OpenGraph Tags ensure your content appears as intended when shared on social networks like WhatsApp, Twitter (via Twitter Cards), Facebook, Reddit, Skype, Messenger, iMessage and LinkedIn. By using OpenGraph, you control how the title, description, images, and author details display when someone shares a page from your site.
Why Should You Use OpenGraph?
Implement OpenGraph on every website page to control how URLs appear on social media platforms. This can boost engagement and traffic, increasing the number of visits your site receives from these platforms.
Do Open Graph Tags Affect SEO?
While OpenGraph tags primarily influence how your content is displayed on social media, they can indirectly impact SEO. Better-looking posts tend to get more engagement, clicks, and shares, which can improve overall visibility and traffic – key factors that search engines consider.
Interestingly, Google has recently expanded the sources it uses for generating search result titles, now including the og:title meta tag. As of August 2024, Google considers og:title when determining title links for web pages in search results, signalling that OpenGraph data is gaining broader significance beyond social media.
This update highlights the importance of optimising your og:title tag, as it now influences both social media visibility and SERPs, with Google’s use of og:titlegenerating clickable headlines offering greater control over how your content appears in search results.
How do you set up an Open Graph?
The OpenGraph tags should be implemented within <head> of the page and should contain the following key elements:
- Locale: Specifies the language, e.g., en_GB.
- Type – Identifies the content type, typically website.
- Title – The title of the page, optimised for social sharing and now potentially visible in search results.
- Description – the brief description of the page, optimised for social sharing
- URL – the canonical URL of the page
- Site_name – the name of the website
- Image – featured image associated with the page
Syntax
<meta property="og:locale" content="en_GB" />
<meta property="og:type" content="website" />
<meta property="og:title" content="{title}" />
<meta property="og:description" content="{description}" />
<meta property="og:url" content="{page URL}" />
<meta property="og:site_name" content="{website name]" />
<meta property="og:image" content="{featured image}" />
Additional support & guidance can be found on the Facebook Developers page and the OGP.me page which governs the OG tags:
FAQs
How to Check OpenGraph Tags?
To ensure your OpenGraph tags are working correctly, you can use tools such as Facebook’s Sharing Debugger, Twitter’s Card Validator, or LinkedIn’s Post Inspector. These tools provide a preview of how your page will appear when shared across social platforms, help identify any issues with your tags, and flag any missing or incorrect implementations. They also ensure that the og:title tag is properly optimised for both social media and Google’s SERPs, making sure your content is displayed as intended across various networks.
Does Google Use OpenGraph?
Yes, as of August 2024, Google has confirmed that it now considers the og:title tag when determining title links for search results. While Google doesn’t use OpenGraph directly for SEO ranking, it may influence how your page appears in search results. This can affect CTR and visibility, indirectly impacting your SEO.
What is the OG title on social media, and what are the best practices for creating one?
The og:title is the headline that appears when someone shares your page on social media. It’s a critical element, as it’s often the first thing users see.
Keep OG titles concise and actionable. A length between 40-60 characters works best. With Google now using og:title for SERP titles, it’s crucial to ensure the title aligns with the page content, is compelling, and encourages clicks.
What is an example of an OG image, and how big should it be?
An OG image can be a product photo, company logo, or feature image from the page, and it should be high-quality and visually appealing to represent your brand on social media. For best results, the image should be at least 1200×630 pixels to ensure it looks great across devices while maintaining the correct aspect ratio to avoid cropping issues.