Google Continues to Expand Sources of Title Links: OG Title Now in the Running

Source: freepik_free-vectorweb-design-concept-with-flat-design_2555693

Google Adds og:title to Increase Flexibility of Title Links

Recently, Google announced a new search algorithm change. The sources that Google might use are growing to include the og:title meta tag by adding the og:title to its existing list of possible sources for the clickable search result title.

Where the title tag remains the primary source of title links, the og:title tag provides the website owner additional leeway in what can actually be evoked. Where the og:title content is composed carefully, the website owner can optimize their search presence, rendering the web page more interesting to organic traffic.

The og:title meta tag is a property of an Open Graph protocol, which is a kind of standardized format for sharing rich information on social media platforms that can be represented by objects within the pages of a website. It exists mainly to specify which title appears in a share on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

With the introduction of the og:title tag as part of its search algorithm, Google has practically expanded the scope of information on which it may determine title links. Therefore, in the event that actual title tag content is not taken as significantly relevant to a specific result, Google may give a bias to information supplied under og:title.

SEO and Site Optimization Implications

The og:title tag being a source now for potential titles links is a major boost and impact for SEO and website optimization strategies. Some of the key areas are mentioned here:

• Optimize the Title: Both the title tag and the og:title tag should be carefully worked out, depicting the correct reflection of optimization efforts and truly representing page content related to important keyword phrases.
• Consistency: Google can use either the title or og:title tag to display a title, but it is better to be consistent on both ends and not cause conflict logic that can generate different titles.
• Social Media Sharing: The importance of the og:title tag for the sake of social media sharing is that it determines the title when a URL is shared to popular social media like Facebook and Twitter.
• The User Experience: The idea is mainly to provide informative, attractive title links that are relevant to the user’s query. Both the title and og:title tags serve the purpose.

Best Practices in Using og:title

To apply og:title effectively in your SEO and user experience:

• Interesting and brief: og:title—should be pithy; get the user to have a good idea of what the content of the page is.
• Use relevant keywords: Use relevant keywords that users are likely to search for to increase search visibility.
• Avoid keyword stuffing: As much as keywords are vital, please avoid stuffing the keywords too much, as this might result in bad user experiences and search ranking.
• Make it compelling: Make sure that you write a compelling title which will drive the user to click on it.
• A/B test and analyze: Run various variations of og:title to determine which drive the most clicks and achieve the highest search result ranking.

How og:title Affects Your Search Rankings

The effect of the introduction of og:title as a title link potential source will be huge for search engine listings. Although the exact weight added to og:title in Google’s ranking algorithm still remains a mystery, there are pretty clear signs that it can play a huge role in giving influence in search visibility.

One of the major ways through which og:title can impact search rankings pertains to how it influences click-through rates. CTR is a very significant factor in the ranking algorithm as it helps the search engine understand how relevant and capturing any given result is for the users. Given that a website owner crafts a compelling and informative og:title, he will increase the likelihood of users clicking on his result. Such would lead to higher CTRs and improved rankings.

Moreover, the og:title tag may also have an indirect effect on search rankings due to impacts on social media sharing: if a URL is shared on social media platforms, typically the og:title will be used as the title of the particular item. In a case where the og:title is interesting and compelling enough, it would surely be shared and clicked more—hence more backlinks and better search visibility.

The problem is that og:title cannot be taken as the guaranteed ranking factor. It contributes toward optimizing in search visibility, and with that respect, usage with other SEO recommendations must come into play. Simple content, proper keyword relevance, and some good backlinks remain really important for ranking in great positions in searches.

User Experience and og:title Optimization

Beyond the search rankings, the og:title also has a very fundamental role in enriching user experience. A good og:title will serve the search result with a clear, short, and compact description of the content on a page, therefore luring users into the search result to follow through.

When optimizing the `<og:title>` tag, one has to think in terms of the user. The title should be informative, relevant, and interesting all at once. It should adequately depict the actual content of the page and provide a very clear idea of what to expect by the user.

Best Practices for og:title Optimization

To increase the impact of `<og:title>` on both search results and user experience, consider the following best practices:

• Nail it in a few words: An og:title should be brief and summarize the page content.
• Use important and related keywords: Use of keywords relevant to what an user may search for will provide better visibility.
• Make it an interesting one and more click-worthy: The title to be written hereon should ask for actions and make users click on it.
• Avoid keyword spam: Keywords are very important, but spamming keywords is of no use to the user and can be counterproductive in search rankings.
• A/B test and analyze a variety of og:title options to see which will best help gain more click-through rates and perform well in your search rankings.
• Go for mobile optimization: With half of the search traffic from mobile devices, og:title should be optimized for mobile.
• Consistency: Style and tone should be consistent with your og:title to extend a unified coherent brand identity.

OG: Title and Future of SEO

Search engines will continue upgrading their technologies, and probably the dynamics of the og:title will definitely change. However, judging by how significant it is rated now in the SERPs and in the user experience, the OG: title remains helpful for proper SEO optimization.

Consequently, following this guide, web owners can effectively use the og:title for higher search visibility and to attract a large number of organic visitors to their website, thereby enhancing the user experience. With search landscapes changing dynamically, it would be important for web owners to keep pace with the best practices around og:title optimization.

Sources:

• https://searchengineland.com/google-search-may-now-use-og-title-for-title-links-446023
• https://www.seroundtable.com/google-title-og-title-37973.html
• https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-now-uses-open-graph-title-tag-ogtitle-for-title-links/525382/
• https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/title-link

Subscribe to our newsletter