If you have worked with an SEO Manager or implemented any SEO on your own website, you are mostly likely familiar with a variety of tags. Meta tags, title tags, heading tags, alt image tags, the list goes on and on. But even people with a decent knowledge of SEO aren’t always familiar with OG tags.
What are OG Tags?
OG stands for “Open Graph” and small snippets of code on a site. They are similar to meta descriptions and meta titles, but where meta tags apply directly to SEO, OG tags relate to social media. When links are shared on social media, OG tags manage how the link is displayed. Here is an example of what the code will look like:
Adding OG tags makes your Facebooks posts more relevant and appealing to users. Not only will your posts look more professional and polished, click through rates tend to increase as well. More clickable content means more events completed, this could be an email sign-up, a download or a conversion on your website. Afterall, the majority of the content you post is for the user to take some sort of action. OG tags are here to help!
Beyond Clicks
While easy to understand and great looking content is more clickable, OG tags also help with your visibility on social media. These tags help Facebook better understand what your content is actually about, this can help you rank high and more frequently in search. Keep in mind this is search on social media on, this does not apply to search through engines such as Google.
More visibility can help with a shareable snowball effect. The more often your content is viewed means more clicks and shares, heightened clicks and shares result in even more visibility so your content continues to grow with a much farther reach.
Which OG Tags Should You Use?
The tags exist for a reason, the more information you provide the more information can be passed on to your content consumers. With that being said, some tags are better than no tags. Maybe you don’t have all of the information on handy or resources are limited. That’s ok! Add the information you have and see how it changes the way your posts look. Keep an eye on your social metrics too, this will help you narrow down which posts perform the best. Then you can see if there is a correlation between your OG tags and the post.
How to Add them to Your Site
All platforms are a little different. In fact, some of the larger platforms, such as Shopify, now have built in OG Tags with limited options on what you can change. The best way to find out how to add OG tags to your site is to start by checking your source code on any product page, there is a chance OG tags will already be there. If not search OG Tags in the helpfiles for your platform or contact your rep. For most platforms no coding is required, all you have to do is add the title, description and the rest of your content in the correct place.
A Few Final Items
OG tag should not be something you lose sleep over or spend a lot of time on. But if you share a lot on social media optimizing them can lead to better results! So, take a few minutes and check out what your site is capable of when it comes to OG tags.