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I have created both a Global Site Meta Description as well as unique Meta Descriptions for each of my content pages.

But when I enter the following query into a Search Engine (to reveal how many pages have been indexed):

site:photographywiz.com

… I noticed that the Search Engines are returning the text from the “Global Site Meta Description’ for each and every page … rather than the “unique Meta Descriptions” that I had individually created for each content Item.

How do we ensure that the “unique Meta Descriptions” from each “Content Item” shows up in the Search Engines?

Thank You for your help,
Bob

Take the meta tags out of global - they are there primarily as a "fallback" in case you get lazy about meta tags in the articles.

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Hi ranwilli,

Once again, thanks for your reply.

I have a several sites, all have been indexed and all are showing the same problem.

Can't believe I never noticed that before ... must be too use to my Dreamweaver days.

Only concern now is if the SE's will update their index with the correct meta desc. data and if so ... how long will it take.

Because if that doesn't work ... then I need to test something else out ... seometime in the future.

I was hoping that I had made a mistake in one of my settings or that perhaps I needed to upload a component to control the proper display of the Meta Desc. tag.

Thanks again,
Bob

Anyone have the 411 on just how Google's PR rates sites with Globally set meta tags vs. sites where indiv content items all have their own meta descriptions?

Assumedly it likes the latter better, but specifically how??

It's a closely guarded secret how the Google algorithm(s) value anything, and it is believed that they vary from site class to site class and from time to time. But your Joomla page will always show a concatenation of the Global and the article keywords.

Since most believe that POISON is having keywords which are "un-supported" in the actual and

tags of the page, it makes sense to be very cautious about what keywords one puts into Global.

These things, BTW, are my opinions - worth exactly what I charged you for them -

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R- what do you mean by "un-supported" keywords ??

I certainly don't want to poison my pages !

Also- can you suggest where to find out more about "site class"

for example, how do I find out what site class a specific site I may administer is in...?

Just means that if Google sees keywords (eg. Lamps, Lampshades, Table Lamps,) and the text doesn't actually contain those nouns, they are said to make the assumption that you're trying to lure someone to your content (ala a spammer) via keywords which don't in fact relate to your article.

They frown on this, and I'm sorta glad.

Interestingly enough - I have also heard it said that there is such a thing as being penalized for having too high a concentration of keywords in your articles.

I guess what it comes down to, is that Google, Yahhoo and MSN would like it very much if we web-jockeys would not try to BEAT the page ranking system.

We have all heard the "white-hat" SEO - the kind where we bust our butt to have interesting, well written and illustrated content which our target audience will want to see and read - will always beat "Black Hat" SEO - the kind where you play mind-numbing games all day long trying to outguess Google.

The biggest mystery of all is why individuals who want to make money on the internet ALWAYS find money to pay some charlatan to give them voodoo SEO, but NEVER find money to hire a copywriter or illustrator.

Oh well, as W.C. Fields observed, "You can't cheat an honest man."

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As to "site class" I made that up - I couldn't remember the term the article used to say that there are all kinds of sites on the internet - and Google and Yahoo and MSN have ways of grouping them together in certain ways. I would say that .com domains with no SSL certs would be set aside somehow from those with the certs, for instance. The article I read further implied that these 2 types of sites would be "ranked" in somewhat different ways.

There are all kinds of Goofy things out there. Did you know, for instance, that the length of time for which you chose to register your domain affects page ranking?

Logic being - the con artists are only gonna register a domain for 1 year. By the time the domain is expired, they've moved on to new tricks. So I always advise my clients to buy a domain for 5 years... - it's usually cheaper that way anyhow.

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I encourage my clients to register their sites for 5 years for just this reason.

I've also heard it said that Google just simply ignores the keywords metatag.


(Disclaimer: I am not an SEO Guru)

I'll see your disclaimer and RAISE you one - I don't really know what to believe - so I go with what I WANT to believe, which is content is KING.

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and Information, of course, wants to be free.

Actually I'm going to have to go fo rthe obvious bait here-

If content is king....

                            who is queen ?

Elton John, of course.

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Hi, I also want to take out the Global Meta so that I can use the individual content and meta.  How do I still preserve the Meta tags on the homepage?  As I think these are coming form the Global Meta tags?

Yes, good question, sboldfield.

How do we keep a meta description tag on the home page if we removed the GLOBAL description tag?

Mine disappears for the home page, but all the articles now have their own unique Description tag.

Thanks!

I'll refer you to a page from the developer of a patch I use on all my sites... I think you'll find it as interesting as I did. (It has really worked well for me.)
http://www.joomlatwork.com/products/fre ... oomla.html

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