[Plugin: WordPress SEO by Yoast] Wrong Titles show in Google search results.

Resolved jz9520
(@jz9520)

11 years, 11 months ago

I created the following page yesterday – http://miamitherapycenter.com/terapia-hijo/

I made the following SEO title using the WordPress SEO by Yoast plugin “Terapia Hijo – Consejería Hijo – Terapia Hijo – Consejería Hijo” on this particular page.

When I do a google search for “terapia hijo” or site:miamitherapycenter.com, Google search results show the correct meta description that I added, but not the correct SEO title. Google search results show the title as “Terapia Hijo – licensed mental health counselor” This same problem is happening for about 35% of all pages/posts/categories/tags on this site.

The phrase “licensed mental health counselor” is no where (does not appear) on my entire site (front end and back end) nor does it appear in any part of the WordPress SEO by Yoast plugin. Please help me fix this.

When I put the miamitherapycenter.com/terapia-hijo/ in the url bar, the correct title tag appears at the top of the page but google doesn’t display the proper title in the search results. This occurs in about 35% (35) of the pages, posts, categories, tags, on my site.

I upgraded the WordPress SEO by Yoast plugin to Version 1.1.6 moments ago, but as of yesterday and the past few weeks I believe was using the previous version 1.1.5. I am using WordPress 3.3.2.

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-seo/

Viewing 14 replies - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)

Thread Starter jz9520
(@jz9520)

11 years, 11 months ago

I use the Genesis framework.

Plugin Contributor Joost de Valk
(@joostdevalk)

11 years, 11 months ago

Google is rewriting your titles because it finds yours aren’t good enough. Nothing to do with the plugin, just with how Google perceives your site.

Thread Starter jz9520
(@jz9520)

11 years, 11 months ago

Yoast, firstly thank you very much for responding. I really appreciate it.

I accept the fact that Google rewrites my titles. The problem is that this site is not written by a licensed mental health counselor and I don’t want a complaint to be filed against the author (who will be an intern soon – prior to becoming a licensed counselor) for misrepresenting her qualifications when in fact it is Google that has chosen to rewrite the titles. Any fix for this?

Plugin Contributor Joost de Valk
(@joostdevalk)

11 years, 11 months ago

I can’t fix it, only Google can… Just tweeted to Matt Cutts about it.

Thread Starter jz9520
(@jz9520)

11 years, 11 months ago

Thanks again.

HarshadGhodke
(@harshadghodke)

11 years, 11 months ago

Was the title set to “Terapia Hijo – licensed mental health counselor” earlier?

Thread Starter jz9520
(@jz9520)

11 years, 11 months ago

Harshad,

Thanks for the question/interest but it did not say that earlier.

tomelliott
(@tomelliott)

11 years, 11 months ago

Hmmm… an interesting one. It looks as though Google is using your old meta title from your author page and using that information to rewrite a number of your title tags – could that have been where “licensed mental health counselor” existed? (http://miamitherapycenter.com/author/admin/).

I guess since most posts link through to your author page, then that is seen as one of the most authoritative pages on your site.

You might want to try and do a full site submit using fetch as googlebot through Google web master tools.

As Joost said, nothing to do with the Yoast plugin.

Thread Starter jz9520
(@jz9520)

11 years, 11 months ago

Tomelliot,

Thanks for your reply. I don’t believe the author page ever said that phrase.

Is there a difference between submitting a url to Google’s index using Webmaster tools after fetching it vs. resubmitting a sitemap?

Plugin Contributor Joost de Valk
(@joostdevalk)

11 years, 11 months ago

One of your links on your own site had that anchor text for a while, that’s where it came from…

Thread Starter jz9520
(@jz9520)

11 years, 11 months ago

Thanks. If you could point at the link I would be grateful.

Thread Starter jz9520
(@jz9520)

11 years, 11 months ago

I meant point out (e.g. let me know where it was). Thanks again!

tomelliott
(@tomelliott)

11 years, 11 months ago

JZ – yes, fetch as Googlebot is supposed to be a faster way for Google to find new URLs and can also be used if a sites structure has updated a lot. I’ve noticed it usually index new (or updated) URLs within 24 hours.

Thread Starter jz9520
(@jz9520)

11 years, 11 months ago

Thanks Tomelliot!