In this article, we will try to explain the reasons why Google will ignore your page’s title or title tag, and instead write its own. The thing is, Google wants the title of your page to contain something matching with the query of the searcher. This logic usually results in a much better click through rate (CTR) for the website, thus being a plus point for both the website owner and the searcher.
These are some criteria the Big G uses when coming up with new title tags:
1 - Something that is comparatively short.
2 - Gives a good description or information about the page and about the site the page is found on.
3 -Is more relevant to the search or query.
If the title of your webpage meets all of these criteria, then usually Google will simple use your own title tag. However, if it fails to fit all these criteria, then Google will change the title tag, opting for a tag according to – 1) The content present on your webpage, 2) The anchor text of the links which point to your page. In some instances, Google may also use something called as the ‘Open Directory Project’.
There are also some important factors to consider when thinking about the title of your page. One of the most important factors is whether the keyword is present in the title and appropriately used. If it is then it is far more likely to be entered into a search query, the title will be counted as relevant and is far less likely to be changed. On the other hand, if you haven’t linked the keyword properly in your title, or broke it in parts if it’s a long tail keyword, it may not adequately match the search query, forcing Google to change your title to display it in the search results.
Secondly, avoid putting a very long title for your articles. If the title is long, it will discourage Google to keep it as it is. It also reduces the Click through Rate or the CTR, as it has been found that long titles discourage users from clicking on them. Thirdly, don’t try to over optimize your tags or titles. It’s not even necessary to have your secondary keywords in the title, it is far better not to if they do not naturally flow with the sentence, or they may appear ‘Spammy’ or false to your readers and may also lead to Google changing them. It is also worth noting that whilst this might be the case for Google, the algorithm of Yahoo and some of the other big search engine companies, including Bing, is very different to that of Google. If you find that your title is doing well on other search engines, it does not mean it will automatically be accepted by Google as well. Hence, keep the latest Google algorithm and the above mentioned criteria in mind while composing the title of your article.