What is a site map, meta map, and metadata?

If you’re looking at SEO for your website or business, you’ll likely have been bombarded with a list of terms that look like they make sense but all seem to mean the same thing.

Understanding SEO – and especially on the technical side – can be difficult and imposing for anyone not working in digital marketing. Below, we’ll remove some of the confusion and break down what some vital SEO terminology really means – and how you can benefit:

What is a site map?

A site map is a visual representation of how the pages of your website connect together. It’s commonly used in either the creation or redesign of a website, and helps eliminate unnecessary pages and create or streamline ‘pathways’ in your website to increase potential customer conversions and encourage them to take action – such as contacting your team or making a purchase.

What is metadata?

Metadata is a term that refers to ‘information that gives information about other information’, and if that’s confusing to most people then it’s nothing to be ashamed about. Simply, metadata in relation to SEO is all the information attached to a website that tells the Internet – and therefore, search engines – what it is. Metadata for your website includes keywords, the page title, and the meta description (the short synopsis of a web page displayed in search results).

What is a meta map?

A meta map is a document that defines your metadata in relation to your sitemap. In the form of a spreadsheet, a meta map allows you to easily check for repetition or duplicate terms and keywords, alongside a snapshot of the overall style and tone for your website’s metadata.

The common issue we see in SEO is that there is either too little focus or too much. As you can see above, a site map is just as important in the overall SEO process as metadata and a meta map are, and it’s both a requirement of digital marketing agencies to understand the importance and correlation between all these elements, and their duty to explain them in plain language to their clients.

If you’re looking to redesign your website, or want to improve your search ranking through flexible digital strategy and quality content, contact the team at Media Giant today. We offer a range of digital marketing solutions for any business, and strive to take the mystery out of SEO services in New Zealand so everyone can benefit.