Google’s John Mueller recently shared an insightful tip on a LinkedIn post that talked about the impact of favicon in search results. Although this tip isn’t officially documented by Google, it can still help you significantly enhance your website’s visibility.
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What is a Favicon
Favicon is a small icon (or graphic) that represents a website. They are displayed in browser tabs, bookmarks, browser history, and on search engine pages (SERPs).
Many might consider it a small piece in a website development process. But to our surprise this small icon can help you increase website traffic by making your site more noticeable in search results.
LinkedIn post that sparked the discussion
A LinkedIn post by Mark Williams Cook highlighted the importance of favicons on a website and how a well designed favicon can influence search results interactions.
The post spoke about how an eye-catching favicon could draw more attention to a website in the search results, potentially leading to higher clicks and engagement rates.
He even shared a screenshot in his post showing how certain websites’ favicons blend into search results, while others, especially those with bold colours, stand out.
By this observation he went on to say that a distinctive favicon can make a website more noticeable, which could lead to increased clicks and traffic.
John Mueller’s tip on Favicon
The LinkedIn post regarding how favicon can help increase website traffic went viral. Which led Googles’ John Mueller to add on the topic. His advice on favicons offers a more practical yet often overlooked insight.
He suggested that favicons should look appealing and stand out when cropped into a circle. He specifically mentioned:
“Round-croppable favicons, for those who like technical SEO.”
Just to let you know this is not something which has been mentioned by Google or can be found in any of their official documents.
But still this tip highlights the importance of designing a well-crafted favicon that remains visually appealing even when cropped into a circular shape.
Considering how a favicon appears when displayed in a circular format can help ensure it effectively fills the available space in search results.
How This Tip Can Increase Your Website Traffic
Creating a attractive and well designed favicon might not directly affect your website’s ranking. But it can help your website to stand among the competition in search results. That will help you attract more users – which will lead to more number of clicks on the website, thereby boosting traffic.
