Is it possible to define SharePoint metadata in HTML tags?

Theoretically yes but it would require lot of customization as you have to create a i-filter which will handle request for html objects and reads your metadata tags and store it to metadata properties in search database. And then pass it to actual i-filter to process it as it was being processed. Using OOTB functionality it would not be possible.

I see. I was hoping for a built in feature. So what exactly can I do with crawling an external website?

I would like to sort webpages into different categories and create an advanced search page with a dropdown. I know this would be easy if I hosted the pages in SharePoint but I don't wish to do that. – Jon Jan 11 at 11:14 the thing you can play around with is URL of the page which would be only managed property available to you so structure your site accordingly – Ashutosh Singh-MVP SharePoint Jan 11 at 11:20.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.