Google Expands Domain Name and Icon Listings in Web Search Results

Last May month, Google unveiled a new look for Mobile search listings, including brand icons and more prominent domain listings. These are designed to help provide more clarity around the websites that users are connecting with via search.

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Now, Google is expanding this new format to web search listings as well.

A explained by Google:

Last year, our search results on mobile gained a new look. That’s now rolling out to desktop results this week, presenting site domain names and brand icons prominently, along with a bolded “Ad” label for ads. Here’s a mockup: pic.twitter.com/aM9UAbSKtv

— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) January 13, 2020

This format puts a website's brand front and center, enabling searchers to better understand where the information is coming from, easily scan the results, and decide what to look for.

As you can see here, in addition to brand icons(Favicon) to the left of the domain listings in each result. The format for Google ads has also been updated, with a bold 'Ad' notifier in front of the top paid result.

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This change is more important for digital marketers, as it may offer new opportunities to better establish your business through Google search. But to use things like this, you need to make sure your site icon - or 'favicon' - is up to date.

To do this, you first need to check whether your favicon meets Google's guidelines, and then add a link to your website, HTML - as Google explained:

Add a

tag to the header of your home page with the following syntax:

​

You can find an in-depth description of this process in the Google Search Console - and the importance of these new icons in the search scene, especially on desktop, where they are large and stand out, even more, it's worth looking into, either by yourself or your tech team.

By default, the update is not a big, functional change, but of course, those icons stand out in desktop search queries. If 90% of the searches on desktop PCs come via Google, it is important to keep an eye on it and improve your listings as much as possible.