Is there any way to tell Google to display the updated title instead of displaying the old blog title in search results?

Question

As a matter of optimization, a few weeks ago I modified the way the titles of my blog posts are displayed (I made a change also in the title of the blog). Then I used the Google Webmaster Tools to re-index the old pages and update titles. Immediately I could update the titles and posts appear correctly on Google.

The problem is that now the titles of posts began to appear incorrectly in the search, using the old blog title. Some posts continue to display the updated title, but many recent posts show the old title.

I've tried re-index the pages with Google Webmaster Tools, but the titles remain unchanged in the search results.

Is there any way to "force" Google to display the correct titles?

Answer 1

The Fetch as Google was created as a temporary option originally designed to help you see your site the way Google sees it. It does allow you to update the index almost immediately. But this is based upon trust. Google will revisit your page with the regular Googlebot soon after. Because this is based upon trust, it is best not to rely on this option to re-index your site. That is not what it is there for. I suspect that Google will become rather suspicious of site owners that over-use this option and may potentially choose to ignore the results.

The best thing to do most of the time is to wait for Googlebot to notice the changes. This is my general recommendation. Do not try and hurry Google along. It will always back-fire on you. If there are pages that are timely in nature, then definitely use the Fetch as Google option. That is what it is there for.

Keep in mind that the Google index is abused a lot! The Google index is also it's bread and butter and is protected as much as possible. The Fetch as Google is a bit of a risk that Google is taking on your behalf. I am sure that Google has put protections in and will take whatever action they feel is required to avoid abuse.

My recommendation for you is just to wait and be patient. It will all work out.