What Is OG Tag in SEO and How Do I Use It?

An OG tag in SEO (Open Graph tag) is a meta tag used to control how your content looks when shared on social media and while it doesn’t directly influence Google rankings, it helps drive traffic and improves social sharing and you use it by placing <meta property=”og:…”> tags in the HTML <head> section.

How Do Open Graph Meta Tags Affect Website Visibility on Social Platforms?

Open Graph meta tags make your content stand out when shared. They control the headline, description, image, and link displayed. This results in better click-through rates and engagement, both essential for growing visibility and trust across platforms.

What Are the Essential Open Graph Tags Every Webpage Should Have?

Every important page should include: og:title – Page title og:description – Summary og:image – Shareable image og:url – Canonical link og:type – Type of content (usually “article”) These tags ensure proper display across Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other platforms.

How Can I Implement Open Graph Tags Correctly on My Website?

If you’re managing your own HTML, add the meta tags manually. If you’re using a CMS like WordPress, install an SEO plugin to manage these for you. Then use Facebook’s debugger or LinkedIn’s post inspector to test how your link previews appear.

What Is the Difference Between Open Graph Meta Tags and Standard Meta Tags?

Standard meta tags for SEO, like meta name=”description”, are mainly for search engines like Google. Open Graph meta tags (e.g., og: title, og: image) are specifically for controlling how your content looks when shared on social media. Both are important for full Technical SEO.

How Does Schema Markup in SEO Differ from Open Graph Tags?

Schema Markup in SEO provides structured data for search engines to better understand your content. This helps with features like rich snippets. Open Graph tags are for social media sharing only. Together, they form a complete Technical SEO and content optimization strategy.

Can Open Graph Tags Help with SEO Services?

Yes, especially when included as part of a broader SEO services package. While OG tags don’t influence search rankings directly, they improve social engagement, drive referral traffic, and support branding, indirectly boosting your overall SEO results.

What Are Open Graph Tags? A Guide to Better SEO and Social Sharing

SEO

Published: Jun 26, 2025

Updated on: Aug 23, 2025

Summary: This blog covers the importance of Open Graph meta tags in improving how your content appears on social media. It explains what Open Graph tags are, why they matter for SEO and user engagement, lists essential tags like og:title and og:image, and provides a step-by-step guide on how to implement and validate them for better social sharing and technical SEO impact.

Key Takeaways:-

Open Graph tags help your links look better on social media by showing the right title, image, and description.
They don’t directly improve SEO rankings, but they bring more clicks and traffic from social media.
They’re easy to add and work well with other SEO tools like schema markup, image SEO, and technical SEO.

In today’s digital globe, content is everywhere.

However, not all content stands out. If you have ever shared a webpage on Facebook, LinkedIn, or other social media platforms and noticed that some links appear with a preview image, headline, and short description. In contrast, others look plain or broken; the difference often lies in the use of Open Graph meta tags.

Open Graph tags are part of the invisible HTML code added to a webpage. These tell social platforms how to display content and originally created by Facebook, Open Graph tags allow you to control what shows up when your page is shared. This helps boost visibility, clicks, and engagement.

Even though Open Graph tags don’t directly impact your search engine rankings, they are a vital part of Open Graph in SEO strategy. This is because they influence user interaction and traffic from social media.

Table of Contents

What are Open Graph Meta Tags?

Open Graph meta tags are small pieces of HTML code added to the <head> section of a webpage that help control how your content appears when shared on social media. These tags were introduced by Facebook but are now supported by other platforms like LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).

Each tag starts with og: and defines a specific element of the shared content, like the title, description, image, and URL. By using Open Graph tags, you can ensure your content looks visually appealing and informative, rather than leaving it up to the platform to guess.

Think of them as a way to “dress up” your links—making them more clickable, consistent, and professional across social channels.

Discover What Your Customers Search For Discover What Your Customers Search For

Get insights on evolving customer behaviour, high volume keywords, search trends, and more.

Explore more

Why are Open Graph tags important?

Open Graph tags are crucial. This is because they make your content look professional and engaging when shared online.

Without these tags, social platforms try to guess what to display. These may result in missing images, wrong titles, or no description. Here’s why using Open Graph tags is a smart move:

1. Better Visual Appeal

When users see a high-quality image, a relevant title, and a summary, they’re more likely to click. This is where Image SEO comes into play. A properly selected image that matches your content improves not just appearance but also user engagement.

2. Higher Click-Through Rates

A clean, informative preview improves trust and grabs attention. This directly boosts your CTR from social shares.

3. Control Over Social Sharing

By using Open Graph tags, you decide what gets displayed, not the social media platform. That means no more random images or unrelated titles.

4. Support for Brand Consistency

Customizing your Open Graph previews keeps your content and branding consistent across platforms.

5. Enhanced User Experience

When visitors get exactly what they expect from the preview, it improves their experience and reduces the chances of bounce rates. These are important factors for technical SEO.

So, in short, Open Graph tags may not be a direct ranking factor. However, they are a powerful tool in your wider SEO services and content strategy.

List of the Required Open Graph Tags

You don’t need to include dozens of tags to get results. There are a few key Open Graph meta tags every page should have.

1. og:title

This defines the headline that shows when your link is shared. It should be clear, attention-grabbing, and under 60 characters.

Example:

2. og:description

This is the short description that appears under the title. Make it compelling and relevant, ideally under 120 characters.

Example:
<meta property=”og:description” content=”Learn how to grow fresh vegetables with our beginner-friendly guide.”>

3. og:image

This specifies the image that represents the content. A good size is 1200 x 630 pixels. Ensure it’s optimized for Image SEO (compressed, relevant, and has alt text).

Example:

4. og:url

This sets the canonical URL so that social media platforms display the correct link.

Example:

5. og:type og:type

Defines the type of content (e.g., article, video, product). Use the article for blog posts or general pages.

Example:

These tags are the core of your Open Graph setup and should be included on every important page.

How to Implement Open Graph Tags for Technical SEO and Social Sharing?

Implementing Open Graph tags is straightforward. If you’re comfortable editing your site’s HTML, you can manually add the meta tags to the <head> section of your pages.

Step 1: Choose Your Content

Decide which image, title, and description best represent your content. This is where Meta Tags for SEO and Image SEO best practices come in—make sure each element is high-quality and relevant.

Step 2: Add Meta Tags

Here’s a complete example:

<head>

</head>

Step 3: Use a Plugin (If Using WordPress or Shopify)

If you use a CMS like WordPress, plugins such as Yoast SEO or Rank Math can help you set these tags without coding. These plugins are also helpful for managing other Technical SEO services like XML sitemaps and canonical tags.

Step 4: Validate Your Tags

After setting up, use tools like:

Facebook Sharing Debugger
LinkedIn Post Inspector
Twitter Card Validator

These tools show how your content will appear and alert you to any issues.

Enhance SEO and Social Media Strategy with Open Graph Tags

Open Graph tags are a powerful yet often overlooked tool in digital marketing and Technical SEO. They don’t directly affect rankings. However, they greatly improve how your content appears and performs on social platforms.

When used alongside Schema Markup in SEO, meta descriptions, and quality visuals, Open Graph helps complete your on-page optimization. Here’s what to remember:

Use essential tags: og:title, og:description, og:image, og:url, and og:type
Choose high-quality, relevant images for Image SEO.
Validate tags to avoid errors and improve consistency.
Consider Open Graph as part of your larger SEO services strategy.

Adding Open Graph tags is simple, effective, and adds a professional polish to your website. This makes it more shareable, clickable, and user-friendly.

Conclusion

In today’s competitive digital landscape, the way your content appears on social media can significantly influence engagement and brand trust. Adding Open Graph tags as part of a comprehensive SEO services approach helps businesses boost click-through rates, improve content visibility, and deliver a consistent brand experience across platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What Is OG Tag in SEO and How Do I Use It?

An OG tag in SEO (Open Graph tag) is a meta tag used to control how your content looks when shared on social media and while it doesn't directly influence Google rankings, it helps drive traffic and improves social sharing and you use it by placing <meta property="og:..."> tags in the HTML <head> section.
How Do Open Graph Meta Tags Affect Website Visibility on Social Platforms?

Open Graph meta tags make your content stand out when shared. They control the headline, description, image, and link displayed. This results in better click-through rates and engagement, both essential for growing visibility and trust across platforms.
What Are the Essential Open Graph Tags Every Webpage Should Have?
Every important page should include:
- og:title – Page title
- og:description – Summary
- og:image – Shareable image
- og:url – Canonical link
- og:type – Type of content (usually "article")
These tags ensure proper display across Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other platforms.
How Can I Implement Open Graph Tags Correctly on My Website?

If you're managing your own HTML, add the meta tags manually. If you're using a CMS like WordPress, install an SEO plugin to manage these for you. Then use Facebook’s debugger or LinkedIn’s post inspector to test how your link previews appear.
What Is the Difference Between Open Graph Meta Tags and Standard Meta Tags?

Standard meta tags for SEO, like meta name="description", are mainly for search engines like Google. Open Graph meta tags (e.g., og: title, og: image) are specifically for controlling how your content looks when shared on social media. Both are important for full Technical SEO.
How Does Schema Markup in SEO Differ from Open Graph Tags?

Schema Markup in SEO provides structured data for search engines to better understand your content. This helps with features like rich snippets. Open Graph tags are for social media sharing only. Together, they form a complete Technical SEO and content optimization strategy.
Can Open Graph Tags Help with SEO Services?

Yes, especially when included as part of a broader SEO services package. While OG tags don’t influence search rankings directly, they improve social engagement, drive referral traffic, and support branding, indirectly boosting your overall SEO results.

Neha Bawa

Director of Brand Marketing

Neha Bawa is the Director of Brand Marketing at Techmagnate. She has worked in Digital Marketing since 2012 and has specialised in content creation. She has earned a Master’s degree in Interactive Communications from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, U.S.A. Her interests lie in creating great content, docs, and working towards sustainability through biodiversity.