Finding the metadata "Goldilocks zone"
04/01/25 • 18 min
In Episode 12, host Virgil Carroll is joined by co-host Cole from High Monkey to dig into a deceptively tricky topic: metadata—what it is, how it works, and why getting it right is more about balance than perfection.
Metadata plays a huge role in findability, search accuracy, and content structure. But when it comes to tagging your content, more isn’t always better—and less definitely isn’t enough. That’s where the concept of the “metadata Goldilocks zone” comes in.
They unpack the most common metadata mistakes and what to do instead, including:
✅ Why under-tagging leaves your site relying on search engine guesswork
✅ How over-tagging renders metadata meaningless
✅ What makes a tag actually useful (and when it’s just noise)
✅ How to approach metadata as an evolving strategy—not a one-time fix
Virgil shares hard-won lessons from consulting across industries, explaining why metadata success depends on both the structure and the context of your content. From internal file systems to public websites, they explore how to build better tagging frameworks without falling into analysis paralysis.
To wrap things up, they offer a practical rule of thumb for anyone managing metadata: optimize for the 80% of user needs first—and let real usage data guide the rest.
For more conversations about digital strategy, search, UX, and all the ways we get it wrong (and how to get it right), visit www.discussingstupid.com and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.
(0:00) - Intro
(2:27) - What even is metadata?
(4:10) - Metadata is not one-size-fits-all
(7:20) - The dangers of under tagging
(10:00) - The dangers of over tagging
(12:43) - Finding the “Goldilocks” zone with metadata
(15:30) - Virgil’s verdict: Follow the 80/20 rule
Subscribe for email updates on our website:
https://www.discussingstupid.com/
Watch us on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@discussingstupid
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Soundcloud:
https://open.spotify.com/show/0c47grVFmXk1cco63QioHp?si=87dbb37a4ca441c0
https://soundcloud.com/discussing-stupid
Check us out on socials:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/discussing-stupid
https://www.instagram.com/discussingstupid/
In Episode 12, host Virgil Carroll is joined by co-host Cole from High Monkey to dig into a deceptively tricky topic: metadata—what it is, how it works, and why getting it right is more about balance than perfection.
Metadata plays a huge role in findability, search accuracy, and content structure. But when it comes to tagging your content, more isn’t always better—and less definitely isn’t enough. That’s where the concept of the “metadata Goldilocks zone” comes in.
They unpack the most common metadata mistakes and what to do instead, including:
✅ Why under-tagging leaves your site relying on search engine guesswork
✅ How over-tagging renders metadata meaningless
✅ What makes a tag actually useful (and when it’s just noise)
✅ How to approach metadata as an evolving strategy—not a one-time fix
Virgil shares hard-won lessons from consulting across industries, explaining why metadata success depends on both the structure and the context of your content. From internal file systems to public websites, they explore how to build better tagging frameworks without falling into analysis paralysis.
To wrap things up, they offer a practical rule of thumb for anyone managing metadata: optimize for the 80% of user needs first—and let real usage data guide the rest.
For more conversations about digital strategy, search, UX, and all the ways we get it wrong (and how to get it right), visit www.discussingstupid.com and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.
(0:00) - Intro
(2:27) - What even is metadata?
(4:10) - Metadata is not one-size-fits-all
(7:20) - The dangers of under tagging
(10:00) - The dangers of over tagging
(12:43) - Finding the “Goldilocks” zone with metadata
(15:30) - Virgil’s verdict: Follow the 80/20 rule
Subscribe for email updates on our website:
https://www.discussingstupid.com/
Watch us on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@discussingstupid
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Soundcloud:
https://open.spotify.com/show/0c47grVFmXk1cco63QioHp?si=87dbb37a4ca441c0
https://soundcloud.com/discussing-stupid
Check us out on socials:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/discussing-stupid
https://www.instagram.com/discussingstupid/
Previous Episode
The challenges of translating design into a responsive website build
Discussing Stupid has a new look! This episode marks the beginning of our refreshed brand—featuring a brand new website, sleek color scheme, updated album cover, and a restructured intro sequence. While our look has evolved, our mission remains the same: breaking down the biggest digital mistakes so you don’t have to make them.
In Episode 11, host Virgil Carroll is joined by co-host Cole from High Monkey, along with developer Chad, to tackle a common but frustrating issue—why web designs that look perfect in Figma often fall apart when built for real-world use.
They explore the biggest challenges of translating static designs into fully responsive websites, including:
✅ The problem with designing for just one screen size
✅ Why text, images, and layouts often break in development
✅ What developers wish designers knew about responsive design
✅ Lessons learned from their own website redesign mistakes
Chad shares a developer’s perspective on why rigid, pixel-perfect designs don’t always work and how to approach layouts with flexibility in mind. Through real-world experiences—including High Monkey’s own site rebuild—the team discusses the need for good communication between design and development and how to avoid the most common headaches.
To close things out, they share practical tips on designing for multiple screen sizes, working more effectively with developers, and ensuring that your website doesn’t just look great—it actually functions for all the devices browsing your website.
New intro, new look, new website, same crew ready to help you avoid dumb digital mistakes! Join us every two weeks for fresh episodes, and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. For more resources and updates, visit www.discussingstupid.com.
(0:00) - Intro
(2:06) Design is checkers... development is chess
(4:53) Common responsive design fails
(7:18) Unfortunately we are speaking from experience.
(11:09) How many breakpoints do you design for???
(15:40) Designers & developers need to talk
(18:07) - Outro
Subscribe for email updates on our website:
https://www.discussingstupid.com/
Watch us on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@discussingstupid
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Soundcloud:
https://open.spotify.com/show/0c47grVFmXk1cco63QioHp?si=87dbb37a4ca441c0
https://soundcloud.com/discussing-stupid
Check us out on socials:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/discussing-stupid
https://www.instagram.com/discussingstupid/
Next Episode
Keys to balancing aesthetics and accessibility in web design
In Episode 13.1, host Virgil Carroll is joined by co-host Cole and developer Chad to talk about something deceptively complicated: color. Specifically, the intersection of color palettes, visual design, and accessibility—and why getting it wrong can tank your user experience.
While color choices often get made in design tools or branding meetings, they don’t always translate well to real-world implementation. The crew breaks down why the prettiest colors can create the ugliest accessibility problems once they hit the web.
They dig into key challenges and lessons, including:
✅ Why accessible design isn’t just about having the right colors—it's about using them correctly
✅ How contrast ratios break down across devices and screen sizes
✅ Why bright and “fun” color palettes often fail accessibility testing
✅ How to bring visual flair to a site without sacrificing inclusivity
✅ The difference between decorative vs. purposeful color use—and why it matters
From failed color combinations to misused font sizing, Virgil, Cole, and Chad share their own battle scars from High Monkey’s recent site redesign—and explain how inclusive design forces teams to think functionally, not just aesthetically.
If you’ve ever struggled to make your brand colors work on the web—or if you're tired of your site failing contrast tests but you still want some color pop—this episode’s for you.
For more conversations about digital strategy, UX, accessibility, and all the ways we get it wrong (and how to get it right), visit www.discussingstupid.com and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.
(0:00) - Intro
(2:43) - Accessibility and your brand's color palette
(6:03) - Factoring in font sizes
(7:54) - I still want color pop on my website!!
(11:36) - The approach we took with our new site's color scheme
(15:13) - Outro
Subscribe for email updates on our website:
https://www.discussingstupid.com/
Watch us on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@discussingstupid
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Soundcloud:
https://open.spotify.com/show/0c47grVFmXk1cco63QioHp?si=87dbb37a4ca441c0
https://soundcloud.com/discussing-stupid
Check us out on socials:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/discussing-stupid
https://www.instagram.com/discussingstupid/
Discussing Stupid: A byte-sized podcast on stupid UX - Finding the metadata "Goldilocks zone"
Transcript
>> Virgil: If you tag everything the same, you're tagging nothing. I mean, that is a reality and we see that all the time. It's a lot of internal organizations when they're looking at their own 365 repositories, their file shares or whatever like that, where they just tag everything and it's like, well, they come up with a tag X, and that tag is applicable to 95% of the stuff they want to tag.
>> Intro Speaker: You're listening to Discussing Stupid, a podcast sponsored by High Monkey. Join
If you like this episode you’ll love
Design Life
Voices of Search // A Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Content Marketing Podcast
All About Digital Marketing Podcast
The Best SEO Podcast: Unlocking the Unknown Secrets of AI, Search Rankings & Digital Marketing
The CRM Sushi Podcast, With Inbound Marketing Expert Wes Schaeffer The Sales Whisperer®
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/discussing-stupid-a-byte-sized-podcast-on-stupid-ux-52948/finding-the-metadata-goldilocks-zone-88801033"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to finding the metadata "goldilocks zone" on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy