|
What is metadata
Metadata is data about data. It is not visible
on the Web screen but is visible in the source code at the top of the screen
in the "head" area (click on View Source in your Web browser menu
to see the source code of any Web screen).
There are different types of metadata -
such as a description, keywords and content.
Metadata can be used in any number of
ways, most notably to provide a concise description of a screen's
content or function which can then be more easily found by people
using search engines.
Several metadata sets are emerging as 'standards'
for various sectors and applications, but there isn't one which is widely
agreed as a standard across all cultural sectors. Theoretically there is
no limit to the number of metadata sets you can use in a website, though
practically the fewer the better otherwise 'information overload' will be
replaced by 'metadata overload' and in any event the size of files will
be too large to download quickly.
Some search engines catalogue and rank websites
according to metadata but it has variable effects. Repetition of words or
phrases can lead search engine cataloging robots to think you are spamming
so they drop your site of the list. It's worth visiting each search engine
you want to list your site with to check whether they use metadata to catalogue
and rank websites and how you can optimise your own.
The Australian Government
Locator Service
The Australian Government Locator Service (AGLS),
which is based on the Dublin Core standard, is the mandatory standard for
inclusion on Australian Federal Government websites. It is also being applied
to many State Government websites.
Metadata resources
Some metadata resources are listed here
to help you learn more about adding metadata to your website.
|