Google displays the page URL above the title tag on its search engine results page (SERP). Reading URLs, though, is not easy. As a result, most users ignore the URL, focusing instead on the page title. But with the introduction of Site Names on mobile search results, Google is making it easier for users to identify websites in mobile SERPs.
Notable updates on Google’s SERP are the following:
• Site Name. Google will use various sources to show the website’s name above the URL and page title.
• Favicon. Google started displaying favicons on mobile search results in 2019. About the icon size, Google now recommends using at least 48px.
• Ads. Google displays an “Ads” label in ads on mobile search results. The “Sponsored” label now replaces it.
These changes enhance the user experience. Site names and favicons, for example, make it more comfortable for users to recognize websites. Users can also spot “Sponsored” better than “Ads” on mobile devices.
As a brand, you can also benefit from the updates by integrating them in your advanced SEO strategies. But first, you need to know “what is structured data?” Then, you must learn how to add structured data to your website to display your site name and favicon on mobile search results.
This website optimization technique not only helps you increase mobile brand exposure, but it can also help you improve brand awareness and enhance mobile marketing campaigns.
As you can see, there is more to mobile SEO and boosting mobile search rank by merely thinking about how to rank #1 in Google. You also want to improve visibility using site names and favicons to increase click-through rates and organic traffic.
Using Site Names To Boost To Improve Brand Awareness and Mobile Marketing
According to Ahrefs, 90.63 percent of web pages do not generate organic traffic from Google, while 66.31 percent do not have inbound links. These figures are understandable, as many websites do not have any website optimization plan like mobile SEO. Furthermore, not many of those seeking to improve search engine ranking invest in a sound content marketing strategy focusing on search intent and high-value pages/posts.
Even if a page does rank high, it has to compete with other pages. So getting Google to display the site name already gives one a competitive edge over others that still displays the URL. As an impact factor rank, site names are not likely to influence mobile search rank. But what it can do is catch the attention of users, much like title tags. In this way, they help enhance mobile brand exposure, thus helping businesses to improve brand awareness.
Other advantages of using structured data are as follows:
• Improve Visibility on SERPs. Structured data allows Google to display more information on SERPs. For businesses, that means better mobile brand exposure on the search results pages.
• Help Fulfill User Search Intent. Rich snippets in search results make it easier for users to find the information they need. So using structured data to classify webpages helps improve the user search experience.
• Enhance Brand Recognition and Reputation. The goal of mobile SEO is to improve mobile search rank. Structured data, meanwhile, helps in identifying site names, making them recognizable to more users.
How Google Identifies Site Names
The key to getting your site name to appear on Google’s mobile SERPs is understanding how Google Search identifies a site name. Typically, Google searches for the site name on a homepage from these sources:
• Website structured data
• Content in <title> elements
• Heading elements, such as <h1>, <h2>, <h3>, and so on
• Open Graph Protocol (eg:site_name)
Note that a site name intends to represent and describe the source of the search result. So Google’s automated site name generation also considers the content of a site and external references from elsewhere on the web.
How Does Structured Data Help?
Structured data is a standardized format that tells Google what a page is about and how to classify the page content. Consider a recipe page as an example. The use of structured data helps provide more explicit information on ingredients, cooking time, calories, etc.
In essence, structured data helps Google by providing explicit information and clues on the meaning of a page. In addition, it may also enable a page to appear on special search result features and enhancements.
While structured data has no impact factor rank, it can help brands edge over competitors by appearing in rich snippets of SERPs. For example, try searching for a recipe, and you will see a Recipe snippet on top of the search results, which includes images, cooking time, ingredients and others – before the traditional search results.
How To Add Structured Data to Your Website
Adding structured data to a webpage can be done by editing the HTML. But this process is reserved only for those with technical know-how. Even so, it is tedious, especially when publishing many pages and posts. So most websites now use a CMS add-on or plugin to create structured data automatically.
Here are two popular plugins for WordPress users to quickly and effortlessly add structured data.
• Schema – All In One Schema Rich Snippets (Brainstorm Force)
• Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP (Magazine3)
• Schema (Hesham)
Instead of standalone plugins, most WordPress users use one of several incredible SEO add-ons. These three, for example, also have built-in features that mark structured data.
• Yoast SEO
• All in One SEO
• Rank Math SEO
One thing to note about plugins is that while free, users need to pay a fee (one-time or subscription) to unlock premium features. With structured data, for example, advanced features usually include more categories. For most small websites, these features are not necessary. But large organizations that publish hundreds to thousands of articles monthly may want to consider using those advanced features.
Include Site Names in Website Optimization
As more people now use mobile devices, there is a need to focus more on mobile marketing and SEO to improve search engine ranking. But, simultaneously, you must not neglect other elements like site names and favicons. Even if they do not matter as impact factor rank, they still play a crucial role in marketing aspects like improving brand recognition and awareness.
Using structured data to help Google identify a site name is easy. But rather than manually editing HTML pages, it is better to use an add-on or plugin. Over the long term, this can help reduce the time and resources spent on marking structured data.
If you are still confused about site names, contact us at 866-908-4748. Our SEO specialists can explain how it works and help with user search intent. In addition, we can also discuss how to rank #1 in Google by using advanced SEO strategies to improve search engine ranking.
