New attribute in Google: Short title

Google recently came out with a new attribute called [short title], which is intended to provide a brief description of the product sold.

What is the difference between [title] and [short title]?

The original title function should be used to match customers’ search intent. Therefore, it can be as broad as customers' searches might be for that specific product. 

Short titles on the other hand are intended to be concise. The aim when writing a short title is to be brief, but comprehensive.

For products with different variants (such as size and color) the best practice is to list the changing factors in the title attribute, while using the same short description for short title.

For example, if you are selling a leather jacket, the title and short title could look like:

Title: Brand leather jacket, womens, size M, black

Short title: Brand leather jacket

Why use and how to make the most out of short titles?

The reason you should start using "Short titles" is that Performance Max campaigns will soon replace Smart Shopping. By the end of August all smart shopping campaigns will have changed into Performance Max campaigns. I'm currently using product category as "Short title"- but I'm trying to find a smarter way so only the very basics get into the short title.

Dorte Tindahl, COO & Partner at ASENTO

Ideally,  the number of characters should be the maximum of 65. The shorter the better, as long as it contains the necessary information, such as the brand name if it is a differentiating factor. 

Similarly to other types of titles, the most important details should be mentioned first as users don’t always read the entire text. The aim is to get the message across to people who are just browsing the website.