What is Open Graph and Why It’s Important for SEO

Sharing content on social media is an essential part of a marketing strategy and Open Graph is the key. What is Open Graph, why do they matter, and how do you use them to optimize your shared content to reach its potential?

Tan Bui|October 21

Open Graph is a web protocol developed by Facebook to standardize how metadata is used on webpages, helping to describe the content of a page. It allows you to include various details, from basic information like the page title to more specific data, such as the length of a video. All of these elements work together to provide a sneak peek of the page you are sharing.

Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn recognize Open Graph tags. However, Twitter also uses its own set of tags called Twitter Cards. If Twitter Cards are not present, Twitter will fall back on using Open Graph tags instead.

Below are some examples:

Twitter Card
Twitter Card
Discord Card
Discord Card

Types of Open Graph Tags

You can use Open Graph tags to control how content displays when shared on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Slack, and WhatsApp. Visit the Open Graph Protocol website to see all the Open Graph tag types.

  • og:type: Defines the type of content (e.g., article, video).
  • og:url: Specifies the canonical URL of the page.
  • og:title: Sets the title of the webpage.
  • og:description: Provides a brief description of the content.
  • og:image: Indicates the image to display.
  • og:site_name: Shows the name of your website.
  • og:video: Links to video content.
  • og:locale: Specifies the content language.

Best Practices for Open Graph



  • Include all necessary Open Graph properties and additional tags for more control.
  • Keep the og:url short, clear, and canonical.
  • Ensure the og:title is under 60 characters to prevent truncation.
  • Write a concise og:description with a maximum length of 200 characters.
  • Use a high-quality og:image with at least 1200 x 628 pixels and a file size below 5 MB.
  • Test your Open Graph tags with a debugger tool to confirm correct display.
  • If necessary, use a debug tool to clear the cache and update the display.
  • Combine Open Graph and Schema markup for even better content optimization.

Why The Open Graph Protocol Is Important

The Open Graph Protocol optimizes your shared content, providing a better user experience and enhancing engagement. Benefits include:

  • Driving traffic to your website
  • Improving search rankings
  • Increasing social media shares and followers
  • Enhancing click-through rates (CTR)
  • Providing better content previews on social media

Summary

Remember, using Open Graph tags effectively can help improve your content's visibility and user engagement across social platforms.