Is Google Ignoring The Title Tag in SERPs?

Previously, the same topic has been discussed when Google started using anchor texts from ODP (Dmoz.com) as Title tags in SERPs. Later on Google provided NOODP tag option to webmasters to overcome this update.

<meta name=”robots” content=”noodp”>

Adding the above NOODP tag is to inform Google not to use any of the text links from ODP as Title tag in SERPs. After this implementation Google will start showing your actual page titles in SERPs.

Google always satisfies by providing best results to its users.

Now webmasters started facing new scenario which is relevant to above issue. Many webmasters started discussing about the Snippets & Titles from the beginning of 2011. The hottest discussion is about “Google Ignoring the Title Tag in SERPs”

Refer:

• When searching for a particular keyword, the snippets that are showing up for my site, don’t match anything in code?

• Evidence Google is Ignoring the Title Tag

It’s a complicated discussion to answer since no one knows about Google’s algorithm 100%. All we need is to keep doing our own analysis to find the better solutions for these type of issues.

Based on my analysis, I have listed the major reasons for why Google generating its own title tag for your pages in SERPs.

• Missing Title Tag
• Title Tag is Lengthy
• Title Tag is Too Short

Missing Title Tag: Google makes own title tag in SERPs, when you have missed it on your page.

Say for an example, I have missed the title tag in my FAQ page then any of the below title tags would be generated by Google.

“FAQs – Keyword – Domain.com”
”FAQs – Domain.com”

Below I have explained how Google has generated the above title tags for my FAQ page in SERPs.

1. FAQs – I used this “FAQs” as anchor text for my FAQ page when doing internal & external linking.
2. Keyword – I used this “keyword” as anchor text for my home page when doing internal & external linking.
3. Domain.com – It’s my domain name.

Google Search Engineers has done a great job by doing these updates. These auto generated title tags helps the users to identify, What the page is about?, What the website is about?, and the domain name.

Title Tag is Lengthy: Google makes own title tag in SERPs, when the title tags were too lengthy on your page.

Here is an real time example for the page http://goo.gl/EstBz, Mouthshut.com is an India based local business listing website.

Below is the screenshot of Google generated title tag in SERP.

They could have used “Choosing an Air Conditioner” as anchor text in Internal & External linking. As usual “MouthShut.com” is the domain name.

Another Example: http://goo.gl/7TZsE

Title Tag is Too Short: Similarly, Google makes own title tag in SERPs, when the title tags were too short on your page.

It’s a FAQ page of major local portal of India. It’s similar to “Missing Title Tag” scenario. The actual title tag of the page is “:: FAQ” the Google auto generated title is “FAQ – Games – Sify.com”

Advantages of Google’s Auto Generated Title Tags in SERPs:

• The above auto generated eye catchy title tags will help to increase the Click Through Rate (CTR) from Google SERPs.
• It won’t affect the keyword rankings of the websites which are already performing well in Google Search Engines.
• Google is doing pretty well in generating relevant title tags in SERPs, even if we miss the title tag for the pages.

Since, Google auto generating the title tags in SERPs we should be careful in:

• Anchor Text (Link Text): Always, use your target primary keyword as anchor text in your Internal linking as well as External linking.
• Never use unrelated key terms as anchor text.
• Title Tag: Always try to give optimized title tags for your pages.

Ways to find Missing, Short & Lengthy Title Tag Pages:

• Use Google Webmasters Tool to find the Lengthy & Short title tag pages from your website and optimize them properly.
• To download the missing, short & lengthy title tag pages go to Google Webmasters Tool –> Diagnostics –> HTML Suggestions.

Title tag optimization is the only way to overcome this auto generated title tags in Google SERPs. To do so, please follow the guidelines provided by Google on its SEO starter guide.