When your site shows up in Google, two small details sit at the top of the result. One is the favicon, the tiny square icon beside your listing. The other is the site name, which tells searchers who you are before they read a word of the page. Both are part of your brand, and both are easy to get wrong.
Google picks these details from signals on your home page. You cannot set them directly, but you can make your preference very clear. This guide explains what Google asks for and how to fix the common problems. It suits anyone who manages a small business website or works on its design.
Why these small details matter
A search results page is crowded. Searchers scan quickly and look for names and marks they trust. A crisp favicon and a clear site name make your listing easy to spot. A blank default icon or an odd name can make a real business look unfinished.
These details also tie your search presence to the rest of your brand. The same mark should appear on your site, your social profiles and your printed material. Consistency helps people recognise you on every channel. It is the same idea behind choosing the right online marketing channels for a jewellery store.
What Google needs from a favicon
Google’s guide to favicons in search results sets out the basics. The favicon must be square, with a 1:1 ratio. The minimum size is 8 by 8 pixels, but Google recommends going larger than 48 by 48 pixels. That helps it look sharp on different screens.
Several file formats are accepted. These include ICO, PNG, GIF, JPEG, BMP, PPM and TIFF. The image should visually represent your brand. Its address should stay stable rather than change often.
The favicon is declared with a link tag in the header of your home page. Google accepts a few values for this tag, including “icon” and the Apple touch icon versions. The file does not have to sit on your own domain, so serving it from a content delivery network is fine. Your developer can confirm which value your site uses.
Designing a logo mark that works at tiny sizes
A full logo rarely reads well in a small square. Fine lines, small text and long wordmarks tend to blur. A simple symbol or a single letter often works better. Test the icon at very small sizes on a light and a dark background before you sign it off.
Keep the favicon in step with your main logo. It should look like it belongs to the same family. Google will not show favicons it considers inappropriate, such as pornography or hate symbols. In those cases it shows a default icon instead.
Letting Google crawl the favicon
Google has to be able to reach both the home page and the icon file. Googlebot must be able to crawl the home page and follow any redirects. Googlebot-Image must be able to crawl the favicon file itself. Neither address can be blocked by robots.txt or other means.
Google supports one favicon per hostname. A site on the www address and a separate subdomain can each have their own. Subdirectory home pages are not supported, so a section such as a news folder shares the main favicon. This is worth knowing if you run several brands under one domain.
Even when every guideline is met, a favicon is not guaranteed to appear. Crawling and processing can take several days to several weeks. You can speed things up by requesting indexing of the home page with the URL Inspection tool in Search Console. Patience is part of the process.
How Google chooses your site name
Site names appear on mobile and desktop results in every language Google Search supports. Google generates them automatically from your home page and from references to your site elsewhere on the web. The site name is separate from each page’s title link. It describes the whole site, not one page.
The strongest way to state your preference is WebSite structured data on the home page. Google’s site names documentation lists name and url as required properties. You can also add alternateName for a shorter version or an acronym, listed in order of preference. Google also looks at the og:site_name tag, the page title, headings and other home page text.
Choosing the right name
Google asks for a name that is accurate and not misleading. It should be concise and commonly recognised. Generic names are best avoided. Use the same name consistently across your home page so the signals agree.
This is a good moment to check your branding is consistent offline too. If your signage says one thing and your website says another, the signals start to conflict. Searchers may be confused as well. A short, settled brand name makes every channel easier.
Fixing a wrong site name or missing favicon
Start with the basics if Google shows the wrong name. Confirm the WebSite name is your preferred name and the markup has no errors. Check that the title, headings and other home page sources use the same name. Make sure redirects work and point to a page Googlebot can reach.
Duplicate home pages need the same markup. That includes the HTTP and HTTPS versions, and the www and plain domain versions. If your preferred name still is not chosen, add an alternateName. Google suggests adding your lowercase domain as a backup. As a last resort, you can make the domain the primary name.
Test the markup with a schema testing tool such as the Schema Markup Validator. Google notes the Rich Results Test does not support site names. Then use URL Inspection to confirm Google can access the home page and request a recrawl. Inner pages may need their own recrawl before they show the new name.
Search basics like these are often lost among bigger claims. It helps to know which SEO myths you should ignore so you spend time on fixes that work. A clear name and favicon cost little and help every listing. They also make content such as a blog for a dental practice easier to spot in results.
Local service brands benefit too. Businesses following online marketing strategies for shower screen businesses often compete with many similar names in one area. A distinct name and icon help a listing stand apart. That small edge can matter on a busy results page.
Frequently asked questions
What size should my favicon be?
It must be square and at least 8 by 8 pixels. Google recommends larger than 48 by 48 pixels so it displays well. A simple design reads best at that size.
Why is Google not showing my favicon?
Check that the home page and the icon file can be crawled and are not blocked by robots.txt. Make sure the image is square and in an accepted format. Even then, it can take days to weeks, and display is not guaranteed.
Can I choose my site name in Google?
Not directly, as Google generates site names automatically. You can state a preference with WebSite structured data on your home page. Consistent naming across the home page makes that preference stronger.
Does each section of my site get its own favicon?
No, subdirectories are not supported. Google allows one favicon per hostname, so a separate subdomain can have its own. A folder within the main site shares the main favicon.