Chrome Makes SEO Title Tags Much More Visible on Hover

Chrome updated recently and now when you hover over a tab with your mouse it pops up a very prominent card with your full title tag and url.

Previously, the title tag would display on hover but on a much smaller card.

This change makes it easier for your visitors to read and gives you even more reason to invest in writing and tuning your title tags.

As a refresher, title tags have always been a staple tactic for on-page optimization and in earlier years were a very strong ranking signal. The signal strength for ranking seems to have weakened, but it is still an important way to create hierarchy among articles on a related topic. The central article in the group should get the most direct use of the title tag associated with the highest search volume among related terms, and the supporting pages should use a variant of that lead title tag.

Use this as an opportunity to review the title tags on all of your pages and make sure that none of them are duplicated.

Tips for good title tags:

1. Use natural language and do not repeat keywords
2. Use the primary keyword in the first half and the secondary keyword in the second half
3. Keep it shorter than 60 characters including spaces
4. Don’t include your brand in the title tag unless you know your listings will be competing with affiliates or resellers offering your same product
5. Tend towards using a question in the title tag and start to answer the question in the meta-description
6. Use a bit of marketing sizzle and clickbait to increase the CTR from the SERPs.