consists of a start tag, which is enclosed in angle brackets, and an end tag, which is also enclosed in angle brackets and preceded by a forward slash (/). For example, the <p> tag is used to define a paragraph, and it looks like this:

```
<p>This is a paragraph!</p>
```
This code tells the web browser to display the text "This is a paragraph!" as a paragraph on the web page.

There are also self-closing tags, which do not require an end tag because they do not contain any content. For example, the <img> tag is used to display images, and it looks like this:

```
<img src="image.jpg" alt="Description of image">
```
This code tells the web browser to display an image with the source file "image.jpg" and alt text "Description of image".

HTML tags are used to define the structure and content of web pages, and they play an important role in SEO. By using HTML tags correctly, web developers can optimize their web pages for search engines and improve their rankings in search results.

## Optimizing HTML Tags for SEO

Several HTML tags are particularly important for SEO, including title tags, header tags, meta tags, and alt tags.

## Title Tags

Title tags are used to define the title of a web page, and they appear in the browser tab when the web page is open. They are also used by search engines to understand the content of a web page, and they are one of the most important on-page SEO factors. It is important to use descriptive and relevant keywords in the title tag and to keep it under 60 characters to ensure that it is displayed in search results.

Example:

```
<title>HTML Tag Basics: A Beginner's Guide to Structuring Web Pages for SEO</title>
```

## Header Tags

Header tags, such as `<h1>,<h2>,<h3>`, and so on, are used to define headings and subheadings on a web page. They help to structure the content of a web page, and they also provide context for search engines to understand the content. It is important to use header tags in a logical and hierarchical order, with the `<h1>` tag for the main heading and subsequent tags for subheadings.

Example:

```
<h1>Introduction to HTML Tags</h1>
<h2>Understanding HTML Tags</h2>
<p>HTML tags are used to define different elements on a web page...</p>
<h2>Optimizing HTML Tags for SEO</h2>
<p>There are several HTML tags that are particularly important for SEO...</p>
```

## Meta Tags

Meta tags are used to provide additional information about a web page, such as the author, description, and keywords. They do not affect the visual display of the web page, but they are important for SEO because they provide search engines with context and information about the content. The most important meta tag for SEO is the meta description, for example:

```
<meta name="description" content="A description of the page">
<meta name="keywords" content="keyword1, keyword2, keyword3">
<meta name="author" content="Your Name">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
```
In this code snippet, we have included the following meta tags:

The description meta tag provides a brief description of the web page that can appear in search engine results.

The keywords meta tag specifies the keywords or phrases that are relevant to the web page.

The author meta tag specifies the name of the author of the web page.

The viewport meta tag sets the width of the viewport to the width of the device, and sets the initial zoom level to 1.0. This is important for responsive design and making sure your web page looks good on all devices.

## Paragraph Tags

The `<p>` tag is used to create paragraphs on a web page. By default, browsers will add some spacing before and after a paragraph, so it is a great way to break up content into easily readable chunks.

Example:

```
<p>This is an example paragraph.</p>
```

## Anchor Tags

Anchor tags are used to connect web pages, and they can also be used to signal to search engines which pages on your site are important. The `<a>` tag should include a descriptive href attribute that indicates the URL of the linked page. It's also important to use anchor text that describes the content of the linked page.

Example:

```
<a href="https://example.com">Link Text</a>
```

## Image Tags

Image tags are used to embed images on a web page. They have several attributes, including src (the URL of the image), alt (a description of the image for accessibility), and width/height (the size of the image). This helps to ensure that search engines can understand the context of the image.

Example:

```
<img src="image.jpg" alt="Example Image" width="300" height="200">
```

## Lists Tags

Lists are a key component of web development and are commonly used to display information in a structured and organized manner. There are two main types of lists in HTML: unordered lists (UL) and ordered lists (OL).

Unordered lists are used to display a list of items in no particular order. Each item in the list is represented by a bullet point or some other symbol. To create an unordered list in HTML, we use the `<ul>` tag, and each item in the list is represented by the `<li>` tag.

Here's an example:

```
<ul>
  <li>Item 1</li>
  <li>Item 2</li>
  <li>Item 3</li>
</ul>
```

This would create an unordered list with three items, each represented by a bullet point.

Ordered lists, on the other hand, are used to display a list of items in a specific order. Each item in the list is numbered, starting from 1. To create an ordered list in HTML, we use the `<ol>` tag, and each item in the list is represented by the `<li>` tag.

Here's an example:

```
<ol>
  <li>First item</li>
  <li>Second item</li>
  <li>Third item</li>
</ol>
```

This would create an ordered list with three items, numbered 1 through 3.

Lists can also be nested within each other to create sub-lists. To create a sub-list, simply include another `<ul>` or `<ol>` tag within the `<li>` tag of the parent list. Here's an example of a nested list:

```
<ul>
  <li>Main item 1</li>
  <li>Main item 2
    <ul>
      <li>Sub-item 1</li>
      <li>Sub-item 2</li>
    </ul>
  </li>
  <li>Main item 3</li>
</ul>

```
This would create an unordered list with three main items, and the second item contains a nested unordered list with two sub-items.

By mastering the use of these basic HTML tags, you can create well-structured and SEO-friendly web pages. It's important to note that there are many more HTML tags available, but these are some of the most important and commonly used ones.

In addition to using the right HTML tags, there are other best practices you should follow to optimize your web pages for SEO, such as using descriptive title tags, adding meta descriptions, and optimizing your images.

## Similar HTML Tags and when to use them

## `<img>` and `<figure>`

If you want to display an image without a caption, you can use the `<img>` tag. However, if you want to add a caption or description to the image, you should use the `<figure>` tag. The `<img> `and `<figure>` tags are both used to display images, but the tag allows you to add a caption or description to the image. The `<img>` tag is a self-closing tag that requires the use of the "src" attribute to specify the image file. On the other hand, the `<figure>` tag is a container tag that can be used to group an image and its caption.

```
<figure>
      <img src="my-image.jpg" alt="A description of my image">
      <figcaption>This is a caption for my image.</figcaption>
</figure>
```

In this code snippet, we have used the `img` tag to display an image with the `src` attribute set to the filename of the image file, and the `alt` attribute set to a description of the image. The `figure` tag is used to group the image and its caption, and the `figcaption` tag is used to add a caption to the image.

## `<b>` and `<strong>`

If you want to emphasize a word in a sentence, you can use the `<b>` tag. However, if you want to indicate that the enclosed text is important, you should use the `<strong>` tag. Screen readers and search engines also recognize the semantic meaning of the `<strong>` tag, which can help to improve the accessibility and SEO of your web pages.

```
<p>This is a <b>bold</b> word and this is a <strong>strongly important</strong> word.</p>
```

In this code snippet, we have used the b tag to make the word "bold" appear in bold text, and the strong tag to indicate that the phrase "strongly important" should be given strong emphasis. Note that while the b tag is used to indicate bold text formatting, the strong tag is used to indicate semantic importance. The p tag is used to enclose the text that we want to apply these styles to.

## `<i>` and `<em>`

The `<i>` and `<em>` tags are both used to italicize text, but there is a difference in their semantic meaning. The `<i>` tag is a presentation tag that is used to visually emphasize text. On the other hand, the `<em>` tag is a semantic tag that is used to indicate emphasis or importance. Screen readers and search engines also recognize the semantic meaning of the `<em>` tag, which can help to improve the accessibility and SEO of your web pages.

```
<p>This is an <i>italicized</i> word and this is an <em>emphasized</em> word.</p>
```

In this code snippet, we have used the `i` tag to make the word "italicized" appear in italicized text, and the `em` tag to make the word "emphasized" appear in italicized text as well. Note that the em tag is used to indicate emphasis or importance, while the i tag is used to indicate a different kind of text formatting (in this case, italics). The p tag is used to enclose the text we want to apply these styles to.

##` <div>` and `<span>`

The `<div>` and `<span>` tags are both used to group elements, but there is a difference in their formatting. The `<div>` tag is a block-level element that is typically used to group larger sections of content, while the `<span>` tag is an inline element that is typically used to group smaller sections of content.

```
<div>
      <p>This is some text in a <span style="color: blue;">blue</span>                 span</p>
      <p>This is some more text in a <span style="font-weight: bold;">bold</span> span.</p>
</div>
```

In this code snippet, we have used the div tag to define a section of the page that contains two paragraphs. Within the first paragraph, we have used the span tag to apply the color style property to make the word "blue" appear in blue text. Within the second paragraph, we have used the span tag to apply the font-weight style property to make the word "bold" appear in bold text. Note that the span tag is typically used to apply styles to small pieces of text within a larger section of the page, while the div tag is used to define larger sections of the page that can be styled or manipulated as a unit.

Overall, having a solid understanding of HTML tag basics is a crucial step for any beginner looking to create effective and optimized web pages. With practice and experience, you can become proficient in using these tags and create beautiful and SEO-friendly websites. With this knowledge, you can create HTML documents that are well-structured, accessible, and optimized for search engines.

I hope you found value in this article. Kindly let me know if you have any questions in the comment section. Don't forget to like and share it with anyone that will find it useful!