SEO Meta Tags
Status: Production Ready ✅ Last Updated: 2026-01-14 Source: Schema.org, Open Graph Protocol, Twitter Developer Docs
Quick Start
Every page needs:
{/ Basic SEO /}{/ Open Graph /}
{/ Twitter Card /}
{/ JSON-LD Structured Data /}
Title Tag Patterns
Character Limits:
Google: 50-60 characters (desktop), 78 (mobile) Social: 60-70 characters
Page Type Formulas:
Page Type Pattern Example Home [Brand] - [Primary Service] in [Location] Acme Plumbing - 24/7 Emergency Plumber Sydney Service [Service] in [Location] | [Brand] Hot Water Repairs Sydney | Acme Plumbing Location [Service] [Suburb] | [Brand] Plumber Bondi | Acme Plumbing About About [Brand] - [Tagline/USP] About Acme - Licensed Plumbers Since 1995 Contact Contact [Brand] - [Location] | [Phone] Contact Acme Plumbing - Sydney | 1300 XXX XXX
Title Modifiers (add credibility):
24/7 Emergency Licensed & Insured Free Quotes Same Day Service Family Owned Award Winning
Anti-Patterns (avoid):
❌ "Welcome to..." (wastes characters) ❌ Keyword stuffing (plumber plumbing plumbers) ❌ ALL CAPS (looks spammy) ❌ Special characters (★ § ¶) Meta Description Patterns
Character Limits:
Desktop: 155-160 characters Mobile: 120-130 characters
Formula:
[Value prop] [Service] in [Location]. [Differentiator]. [CTA].
Examples by Page Type:
Home Page:
Fast, reliable plumbing services in Sydney. 24/7 emergency response, licensed plumbers, upfront pricing. Call 1300 XXX XXX for same-day service.
Service Page:
Expert hot water repairs in Sydney. Fix or replace electric, gas & solar systems. Licensed technicians, 1-year warranty. Book online or call 1300 XXX XXX.
Location Page:
Trusted plumber in Bondi. Blocked drains, leaks, hot water, gas fitting. Same-day service, upfront quotes. Call your local plumber on 1300 XXX XXX.
Power Words (use sparingly):
Trust: Licensed, Certified, Insured, Guaranteed, Trusted Speed: Fast, Quick, Same Day, Emergency, 24/7, Instant Value: Affordable, Competitive, Upfront, No Hidden Fees, Free Quote Local: Local, Nearby, Your Area, [Suburb Name] Quality: Expert, Professional, Experienced, Award Winning Open Graph Tags
Required Tags:
Image Requirements:
Dimensions: 1200x630px (1.91:1 ratio) Format: JPG or PNG (JPG preferred for file size) File size: <1MB (ideally <300KB) Text overlay: Keep important text center (safe zone: 1000x530)
og:type Values by Page Type:
Page Type og:type Home, Service, Location website Blog Post article Business Profile business.business
Optional but Recommended:
Twitter Cards
Card Types:
Type Use Case summary Small square image (1:1), basic info summary_large_image Large image (1.91:1), most common
Required Tags:
Optional:
Fallback Behavior:
If twitter:title missing, uses og:title If twitter:description missing, uses og:description If twitter:image missing, uses og:image
Best Practice: Define og: tags first, only add twitter: if values differ.
JSON-LD Structured Data LocalBusiness Schema (Most Important)
Use for homepage and contact page:
{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Plumber", "name": "Acme Plumbing", "description": "Licensed plumbing services in Sydney", "@id": "https://acmeplumbing.com.au", "url": "https://acmeplumbing.com.au", "logo": "https://acmeplumbing.com.au/logo.png", "image": "https://acmeplumbing.com.au/og-image.jpg", "telephone": "+61-XXX-XXX-XXX", "email": "info@acmeplumbing.com.au", "priceRange": "$$", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "123 Main Street", "addressLocality": "Sydney", "addressRegion": "NSW", "postalCode": "2000", "addressCountry": "AU" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": -33.8688, "longitude": 151.2093 }, "openingHoursSpecification": [ { "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification", "dayOfWeek": ["Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday"], "opens": "07:00", "closes": "17:00" } ], "sameAs": [ "https://facebook.com/acmeplumbing", "https://instagram.com/acmeplumbing" ] }
Specific Business Types (instead of generic LocalBusiness):
Plumber, Electrician, Locksmith, HVAC (HVACBusiness) Dentist, Attorney, Accountant Restaurant, Cafe, FoodEstablishment Store, AutoRepair, BeautySalon Service Schema
Use for service pages:
{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Service", "name": "Hot Water Repairs", "description": "Fast hot water system repairs in Sydney", "provider": { "@type": "Plumber", "name": "Acme Plumbing", "url": "https://acmeplumbing.com.au" }, "areaServed": { "@type": "City", "name": "Sydney" }, "availableChannel": { "@type": "ServiceChannel", "serviceUrl": "https://acmeplumbing.com.au/hot-water-repairs", "servicePhone": "+61-XXX-XXX-XXX" } }
FAQ Schema (Rich Snippets)
Use for FAQ sections:
{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "How much does a plumber cost in Sydney?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Plumbing rates in Sydney typically range from $100-$150 per hour for standard work. Emergency callouts may incur higher rates. We provide upfront quotes before starting work." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you offer same-day service?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, we offer same-day plumbing service across Sydney for urgent repairs. Call us before 2pm for same-day availability." } } ] }
BreadcrumbList Schema
Use on all pages except homepage:
{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://acmeplumbing.com.au" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Services", "item": "https://acmeplumbing.com.au/services" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Hot Water Repairs", "item": "https://acmeplumbing.com.au/hot-water-repairs" } ] }
Canonical URLs
When to Use:
Every page should have a self-referencing canonical Duplicate content (pagination, filters, print versions) Syndicated content Cross-domain duplicates
Self-Referencing Canonical:
Pagination:
Common Mistakes:
❌ Missing canonical (Google chooses for you) ❌ Relative URLs (use absolute URLs) ❌ Canonical pointing to different content ❌ Multiple canonicals (only one per page) Validation Tools
Check Your Implementation:
Tool Purpose URL Google Rich Results Test Test structured data search.google.com/test/rich-results Schema Markup Validator Validate JSON-LD validator.schema.org Facebook Debugger Test Open Graph tags developers.facebook.com/tools/debug Twitter Card Validator Test Twitter Cards cards-dev.twitter.com/validator Screaming Frog Audit all pages screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider
Browser Extensions:
SEO Meta in 1 Click (Chrome) META SEO inspector (Firefox) Quick Reference Checklist
For every page, include:
Never:
❌ Duplicate titles across pages ❌ Use "Welcome to..." in titles ❌ Omit og:image (critical for social sharing) ❌ Use generic @type (LocalBusiness instead of Plumber) ❌ Skip CTA in meta description Error Prevention Common Issues Issue Cause Fix No rich snippets in search Invalid JSON-LD Use validator.schema.org, check commas/quotes Social share shows wrong image og:image missing or wrong size Use 1200x630px, test with Facebook Debugger Title truncated in search Too long Keep under 60 chars Description truncated Too long Keep under 160 chars Multiple pages rank for same keyword Duplicate titles Make each title unique Testing Workflow Validate HTML: Use W3C validator Test Structured Data: Google Rich Results Test Test Social Sharing: Facebook Debugger + Twitter Card Validator Mobile Preview: Google Search Console URL Inspection Cross-Browser Check: Test meta rendering in Chrome/Firefox/Safari Best Practices Summary
Title Tags:
50-60 characters maximum Include primary keyword + location + brand Unique for every page Use modifiers (24/7, Licensed, Free) sparingly
Meta Descriptions:
150-160 characters maximum Include value prop + differentiator + CTA Write for humans, not search engines Every page needs unique description
Open Graph:
Always include og:image (1200x630px) Use absolute URLs Keep og:title under 60 chars Test with Facebook Debugger before launch
JSON-LD:
Use specific @type (Plumber, not LocalBusiness) Include all contact info (phone, address, email) Add openingHoursSpecification for better display Validate with schema.org validator
Canonical URLs:
Every page needs canonical Always use absolute URLs Self-referencing is good practice Only one canonical per page
Production Notes:
Use react-helmet-async for React apps (SSR-safe) Generate JSON-LD dynamically from CMS/database Cache meta tag components for performance Monitor Search Console for indexing issues Update structured data when business details change