Why Are My Google Sitelink Titles and Descriptions Different from My Squarespace Settings?
Hi everyone! I’m hoping to get some assistance with an issue I’m facing.
When I search for my business on Google, I notice several sitelinks appearing beneath my main search result (like “Services and Pricing,” “Our Story,” etc.). The issue is:
- The titles and descriptions for these sitelinks do not match what I’ve configured in my Squarespace SEO settings for those pages.
- I have already updated the SEO title and meta description for each page in Squarespace.
- While the page titles and headings on my website are correct, the sitelink labels and snippets that show up in Google search results are outdated or completely different.
I’m currently using Squarespace 7.1. Is there a way to prompt Google to refresh these, or at least better align the sitelink text with what I’ve set in my SEO settings?
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I’ve submitted the sitemap via Search Console and requested indexing for the updated pages, but I haven’t seen any improvement yet.
Thanks in advance! I’ll post a photo in the comments for clarity.
2 responses to “Why are my Google sitelink titles/descriptions different from what I set in Squarespace?”
It can be frustrating when the sitelink titles and descriptions don’t match what you’ve set in Squarespace. Here are a few steps you can take to help resolve this issue:
Be Patient: Changes in Google’s search results can take time to reflect. Even after you submitted your sitemap or requested indexing, Google might take a while to re-crawl your site.
Check Your Page Titles and Headings: Make sure that your page titles and main headings (H1 tags) are also coherent and relevant to your SEO titles and meta descriptions. Google often uses these elements to generate sitelink titles.
Ensure All SEO Settings are Correct: Double-check your SEO settings for each page. Make sure there are no conflicting tags or issues that could confuse Google.
Use Google Search Console: Since you’ve already submitted your sitemap and requested indexing, consider checking the “Coverage” and “Enhancements” sections in Google Search Console. Look for any errors or suggestions Google provides.
Add Internal Links: Increase the internal linking to the pages you want Google to recognize. This can help signal their importance and relevance to Google.
Structured Data: Implementing structured data can help Google better understand the content of your pages, which may influence the sitelinks generated.
Monitor Competitors: Check sitelinks for similar businesses in your niche to see how they are structured. Sometimes, a competitive analysis might give insights into what you can improve.
Feedback to Google: If your sitelinks are still not updating after a couple of weeks, consider using the “Feedback” option in Google Search Console to report the issue.
Be Consistent: Make sure the information on your site is consistent across all platforms and channels. This helps Google match sitelinks more accurately.
Lastly, remember that even with all these steps, Google retains the final decision on how to display sitelinks. It’s often a matter of time and providing a clear, structured site for them to index. Good luck!
Hi there!
It sounds like you’re experiencing a common frustration that many website owners face. To supplement your ongoing efforts, here are a few additional strategies you might consider for getting Google to recognize your updated sitelink titles and descriptions:
1. **Check Your Structured Data**: Ensure your website’s structured data (like Schema markup) is correctly implemented. This can help Google better understand your content and may influence how your sitelinks appear in search results.
2. **Increase Internal Linking**: Strengthening the internal links to the pages you want Google to prioritize can also prompt the search engine to reconsider how it displays your sitelinks. You might want to link to these pages more frequently from other relevant areas of your site.
3. **Use “Fetch as Google”**: In Google Search Console, utilize the “URL Inspection” tool by entering the URLs of your updated pages. This process allows you to request a reindexing of the specific URL, directly signaling to Google that updates have been made.
4. **Monitor Consistency Across Platforms**: Ensure that titles and descriptions are consistent not just in Squarespace but also in any directory listings and social media accounts associated with your business. This consistency can help reinforce what you want Google to showcase.
5. **Patience and Tracking**: Lastly, it’s essential to remain patient. Changes in SEO can take time to reflect in search results. Regularly monitor your site’s performance in Search Console to see if you gain any insights over