August 2021: Google begins replacing more page titles in results
Covers August 2021. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.
Quick answer: In August 2021 Google changed the way it creates the titles shown in search results. It often used a page’s main heading or other text on the page in place of the title tag. Titles that ran too long, were packed with keywords or did not describe the page accurately were the ones most likely to be swapped out.
Many local business owners noticed their listings suddenly showed wording they had never written. Here is what was going on and how to avoid it.
What Google changed in August 2021
Google said a new system would create titles that were easier to read and more accessible, using text people can see on the page, such as the H1 heading. Following feedback, Google adjusted the system so that the original title tags were kept more often.
How it affected local businesses
Some UK businesses found titles in Google that they had not chosen, sometimes missing the business name or a key selling point. Picture an electrician whose title tag listed eight towns and ten services: Google was likely to replace it with something shorter, and maybe less helpful. The fix was straightforward. Write a clear, honest title that lines up with the main heading on the page.
How to write titles Google keeps
- Keep each title tag short and descriptive, roughly 60 characters or fewer.
- Make sure the title tag and the page’s main heading say the same thing.
- Do not repeat the same keywords or stock wording on every page, for example the same list of towns on every title.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Google show a different title from the one I wrote?
Normally because your title tag is too long, repeats itself or does not match what is on the page, so Google picks other text from the page.
Is there a way to stop Google changing my titles?
There is no switch for it, but short, accurate titles that match your headings get rewritten much less often.
Sources and further reading
Want help with this? Our local SEO service includes rewriting titles and headings so your listings say what you want. Get in touch.
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