What are Favicons in SEO?

Favicons: A mixture of two words – favourite + icon. Generally, a symbol, a logo, an image related to a particular website or web page and appears in various internet browsers in their standardized format. They act as a pinch of salt and pepper to the true identity of the websites.

These favicons appear in similar ways in many browser windows at –

1) Address or Search Bar

2) History of browsing

3) Tabs in browser

4) Bookmarks or Favourites

5) Toolbar options

6) Also for Extension apps

How to create favicon?

Technically, these favicons are square sized image files and very small in size starting from at 16x16 pixels. The sizes may go up to 144x144 pixels based upon the usage in the browser or menu windows. Google accepts a minimum of 48x48 pixels then adjusts to the resolution of 16x16 pixels. The file formats suitable are JPG, PNG, GIF, ICO, SVG and APNG. Windows ICO is the mostly used and supported file format and so recommended widely to all the website developers or owners. These images can be added or uploaded to source settings of the website, for example in Wordpress or other platforms.

Favicons in SEO:

Basically, these favicons do not play any major role in SEO but that does not make them less important. They somehow contribute indirectly towards SEO.

Let’s understand through the following instances proving necessity of favicons:

· Increased usage: It has been observed that initially users have to type the website address or go to search engine and click the link to open a website. But with evolved browsers now the users are able to open the websites from the history or used tabs. It has been also observed that with favicons the users have ease of access, where the users are able save time and visit in multiple attempts, plus spent more time. This increases the click through rates and therefore improves SEO rankings.

· Bookmarks: The website with the favicons have higher chances to get into users list of favourites or bookmarks. For example if there are 2 different websites sharing similar information or performing same business, but the one having the favicon will be picked first by the users. This will result in repetitive visits and increase in the website traffic and SEO.

· Branding: We all are aware how branding helps to grow any business. This new age revolution has made branding more important than the actual information we seek in our searches. Similarly, these favicons in the browsers somehow support business visibility and enable users to select websites and remember. SEO is a key marketing tool and the purpose is to promote a business to a wide range of target audience. Favicons also support awareness about the business or the website. This increases number of clicks and higher visibility.

· Reliability: These days there are many non-reliable and inappropriate websites or web pages appearing in searches. The favicons support the users to identify the credibility for such websites. Most of the browsers have inbuilt features to scan and report the trust worthiness of such sites and in spite of consisting favicon such sites are displayed by a default favicon. Such scanning builds trust for users and helps reliable business owners to create good amount of impressions after the clicks.

So, it is quite evident that the favicons can’t be avoided when it comes to the identifying & promoting websites.

Finally few essential aspects to be considered while creating them such as:

- a logo to be preferred over any pattern or random image

- if logo not available then use the first letter of business

- it should be eye catching because of size - 16x16 pixels

- keep it as simple as possible

- it must showcase a brand

- colour combination visible in light or dark mode

è SURESH KUMAR NAIK | sureskumarnaik@gmail.com | +91 81063 32714