The meta keywords tag, in 2026

The meta keywords tag, in 2026

"Filling the meta keywords tag — every little helps."

It doesn't help. It can hurt.

Google has publicly ignored the meta keywords tag since 2009. So the 'every little helps' instinct buys you exactly zero ranking benefit. But here's the actual mistake: you're publishing your target keyword list, in plain HTML, to anyone who hits View Source — including competitors who'll happily read your strategy off the page.

Here's what actually happens: a team keeps a legacy field in their CMS, dutifully fills it, hands competitors a free keyword map, and gains nothing. The only entity reading that tag is the one you least want reading it.

Fix: delete the field, or leave it blank. Spend the effort on the title, the H1, and the body copy — the things that are actually read. (A tag that helps nobody but your rivals is not 'every little helps.' It's a leak.)