Google appending keyword to local search result(s)?

[Kenoshi]

I noticed an interesting change today in how one of my clients appears in the SERPs.  Google seems to be appending a keyword to his listing title.

Client website: www.mycalgarydentist.com

Keyword: Calgary dentist

Rank: #2 or #1 lately

Title tag: Calgary Dentist | Ambiance Dental

Google+ Local listing title: Ambiance Dental

Link title in SERP: Ambiance Dental: Calgary Dentist

That last point is what's interesting, and new.  As of a couple weeks ago (before I went on holidays) his link would simply show "Ambiance Dental", which makes sense because that's the title of his Google+ Local listing.

Given the above information, I can't see why his link in Google's SERP is "Ambiance Dental: Calgary Dentist" when doing a search for that keyword.  When I do a search for "Calgary dentists" or other similar searches, he simply shows as "Ambiance Dental", not "Ambiance Dental: Calgary Dentists"

To test yourself, use the Google AdWords Preview Tool (https://adwords.google.com/d/AdPreview/), change locality to "Calgary, AB, Canada" and search.

I suspect this doesn't mean he's violating Google's guidelines for business listings (i.e. businesses aren't supposed to add keywords to their business title).  I'm certainly curious why this is happening though.

Can anyone provide any insight?  Has anyone seen anything similar?

calgary-dentist-search.png

[toddmumford]

Hi guys, I see this as well for a client we have in a competitive space.

It's a little difficult to understand, because it tends to apply to only particular pages of a domain (please check by using site:yourdomain.com and view all titles)

There seems to be no correlation at all.

It could be a conversion / click through test for Google.

[Kenoshi]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the thorough response.  Just what I was looking for, and that has opened my eyes to the discussion a bit more, and helped to explain it.

As for "Calgary dentist" being the term that Google is re-writing, maybe it has to do with the extensive focus on that keyword on the home page, and in link building?  It could be more evident as the site's name than "Ambiance Dental", which is the actual business.  Just a thought.

I guess I'll keep my eye on this.  If there's anything particularly interesting, I may post a response here as well.

PS - Canmore, awesome.

[ThompsonPaul]

Quite a few people have been noticing this over the last several weeks, KC.

It was mentioned a week ago on Search Engine Roundtable and I was discussing it with another Calgary SEO who had noticed it over 3 weeks ago.

There have been a number of suggestions about when Google's doing this kind of title tag re-writing, but no sooner does someone come up with a theory, but somebody else shows proof that contradicts it. E.g. for a while it was thought the re-writing was occurring for brand searches, especially where the brand name was split off at the end of the title by a separator like a hyphen or a pipe pipe. But your example shows for a keyword search, rather than brand.

It really looks to me that Google is experimenting with this. I've seen it come and go, and it is in no way consistent at this point, which is why nobody seems to have been able to nail down a specific set of circumstances in which it occurs.

Sorry this doesn't really give you any actionable info. Just wanted you to know that others have been seeing it recently as well.

Paul

P.S. And hi from just down the highway in Canmore!

[Kenoshi]

Thanks for the input, Dave.

I have never seen this for any of my other clients, nor any competitors in the local space.  And I find it interesting that...

(a) my client's listing didn't appear this way before and...

(b) the way the link is shown doesn't actually match the title tag.  In the title tag I have the keyword first.  Do you still think the new link test is related to the title tag, or could it be something else?

Has anyone else seen similar behaviour with their listings, or competitors?

If it's understood WHY this might happen, I could make changes to encourage it for my other clients.  And others could learn and do the same.

[EvolveCreative]

I see this all the time. Usually when a pipe "|" or a comma is used in the Title tag. I can't say I know why it's happening though.