Google Says Title Changes Don’t Impact Rankings

Google rewriting Title Tags has been creating a lot of buzz in the SEO world for some time and now.

Apparently, Google has been quite busy with changing how titles and heading tags are written, and as expected, many people seem to be confused about this part of the Google Search Algorithm. But, Google has now recently come out to say, title changes don’t impact rankings.

The new algorithm means that Google can take a Title Tag of choice when displaying the title on SERPs. The algorithm is yet in testing stages, but the experts have already taken to relieve the SEO world of its many doubts.

Title Changes Don’t Impact Rankings

Like all other changes Google rolls once in a while, no one can be sure what the changes would mean for website or search rankings. Apart from the general disquiet that the algorithm has created, a user took to Twitter to address his concerns. 

He wrote: “If Google rewrites my title, does it take keywords in the title into account when it measures the relevance of a page based on the new or old title?”

Well, the good news is that No! The changed tags play no role in determining the ranking of a website on Google. The question was answered by John Mueller, a Google expert who also frequently features on ‘Ask the Google Experts’ to clarify general doubts. 

Mueller wrote, “No! It’s purely a display change. It’s not about changing rankings. It’s easy to sort things out for testing.”

Additionally he said, “That said, we make ranking changes all the time too, so I wouldn’t assume you won’t see ranking changes; it’s just that they’re not due to this.” he said.

He also added, “This just changes the displayed titles; it doesn’t change ranking or takes [sic] anything different into account.”

See also: Google Search Ranking Algorithm Update Received on 14th August 

What to expect ahead?

While there aren’t many changes that you will see in your rankings. Your click-through rates will be sure to see some fluctuations. Hence, it still remains to be a priority that you optimize your titles. 

Apart from that, keep tabs on your click-through rates, and if they seem to have suffered, check if Google has changed the titles it shows on search pages. Third-party softwares are the way to go to see the changes. 

If your click-through rates begin to soar after the algorithm change. It could be beneficial to see what changes there are to your title.

Hence, you can make similar changes to reciprocate the results. However, if you do see ranking changes, they might be due to other Google algorithm changes. 

Other Changes to Consider

Google has several more changes that affect how titles are displayed on different devices. 

Pixel limit: Titles and metadata descriptions fall under the jurisdiction of a set number of pixels or characters for the particular usage. The pixels could vary from device to device, especially showing title changes when seen on a mobile screen. 

Meta description modification: According to John Mueller, mobile devices can show about 71% changes in the meta description, while for desktops, it could be anywhere near 68%. 

Evidently, a poor meta description that doesn’t clearly state the contents of the article is more likely to be different. It may also be to more adequately form a connection within the searched terms and web pages’ content.

So, do keep an eye on all Google algorithms updates to determine how they affect your rankings. But the title tag changes won’t be one of the reasons.