Google has updated its algorithm again but this time to tweak titles that are written in a different language to the main body of content.
The search giant announced on Friday that a new “algorithmic improvement” will now allow it to rewrite titles so they match or are at least “similar” to the language in an article or blog.
This change will prevent a mismatch of languages to be presented in search results, which can be confusing for users.
Google says the most common rewrites involve English-language titles and that its system will update them when it “detects” an inconsistency.
In a Google Search Central Blog detailing the update, it used the example of a multi-language document that is written in Hindi but has a title in both English and Hindi.
In this case, Google may opt to use only Hindi in the headline text to ensure it is more relevant to local audiences.
The update has been rolled out “on the general principle that a document’s title should be written by the language or script of its primary contents.”
This suggests that writers and SEOs should make sure title tags match the language or script in the rest of an article or document.
While it doesn’t look like Google penalises publishers who use two different languages, it might make it more difficult to increase visibility in search engine rankings.
For those who use multilingual titles, now might be a good time to double-check click through rates and other key metrics to see if anything has changed.
