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Are Your Title Tags and Meta Descriptions Ignored by Google?

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Plenty of businesses invest so much time and effort into improving their SEO as much as possible, whether they’re aware of it or not. Many even follow several tips and guides just to get their ranking on the search engine results page just a little bit higher for better online visibility. That’s why it can get a little unnerving when these aren’t even recognised.

Many brand websites have probably run into this common problem of setting up a title tag and meta description only to have it ignored and unused by Google, and potentially even other search engines too. If you want to delve into this issue a little more and how to correct it, continue reading.

Define Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

Even if you are already familiar with title tags and meta descriptions, it’d be wise to refresh your memory of what the two really are. Both are considered elements that refer to a part of your website’s page, specifically its HTML code.

For instance, title tags allow you to code a web page with a certain title different from the actual text on it. This is displayed on the search engine results page and the browser tab. The same principle applies to meta descriptions, where you can describe the contents of a page in order to brief a potential site visitor about what they can find upon clicking on the link.

Consult on the Lack of Attention

Setting a title tag and meta description is supposed to boost your SEO and improve the standing of your site. However, you may test a search query and see that your title tag and meta descriptions aren’t being used at all. It’s best to consult an SEO professional on the matter.

It’s important to note that Google and other search engines aren’t obligated to follow the HTML code that you specify and input all the time. Whatever tags and descriptions you come up with will be viewed as a suggestion, but the algorithm doesn’t have to adopt it if it doesn’t seem like the code is relevant to the page itself.

Rectify and Get on the Search Results

How Google operates through its algorithm is simply something that’s out of your business’s control. However, an SEO professional who has an understanding of how these search engines work can assist you with coming up with better title tags and meta descriptions. Such improvements should get you on the search results. Here are a few tips to get you started:

  • Observe Good Length. It’s a general rule to keep title tags under 60 characters or so, while the meta descriptions are best kept around 160 characters. Google may opt to showcase more than 300 characters, but it’s ideal to stay within that lower range of 160.
  • Avoid Keyword Stuffing. The danger with making up your own suggested tags and descriptions is stuffing popular keywords that have nothing to do with the brand. Only use the words and phrases that are relevant to your niche and the website’s page.
  • Check the Syntax. If you’re new to changing the HTML code, you may have made a few mistakes with the syntax upon entering things. Get an SEO professional who’s familiar with the content management system you’re using to enter the tags for you.

To sum it up, title tags and meta descriptions can be rightly ignored by Google as they’re considered suggestions. What businesses can do is focus on improving the tags and ensuring that the encoding is correct for guaranteed visibility on the SERP.

If you need a trusted SEO agency to provide you with professional SEO services in London, book a growth audit.

Market Jar is a dedicated full-service SEO specialist, prepared to provide professional SEO services to businesses in need. 

Whether your desired reach is local or global, hiring us to help you rank number one in search engine results is the best investment you can make. Contact us today, and let’s get started!

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