Как вывести в анкор ссылки содержимое тега title в wordpress?

if ( count( $posts ) > 0 ) {
				$cnt = 0;
				foreach ( $posts as $post ) {
					$cnt++;
					$date = explode(" ", $post->post_date );
					$out['posts'] .= ( $arg['hidedate'] ) ? "<li>" : "<li><small>$date[0]</small>&nbsp;";
					$out['posts'] .= "<a href=\"".get_permalink( $post->ID )."\">$post->post_title</a>";
					if ( $cnt == count( $posts ) ) {
						$out = hierarchicalsitemap_hierarchical_category_tree( 
							$cat->term_id, 
							$ex, 
							$ex_cat, 
							$arg,
							$out 
						);
					}
					$out['posts'] .= "</li>\n";
				}
			}

$out['posts'] .= "<a href=\"".get_permalink( $post->ID )."\">".the_title()."</a>";

$out['posts'] .= "<a href=\"".get_permalink( $post->ID )."\">".the_title()."</a>";

$anchor = get_the_title( $post->ID );
					$out['posts'] .= "<a href=\"".get_permalink( $post->ID )."\">$anchor</a>";

<?php echo get_post_meta($post->ID, '_yoast_wpseo_title', true);  ?>