In case you missed it, Google is now displaying your carefully crafted title tags less often than it used to on the search engine results pages (SERPs). Dubbed the “Titlepocalypse” by some search engine optimization (SEO) experts, this recent Google update seems to put title generation more in the hands of the search giant, which could mean less control for site owners and companies providing SEO content writing services.
What exactly is going on? On August 17, 2021, Google introduced a new system of producing clickable titles for web pages shown in search results. This system replaces the title tags you have indicated in your site pages’ metadata with on-page text, such as header tags (H1s, H2s and so on) and anchor text from internal links.
Some initial, less-than-stellar results did not escape the swift eyes of SEO pundits:
An image file name replaced a well-optimized title tag, as shared in a Twitter thread
What could be worse than this? In another tweet, we saw how Google got the United States President’s designation wrong after a title rewrite. It has since been changed to reflect the correct information.
So, before major panic ensued, Google’s Danny Sullivan had confirmed the changes. But he also clarified that titles on SERPs had long been affected by more than the title tag.
In 2012, Google started generating titles by fetching page content other than title tags to match a user’s query. The latest Google title update, however, hopes to produce titles that describe a page well regardless of the particular query. The new system seeks to prioritize readability and accessibility. To this end, hypertext markup language or HTML title tags that are very long, overly optimized, empty or populated with boilerplate language are likely to be replaced.
Google reassured everyone that only 20 percent of cases are affected by the title tag tweaks, but recent studies have shown this is not the case – the true percentage appears closer to a whopping 61. SEO professionals are wary about how the update may have a broader impact compared to the older system. Lily Ray, SEO director of Amsive Digital, summed up the community’s reaction when she said, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
In this blog, we unpack the issues, understand the chaos and use what we learn about Google page titles to keep your SEO strategy competitive. We discuss:
• How does the Google title update affect your SEO?
• What happens to your title HTML tags?
• Best practices for creating better, stronger title tags
• The title tag SEO challenge: How to stay on top of the title changes
How Does the Google Title Update Affect Your SEO?
Carolyn Liden of Search Engine Land referred to the new title tag system change as a case of something working fine in the lab but not performing well in the wild. By providing searchers with a more descriptive title, Google wants searchers to understand pages better before they click. But that’s not what’s happening to some pages after getting these SEO title tag tweaks.
In this light, a site owner or technical SEO agency should monitor short-term effects. If you’re noticing a dip in traffic for your top pages on Google Analytics, for instance, do a little digging into your Search Console data (organic):
• Impressions
• Average position
• Click-through rate (CTR) for your target keyword and related queries
Good or steady performance for the first two metrics but not for the third may require further digging. That’s your cue to check if your title HTML tags are being rewritten.
If they’re indeed being rewritten to your site’s detriment – meaning, the replacement titles aren’t matching user intent – what can you do? You can force Google to accept your preferred title. For each page, find out which part of your content is used to replace the title tag and change it.
The silver lining here is that Google’s new system is dynamic and reactive to changes. We saw proof of this with the rectified White House page title. Now, you don’t have to start editing all of your pages to gain the upper hand. Instead, if you want to be proactive, you can:
• Think of SEO as a long game, as you may already have
• Continue enhancing your title tag SEO efforts
All of this points us to the importance of the sections that follow.
Your Big Move: What Happens to Your Title HTML Tags?
Most title tags are added by real people – writers and editors specializing in SEO content services. Google’s replacement titles, however, rely on artificial intelligence (AI). The good news is that Google page titles will still likely fetch content from HTML title tags most of the time.
So whether you’re doing content optimization in-house or through a content writing agency, you can stay focused on crafting great title tags.
Here are some best practices for creating better, stronger title tags:
• Make sure the title tag captures the essence of your page content. Keep in mind that the recent Google update is after readability and accessibility. So Google can retain your title tag if it describes your content well.
• Craft a different H1 tag. This is the title that’s most visible to readers on the page (not visible on the SERPs). When creating your H1 tag, use a variation of the title tag – standard practice is to write a longer, more elaborate version of the page title to give readers a clearer picture of what the page is about.
• Optimize for search engines; write for humans. Title tag SEO norms dictate writing keywords at the beginning and avoiding keyword stuffing. Now try to think about these guidelines while composing a title that appeals to your target audience. Again, this is part of the long game. So you might want to enlist an expert in SEO content services to help you create titles that Google and searchers cannot refuse.
• Keep it short. There’s no ideal Google title tag length, but according to general consensus, aim for 50 to 60 characters. Concise HTML title tags display properly in search results instead of getting truncated.
• Brand your titles. Consider adding your site or brand name before or after your SEO title tag while being mindful of the Google title tag length. Also, use a delimiter like a dash – research suggests Google’s algorithm is likelier to change titles that contain a colon or pipe.
<title>ExampleSocialSite – Sign up for a new account.</title>
• Rewrite boilerplate titles. An SEO title tag with general, standardized descriptors will likely get replaced. This could be a category, tag or keyword that gets repeated across multiple pages, such as in “Kitchen Supplies – Pots and Pans – Shop” and “Kitchen Supplies – Cooking Utensils – Shop.” Instead, use specific, varied language in your title tag. For example, “Buy Durable Kitchen Supplies – [brand x]”.
The Title Tag SEO Challenge: How To Stay on Top of the Title Changes
Rewritten Google page titles may not affect your search ranking, but they may push away people from clicking through your link and engaging with your content. Based on what we know about the search behemoth’s algorithm updates, this kind of change can happen as Google pleases.
But you don’t need to worry about getting caught off-guard often if you know what to do:
Conduct a Technical Health Check
Page metadata is just one component on your technical SEO checklist, but it should be part of your regular audit. Businesses of any size can delegate this function to a technical SEO company to identify top priorities and address pain points.
Create High-Quality Content
Great title tags exist to support authentic and engaging content. Together, they can elevate your web pages on the SERPs. So get your editorial team more driven than ever to deliver value-adding content to potential site visitors. Planning to outsource content writing? Go with a team that can churn out stuff that passes Google’s content evaluation standards: Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness (E-A-T) and “Your Money or Your Life”(YMYL).
Hire a Holistic Technical SEO Company
Instead of hiring a technical SEO and a separate content writing agency, work with a company that specializes in these two online marketing channels. This option can save you time, money and effort, especially if you’re new to using SEO content services.
Your Next Step
We’ve just touched on the major points to consider regarding the recent Google update. The change has affected websites more broadly, with owners and optimization pros complaining about butchered titles. On the other hand, Google also assures us the new system can and will self-correct.
But instead of just waiting for Google to dynamically insert a header or anchor text internally pointing to your page or revert to your title tag, you want to make sure your title tag is good enough to be the page title for users to click on.
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