Person 1: Hey, has anyone ever had this happen before?
I somehow changed the title that shows up on Google when you search for my website. Instead of my company name, it’s now showing my tagline/wrong title. I didn’t mean for that to happen – and I have no idea how I even did it!
I’ve gone through every tool I could think of: Google Search Console, Google Business Profile, even my website builder. Still, I can’t figure out where I changed this. I’m not an SEO expert – just trying to fix what I must have accidentally done. Google even told me to hire an SEO pro, but I know this must be something small I did myself.
Could someone help me understand how to change it back?
Person 2: Totally get you – and yes, this is super common.
What you’re seeing on Google – the title that shows up in search results – is usually pulled from your website’s <title> tag in the HTML, along with some influence from on-page content and what Google thinks is most relevant.
Here’s a step-by-step human-friendly way to tackle it:
Step 1: Check the Title Tag on Your Homepage
This is the #1 place Google looks.
If you’re using a platform like WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify:
- Go to your main site settings or SEO settings.
- Look for the “Homepage Title” or “Site Title” field.
- You may have accidentally pasted your tagline there.
👉 Fix: Replace it with your company name or the title you actually want Google to show.
Step 2: Check the Meta Tags
If you have access to the raw HTML (or use a plugin):
- Look for the line in the
<head>section that looks like this:<title>Your Website Tagline Here</title>
👉 Fix: Change it to something like:<title>My Company Name | What We Do</title>
Step 3: Update and Re-submit in Google Search Console
You don’t set the title in Google Search Console – but you do let Google know you’ve updated it.
- Log in to Google Search Console
- Click on your domain property.
- Go to URL Inspection Tool and enter your homepage URL.
- Click “Request Indexing” to tell Google “Hey! I’ve made changes – please check again.”
Step 4: Give Google a Bit of Time
Even after changing the title tag, Google may take a few days to a few weeks to update what shows in search results. Sometimes, Google may still rewrite it if they think a different version is more helpful – but fixing your title tag is the best shot.
Person 1: That makes way more sense now – I totally remember changing the tagline in my site builder and didn’t even think it would affect Google like that.
Person 2: Yep! Super easy to do without realizing it. Just fix the title tag, resubmit via Search Console, and give it time. You don’t need an SEO agency – just a little cleanup. You’ve got this!
Quick Recap
- ✅ Check your title tag (in your site builder or HTML).
- ✅ Update it with your preferred company name.
- ✅ Use Search Console to request indexing.
- 🕒 Wait a bit for Google to reflect the changes.