We already have enough information regarding the new update released by Google that it is tweaking or changing the existing Meta title tags of web pages. Experts have given their valuable insights about when Google would replace the titles, whether replacing titles means a bad sign to your website, and many more on various platforms like YouTube, Twitter, etc. Now, Google shares the reason behind replacing titles of certain pages while leaving the others and the source from where it finds the replacement text. Read till the end to get a complete understanding of the new updates happening in the industry.
Concentrate On Creating Relevant Page Titles:
Just because Google will replace your page title tags, don’t conclude that you can leave the task of creating attractive titles to Google. Right from the rolling out of the update, experts have said that SEO experts must still concentrate on writing better meta titles and descriptions to enjoy better CTR (Click-Through-Rate). Google reconfirms it again by updating that “Original title elements are now used around 87% of the time, rather than 80% when the update was initially rolled out”. So, if the title created by you and your team is going to be used 87% of the time, it is obvious that we should still focus on creating better Meta title tags for our web pages.
Reasons Behind Google Replacing Your Page Titles:
The major reason to replace your page title entirely or partially is when your titles do not properly describe your page. If they are abrupt or broken with any minor or major errors, Google eases your job and replaces the page title in such a way that people find it easier to understand what your page is about. Here are some examples when your page title is most likely to be replaced by Google:
1.Half-empty Titles:
Half-empty titles do not have the summary of the products listed on that page or do not even educate what the page is about. It simply displays the site name making it abrupt for the users to click through those results. Google detects such titles and provides a summary by pulling out text from Header tags and other prominent text on the page. So, site owners don’t forget to add a summary of what your page is about to avoid the replacement of your page titles.
2.Obsolete Titles:
Obsolete means outdated. Some websites use the same page for recurring information year after year without updating the title element. For example, one can use the same page where special days of the year 2020 to update information about the special days of 2021. At that time, they forget to change the title tag from 2020 to 2021 making the users feel that they are not looking for this information. In this scenario, Google replaces the title tags to the current year by making them more relevant to the users.
3.Inaccurate Titles:
It is more likely to happen with E-commerce websites. A web page might have a title like silver sarees, bridal sarees, banarasi silk saree / Site Name. The mentioned type of sarees may or may not be present on that particular web page. It might even be mixed up with other varieties of sarees. So, a user may click to buy a silk saree and might find it irrelevant as it also has cotton sarees or any other materials. To make it more accurate and relevant, Google changes your page title to ‘Elegant Sarees for Women – Site Name.’
4.Micro – boilerplates Titles:
Boilerplate titles are where a website uses the same title on all or nearly all pages. Micro-boilerplate titles are where boilerplate title elements are found within the subset of pages within a site. An online discussion forum for different TV shows might have different channels, and then shows in each channel, and may have threads for individual seasons of each show. The titles used for season pages may simply include only the micro boiler page title elements without mentioning the number of the season. For this reason, visitors may find it difficult to find the right page having the particular season they want to watch. Google detects this error and replaces it with more relevant title tags enabling users to have a hassle-free experience.
Conclusion:
Google still advises site owners and SEO experts to create great page titles for your web pages. As more than 80% of the time, Google uses original titles, start focusing more on creating relevant titles for your web pages without worrying about the replacement Google can do to your titles.