For businesses that practice search engine optimization (SEO) and have a registered trademark, there is debate over whether using the registered trademark symbol in your title tag helps or hurts SEO. The answer? It’s unlikely to have a significant effect on your SEO rankings. Keep reading to learn more!
Does including registered trademarks in title tags help SEO?
Registered trademarks in title tags do not have a direct impact on SEO. According to Google’s John Mueller, the search engine views registered trademarks (and any other symbols for that matter) as symbols.
“As far as I know, yes, they [registered and trademark symbols] are essentially ignored. So we treat them as a symbol.”
Could registered trademarks benefit your SEO from a user standpoint?
For example, could you use a registered trademark to improve click-through rate (CTR) by demonstrating that your business (like a CBD company) and its listing is reputable? It’s possible. As many SEOs have pointed out, though, anyone could use the registered trademark symbol in their title tag — even if they don’t own one!
That’s why we believe registered trademarks in title tags do not significantly impact SEO.
Does including registered trademarks in meta descriptions help SEO?
Registered trademarks in meta descriptions do not directly help SEO.
Why? For the same reasons registered trademarks in title tags do not directly benefit SEO. A registered trademark is seen as a symbol — not a trust symbol — by Google. If you think about the potential user benefit with higher CTRs, you have to remember that Google rewrites most meta descriptions.
So, most searchers will unlikely see your meta description with its registered trademark.
When should I use registered trademarks in title tags?
Our advice is (in most cases) not to use registered trademarks in title tags. However, some businesses will use registered trademarks in their title tags and even meta descriptions when they’re looking to communicate something to searches.
Our advice is (in most cases) not to use registered trademarks in title tags.
Some examples of when you could use a registered trademark include the following:
- Convey trust, like if they’re selling something associated with underhanded tactics.
- Stand apart, like if they’re competing in a market saturated with knockoffs.
Remember to double-check your encoding if you plan to implement a registered trademark in your title tag. Encoding the registered trademark symbol incorrectly will lead to visual errors that will negatively affect user behavior.
When should I use registered trademarks in meta descriptions?
Businesses will use registered trademarks in meta descriptions for the same reasons as title tags. If they’re looking to convey trust and stand apart in their marketplace, a registered trademark can support those goals.
From our decades of experience, we’ve found that registered trademarks in meta descriptions do not have the impact businesses hope for in SEO.
Again, we rarely recommend clients to use registered trademarks in their meta descriptions.
From our decades of experience, we’ve found that registered trademarks in meta descriptions do not have the impact businesses hope for in SEO. Plus, Google frequently rewrites meta descriptions, which means users are unlikely to see the registered trademark symbol.
3+ best practices for using registered trademarks and symbols in title tags
Are you committed to using registered trademarks and other symbols in your title tags or meta descriptions, like the copyright, service mark, or trademark symbol? Keep reading then because we have some best practices to help you get started:
- Keep your title tag’s character count to 60 characters or less
- Keep your meta description’s character count to 150 characters or less
- Check your encoding in multiple browsers to confirm the symbol displays correctly
- Track your performance to see how your title tag or meta description performs
Remember to also follow additional SEO best practices here, like prioritizing readability!
Optimize your brand’s title tags for SEO
Now that you know the nuances of registered trademarks and symbols in title tags, are you ready to optimize your website’s title tags? If you’re looking for help with the task or SEO in general, our award-winning team can help. Contact us today to learn more about our SEO plans!
FAQs about registered trademarks and symbols in SEO
Learn more about registered trademarks and symbols in SEO with these FAQs:
What is a registered trademark?
A registered trademark (symbolized as ®) is a symbol that means a logo or brand is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office protects registered trademarks.
What is a trademark?
A trademark (symbolized as ™) is a symbol that separates a brand or product from other brands and products. Unlike a registered trademark, a trademark is not associated with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
What are symbols?
In the business world, symbols can include the following:
- Registered trademark (®)
- Trademark (™)
- Copyright (©)
- Service mark (℠)
These symbols are used to communicate information, like the protection of a brand, product, logo, or symbol. In SEO, using these symbol
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