Is it still worth filling out the meta keywords tag for SEO?

Why does Google ignore this tag?

The meta keywords tag was heavily abused in the early years of the web. Webmasters stuffed hundreds of unrelated keywords into it, hoping to manipulate search results. Google stopped giving it any credit back in 2009.

The search engine has reiterated this position several times: no ranking signal comes from this tag. It is simply ignored by the ranking algorithm. Continuing to fill it out for Google is akin to cargo cult SEO.

Do other engines take it into account?

Some alternative search engines, notably Yandex or Baidu, may still read this tag. Their market share in France remains marginal, but if you are targeting Russian or Chinese markets, it still holds some residual usefulness.

Proprietary internal search tools may also utilize it. If your site uses a custom search engine that leverages this metadata, filling it out makes sense. But this is a rare and technical case.

What are the risks of filling it out anyway?

There are no serious penalties on the table: Google ignores it, so you won’t be punished for using it. The real risk is that you reveal your keyword strategy to your competitors. This tag is visible in the source code, and if you list your target phrases there, you provide free ammunition.

The other downside is wasting time. Every hour spent filling out meta keywords is an hour not invested in quality content, internal linking, or truly impactful technical optimizations.

• Google hasn’t read this tag for over a decade, it does not influence any ranking signals
• Some alternative search engines (Yandex, Baidu) may still consider it in their respective markets
• Filling out this tag exposes your SEO strategy to competitors who inspect your source code
• The time dedicated to this tag would be better spent on real ranking levers
• No penalty exists for its use, but no benefit either from Google’s side

Is this position consistent with real-world observations?

Absolutely. Empirical tests conducted over the years confirm a total lack of impact. I have personally launched clean sites without meta keywords and sites stuffed with this tag: there was absolutely no difference in ranking, all else being equal.

Massive crawls show that the majority of modern sites have abandoned this tag. Recent CMS platforms (WordPress, Shopify, PrestaShop) don’t even generate it by default anymore. The market has acknowledged its uselessness.

What nuances should be added to this statement?

Google clarifies that “other services may take them into account.” This phrasing remains vague. Specifically, we are talking about third-party engines or internal search tools that you may have developed yourself. [To be verified]: no public figures quantify the real weight of this tag on Yandex or Baidu.

If 98% of your traffic comes from Google, spending time on meta keywords for 2% of potential visitors via Yandex amounts to counterproductive micro-optimization. Prioritize the levers that impact the majority of your audience.

In what cases does this rule not apply?

If you are running a custom search engine that explicitly indexes this tag, then yes, fill it out. Some enterprise tools (intranets, document databases) may parse this metadata. But this is a software architecture choice, not an SEO necessity.

Another exception: if you are primarily targeting markets where Google is a minor player (Russia with Yandex, China with Baidu). In this case, educate yourself on the specific guidelines of these engines, which remain opaque and changeable.

What should you do concretely about your existing sites?

If your pages already contain this tag, you have two options. First approach: do nothing. It does not penalize you, it remains invisible to Google, so the urgency is nil. Second approach: gradually remove it during your next template redesigns.

I recommend the latter if you have control over your templates. This lightens your HTML code, reduces page weight (though marginally), and importantly prevents any leaking of strategic information to competitors crawling your site.

What mistakes should you absolutely avoid?

Don’t waste resources auditing or optimizing this tag. Some legacy SEO tools still report it as “missing” in their reports. Ignore these alerts, they date back to a bygone era. Focus on title, meta description, Hn tags, and schema markup.

Also, avoid filling it out “just in case.” You expose your target keywords without any benefit. A competitor can scrape your tags, analyze your semantic strategy, and take inspiration from it. Why make it easier for them?

How can you reallocate this time toward profitable levers?

Every minute saved on meta keywords should be reinvested elsewhere. Prioritize optimizing title tags (which do impact CTR and indirectly ranking), writing compelling meta descriptions, and structuring your content with coherent Hn tags.

Also work on your internal linking, anchor texts, and content strategy. These levers have measurable ROI, unlike meta keywords. If you lack time or expertise to identify true priorities, partnering with a specialized SEO agency can help you focus your efforts on high-impact optimizations and avoid spreading your resources too thin on obsolete tasks.

• Gradually remove the meta keywords tag from your templates during redesigns
• Ignore “missing tag” alerts from legacy SEO tools that haven’t updated their rules
• Never fill it out simply to “do as before”: you expose your strategy without gain
• Reallocate this time to title, meta description, schema markup, and internal linking
• If targeting Yandex or Baidu, specifically research their current guidelines
• Prioritize optimizations with measurable ROI: content, technical, link building