Overview

Metadata provides information about a webpage that is typically not visible to visitors on the page itself. Search engines, social media platforms, AI-powered search tools, browsers, and other systems use metadata to better understand and display your content.

Maintaining accurate metadata can help improve search visibility, provide better context to users before they click on a page, and improve how content appears when shared online.

Metadata should be reviewed whenever a new page is created or significant updates are made to existing content.

Accessing Metadata

To view or edit a page's metadata:

1. Navigate to the page in Cascade CMS.
2. Click Edit.
3. Select the Metadata tab.
4. Review and update the metadata fields as needed.
5. Submit and publish your changes.

Metadata Fields

Title

What It Is

While the page title is not located in the Metadata tab, it is one of the most important pieces of metadata associated with a webpage.

The page title helps search engines, browsers, social media platforms, and AI-powered search tools understand what the page is about. It serves as a strong signal about the page's content and purpose and is often one of the first pieces of information users see.

Where It Appears

• Browser tabs
• Search engine results
• Bookmarks and favorites
• Shared links

Best Practices

• Clearly describe the page content.
• Use plain language.
• Be specific.
• Avoid generic titles.

Good Example

Applying for Financial Aid | Central Washington University

Less Effective Example

Financial Aid Information

Description

What It Is

The Description field provides a brief summary of the page's content.

This information is usually not displayed on the webpage itself but is often used by search engines and other systems when displaying information about the page.

Where It Appears

• Search engine result snippets
• Social media previews
• Link previews
• Search indexing systems

Why It Matters

While search engines today rely heavily on page content, a well-written description can:

• Help users understand what the page contains before clicking.
• Improve the quality of search result snippets.
• Provide additional context to search engines and AI-powered search tools.
• Improve the appearance of shared links.

Best Practices

• Summarize the page in one or two sentences.
• Use clear, descriptive language.
• Focus on the primary purpose of the page.
• Avoid repeating the page title word-for-word.

Good Example

Learn about financial aid options at CWU, including scholarships, grants, loans, eligibility requirements, and application deadlines.

Less Effective Example

Information about financial aid.

Include in Search

What It Is

The Exclude From Searches option excludes the page from being crawled and indexed by search engines (Google, Bing, etc.). By default, all pages are assumed to be discoverable by the public. 

When to Disable

Consider enabling the "Exclude" opton for pages that:

• Serve as utility or system pages.
• Contain duplicate information.
• Are intended only as landing pages for specific campaigns.
• Should not appear in search results.

Keywords

What They Are

Keywords are terms and phrases that describe the content of the page.

Historically, keywords were used heavily by search engines to understand page content.

Do Keywords Still Matter?

Modern search engines place very little value on metadata keywords and instead focus on:

• Page content
• Headings
• Page structure
• User intent
• Content quality

As a result, keywords have significantly less impact than they once did.

Best Practices

If your site uses the Keywords field:

• Include relevant terms related to the page.
• Avoid excessive keyword lists.
• Focus on terms users may search for.
• Do not repeat the same keyword multiple times.

Example

Financial Aid, Scholarships, Student Loans, Grants, FAFSA

Important Note

Content quality, page titles, headings, and descriptions generally have a much greater impact than keywords.

Metadata Checklist

Before publishing a page, review the following:

✓ The page title clearly describes the content.

✓ The description provides a useful summary of the page.

✓ Include in Search is configured appropriately.

✓ Keywords are relevant and concise (if used).

✓ The metadata accurately reflects the content of the page.

Additional Tips

• Review metadata whenever significant content changes are made.
• Prioritize writing clear page titles and descriptions.
• Focus on helping users understand the purpose of the page.
• Remember that search engines and AI tools rely primarily on high-quality content and page structure, but metadata still provides valuable context.

Well-maintained metadata helps improve the discoverability, clarity, and usability of CWU website content.