There are claims that page titles are strongly weighted ranking factors for Google. Today there is no doubt that the association between page titles and Google search results are strong. Optimizing your page titles is vital for success when it comes to search results. Page titles are the most visible component when it comes to SERPs. There is no doubt that they carry some weight when it comes to ranking factors. The question around page titles is to what extent are page titles valued?
Page Titles Are Ranking Factors
A page title is the text that appears in the title tag within the head element of an HTML document. Page titles are the most visible element of a page snippet when conducting a Google search. You will also find a page title in the browser tab when you are clicking through a search result. Google SERPs have led to claims that they are strongly weighted ranking factors. Is it possible that these claims are blown out of proportion?
The Evidence
Google uses page titles to better understand what pages are all about so that it can rank them in search results. With that being said it is important to have your page titles be unique, accurate, and descriptive. Google’s John Muller has said in the past that page titles are important for SEO and are a ranking factor. However, he also stated that the main content of the page holds more weight. Page titles are critical for SEO but in the grand scheme of rankings they do not fall in line at the top.
The Verdict
Page titles are an important aspect for SEO purposes along with playing a moderate role in the ranking aspect. A page title is a tool that communicates to Google what content a page has. They allow search algorithms understand what category a page fits into and what query it can help answer. As we went over before there are bigger deciding factors when it comes to rankings such as content on the page.
Page Title Update
With the update Google has implemented a feature to replace page titles that are not relevant. They will do so to ensure that a more relevant piece of content is present for what the user is searching for. Specifically, this will occur when the main content on the page is relevant but not the same is for the page title. Of course this will have an impact on search results but not the same for ranking factors. Google will use the original page title to determine that.
Contact Boston Web Marketing
If you are looking for additional information on page titles and ranking factors look no further. Our experts at Boston Web Marketing stay up to date on all the latest news and discoveries. Get in touch with our team by calling (857)526-0096 or email us at sales@getfoundquick.com. We can’t wait to speak with you!