Google showing anchor text as SERP site title?

[johnnie]

Wow, either I missed something or this is big stuff (or both).

For a particular search on the topic of one of my websites, my site's title in the SERPS is actually WAY different from what I put in my title tag. In fact, the title appears to be the most commonly used anchor text used to link to my site. I checked the cache, but no surprises there; the correct <title> is there in all its glory.

Are more people seeing google disregarding TITLE tags?

[MLHmptn]

Yes I am noticing this as well...first time I'm ever seen this...This is happening on one of my sites. The targeted anchor text term with the most inbounds.

[pageoneresults]

And this is not Google pulling your ODP Title?

[johnnie]

ahh pageoneresults, thats it. I didn't know my site was listed in dmoz and I also didn't know google pulls its titles from it. Well, good news I guess :D

[Quadrille]

Even if it's not using ODP titles, it's certainly an ODP idea - ODP editors often choose what they see as the 'real' title rather than the <title> or even the business name. And in many cases, the anchor text is a better guide to the 'title as understood by visitors', than the <title>.

Are people finding this happening when the title is the 'real' title, or only when the title is "SEO friendly"(!)

[MLHmptn]

My site that has been affected is not in ODP so....

[Gandhalf]

I'm seeing this too.
As a results my site lost it's top 1 ranking for the specific search terms and there's room for competitors overstuffing those keywords in title and text.

Good job G!

[Quadrille]

Gandhalf - it would be worth considering why Google has done this; granted, it could be a random event, or pure spite. But my bet is that there's something to explain it - and therefore something you can do about it. ;)

[johnnie]

Maybe a meta noodp might fix this issue for some. I'm not going to change it, as the title suggested by G fits the query rather nicely.