When Google rewrites a title tag, do you get the SEO impact for the original version?
-
Let's say you're writing a homepage title tag like this:
KEYWORD | BRAND
and Google rewrites it as
BRAND | KEYWORD
From Moz and best practices, we believe that keywords closer to the beginning of a title tag may have more impact on search rankings. So, when Google rewrites the title tag, do you get the impact you would have made with the keyword being closer to the front? Or, does Google give you the impact you would have received with the keyword being at the end?
-
When Google rewrites a title tag, the impact on search rankings is difficult to predict with certainty. However, it's generally recommended to place the most important keywords closer to the beginning of the title tag, as this is often seen as a stronger signal to Google about the content of the page.
If Google decides to rewrite the title tag and places the brand name first, it's possible that the SEO impact of the original version may be reduced. However, it's also possible that the rewritten title tag may actually improve the page's search visibility by making it more relevant to certain search queries.
Ultimately, it's important to remember that Google's algorithms are constantly changing, and there's no guaranteed way to predict the exact impact of any particular change. However, by following best practices for title tag optimization, such as placing important keywords closer to the beginning of the tag, you can help ensure that your page is well-optimized and likely to perform well in search results.
-
No, you do not get the SEO impact for the original version when Google rewrites the title tag. The rewritten version is the one that will be used for SEO purposes.
-
If Google is rewriting the Page Title (not the title tag), it is directly in relation to the content of the webpage.
The reason why the page title has been changed is because Google either feels that the content is not relevant or doesn't justify the webpage content OR Google is prioritizing brand name so that it is easier for the user to recognize the brand in SERPs.
You must focus on the on-page content rather than just the position of the keywords in the title tag.
Relevant content on the webpage and good user experience will be rewarded over keyword positioning in the page title.
The position of the keyword won't matter that much as there are way more ranking signals that Google considers before ranking a webpage today.
To summarize, the SEO impact will be negligible irrespective of the position of the keyword in the page title.
Bonus Tip: You can utilize the H1 Tag to optimize keyword positioning in this case.
-
@Tomalaweb said in When Google rewrites a title tag, do you get the SEO impact for the original version?:
When Google rewrites a title tag, it's possible that you may not get the full SEO impact of the original version.
Google may rewrite a title tag for a variety of reasons, such as to better reflect the content of the page or to make it more user-friendly. However, if the new title tag is significantly different from the original, it could potentially impact the search engine optimization (SEO) of the page.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Title tags are an important on-page SEO element that can impact rankings. If Google changes the title tag, it may affect how the page is perceived by search engines.
Google's algorithms are designed to show the most relevant and useful content to users. If Google feels that a new title tag better reflects the content of the page, it may prioritize it in search results over the original.
However, if the new title tag is less relevant or optimized for the target keywords, it could potentially hurt the SEO of the page. In this case, it may be worth updating the title tag to a version that is more effective.
In summary, while Google may rewrite a title tag to improve the user experience, it's important to monitor the impact on SEO and make changes if necessary.
-
When Google rewrites a title tag, it's possible that you may not get the full SEO impact of the original version.
Google may rewrite a title tag for a variety of reasons, such as to better reflect the content of the page or to make it more user-friendly. However, if the new title tag is significantly different from the original, it could potentially impact the search engine optimization (SEO) of the page.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Title tags are an important on-page SEO element that can impact rankings. If Google changes the title tag, it may affect how the page is perceived by search engines.
Google's algorithms are designed to show the most relevant and useful content to users. If Google feels that a new title tag better reflects the content of the page, it may prioritize it in search results over the original.
However, if the new title tag is less relevant or optimized for the target keywords, it could potentially hurt the SEO of the page. In this case, it may be worth updating the title tag to a version that is more effective.
In summary, while Google may rewrite a title tag to improve the user experience, it's important to monitor the impact on SEO and make changes if necessary.
-
@Kateparish Thanks for your response! I'm trying to determine whether Google gives you "credit" for having keywords earlier in the title tag when Google rewrites that title tag.
A similar question might be, "Does Google give you 'credit' for using a specific keyword in the title tag if Google rewrites that title tag without the specific keyword?"
Are you saying that you believe Google gives weight to the rewritten version of the title tag?
-
When Google rewrites a title tag, it does so to match the content on the page as closely as possible to the search query. As a result, the rewritten title tag may contain different keywords than the original version and may be more suited to the search query. This can have an impact on the page’s search rankings, as it make the page more relevant to the search query.
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
How to boost the number of visitors to a specific page
Hello, Payday loan consolidation, debt settlement, credit card settlement, and debt consolidation are just a few of the pages I have. While walking through the search console dashboard, I noticed that while the position is improving, but impressions and traffic are decreasing, indicating a significant disparity. Please advise on how to resolve the issue.
Link Building | | OVLG0 -
Alt tags
Do we use our main keyword only for alt tags for all images on the page?
On-Page Optimization | | Timberwink0 -
Should Title Tags Differ From H1's?
I never thought this was an issue, but now, I'm not so sure. Is it a problem for your title tags to be identical to your H1's? From Moz' OnPage Grader section on "H1's and Title Tags," I thought they were supposed to both match your keyword. Any thoughts? Thanks, Ruben
On-Page Optimization | | KempRugeLawGroup0 -
Colons in title tag?
Does Google view the colon as a keyword separator like it does with the pipe (|) character? Currently, our site automatically constructs the title tag based on the page name given by the user. Long ago, we started using the colon character to visually separate the brand & model of the product from the size, and as a result, all of our title tags have been constructed this way. This was done more to make it easier to read for humans than for search engines. My question is - should I consider getting rid of the colon from our title tags? To give more info, our website sells tires. So, for any given model of tire, there might be 25-100 different individual sizes. The tags are constructed as follows: (brand)(model) : (size). Here's an example from our site: GENERAL ALTIMAX ARCTIC : 225/45R17 91Q The brand is General Tire, the model is the Altimax Arctic and the size is 225/45R17 91Q Since this entire string really constitutes the full product name, should I remove the colon so that Google views it that way? Or, since I have used a colon instead of a pipe, will Google simply ignore it and treat the entire string as one keyword phrase?
On-Page Optimization | | kcourtem0 -
Page Title - What is better?
Hi SEO Heads, I have another question if someone would be so kind in answering What page title of the 2 below is better for SEO (i) Chocolate Cake|Chocolate Cake Recipe|Xmas Cake or (ii) Chocolate Cake | Chocolate Cake Recipe | Xmas Cake As you can see (ii) Page Title has a space before and after the | (vertical bar) I know the second page title looks better to human eyes but on some pages I had to forego the space so i could fit my keywords in the page title. is this a good idea? Can anyone help me? Cheers Aidan
On-Page Optimization | | aidanlawlor0