When you see a page link on Google, the title you see has been selected by Google.
Previously, Google considered eight different sources for these titles, including <title> tags, <H1> tags, anchor text and other prominent text on the page.
On the 26th of August, Google updated this list to include a ninth potential source: the og:title tag.
OG stands for Open Graph. This is a protocol that allows web developers to specify custom rich displays for social media links, including a custom title.
What does this mean for my SEO strategy?
The Open Graph protocol enables links to be better adapted for display on social media websites or instant messaging services. By tailoring web pages for social media, they become more visually appealing to viewers.
This custom title, created using the og:title tag, can now also appear on the search engine results pages (SERPs).
While always important to consider as part of a broader marketing strategy, the og:title had not previously had direct impact on organic search performance. It now has the potential to influence the click-through rate from search results when displayed.
This means we must now consider two distinct audiences and platforms when writing titles: those viewing the content on the website itself and those seeing the link on social media or in search results.
Quick checks to set you up for success
Displaying engaging titles on social media is more crucial than ever. We must always consider our audience and the context in which a link appears.
Additionally, we now need to consider how those titles will look in the SERPs.
To ensure that the title shown on Google is also optimised for search, the og:title meta tag should be checked alongside page titles during website audits.
Quick checks to perform include verifying that the og:title is populated, ensuring that it is unique for all search and social-facing pages and, whenever possible, closely aligning it with the page’s title tag.
