John Mueller from Google recently offered an insightful tip on optimizing favicons that isn’t covered in official guidelines but could improve their effectiveness. In a LinkedIn discussion about the visual impact of favicons in search results, Mueller shared a straightforward yet powerful strategy to increase their visibility.
What Are Favicons?
Favicons are small icons that represent a website’s brand and appear in browser tabs, bookmarks, browsing history, and on search engine results pages (SERPs). They play an essential role in enhancing brand recognition, capturing users’ attention, and helping users quickly identify a brand in search results.
The Power of a Unique Favicon in SERPs
A unique favicon doesn’t directly affect a site’s ranking, but it can make a webpage more noticeable in search results, as demonstrated in the screenshot above.
Insights from the LinkedIn Discussion
The conversation began when Mark Williams-Cook highlighted on LinkedIn the importance of a well-designed favicon for visibility in search results, suggesting it could influence user behavior. The discussion that ensued underscored the value of a distinctive favicon that stands out. Participants observed that eye-catching favicons, particularly those with bold colors, can significantly enhance visibility—even for tools like SearchGPT. A shared screenshot showed how some favicons seamlessly blend in, while others stand out due to their vibrant designs.
A Simple Yet Effective Tip for Designing Favicons
John Mueller’s advice sheds light on a simple yet frequently overlooked design tip: ensure that a favicon looks appealing when cropped into a circle. This suggestion, which isn’t mentioned in standard favicon guidelines, could dramatically improve its effectiveness in search engine optimization.