Open Graph Tags to Optimize Social Media Sharing

Whenever someone shares your website on Facebook, LinkedIn, or WhatsApp, the preview card determines whether users click or scroll away.

This is where Open Graph tags play a critical role in modern technical SEO and branding strategy.

What Are Open Graph Tags?

Open Graph is a protocol introduced by Facebook to control how web pages appear when shared on social platforms.

• Custom title
• Description
• Preview image
• URL
• Content type

Why Open Graph Matters for Businesses

Higher Click-Through Rate

Better previews increase engagement.

Stronger Brand Control

Prevent random thumbnails from appearing.

Improved Campaign Performance

Critical for paid advertising campaigns.

Basic Open Graph Implementation

<meta property="og:title" content="Page Title">
<meta property="og:description" content="Page Description">
<meta property="og:image" content="https://domain.com/image.jpg">
<meta property="og:url" content="https://domain.com/page">
<meta property="og:type" content="article">

Recommended OG Image Size

• 1200 x 630 pixels
• 1.91:1 ratio
• JPG or PNG
• Optimized under 300 KB

Common Mistakes

• No custom image
• Overly long titles
• Unclear descriptions
• Not refreshing social cache

Open Graph & SEO Impact

Open Graph does not directly impact Google rankings, but indirectly increases traffic and engagement signals.

Conclusion

Open Graph tags are essential for modern websites that rely on social traffic.