You may have noticed that Google's search results have looked a little different since last week. Google has done this to display information more clearly. Google has added small logos to each search result that appears when someone has entered a search query. The logo of the company in question appears before the link and below that only the information of the website in question appears. For ads, a bold "Ad" logo will appear in front of them. This new look is an addition to the update already done by Google last summer that said it would introduce the new look on mobile devices. This week, Google launched this new look for desktops as well.

Launching on mobile devices

Google rolled out a new design of mobile search results worldwide in mid-2019. The two most notable differences are that paid results are now even harder to distinguish from organic search results, and organic results now show a logo next to the website url. With the reduction of the distinction between paid results and organic results, it becomes even more important to put energy into an attractive search result. In addition to the title and description, your website's icon is now also an opportunity to stand out.

What kind of logo is best to choose?

The icon is displayed in a square of 16 x 16 pixels. As a result, we see that on retina screens such as an iPhone, the icon cannot be displayed sharply. If we wanted to fix that, Google would have to increase the quality to 32 x 32 pixels. Unfortunately, the current resolution of 16 x 16 pixels limits the creative options to really stand out in this regard.

Key tips for getting noticed:

• Make sure your logo is recognizable. Recognizable (bright) colors are a good example. Think Zalando and/or Instagram, for example.
• Do not use a word or complex image. The logo is small and only 16 x 16 pixels. Keep it simple and uncluttered.
• Create a separate logo (favicon) and try not to make your existing company logo smaller and square. A good example of this is Bol.com or Cool Blue, this is going to look cluttered.
• When creating the icon, try to work with the limited space you have. Try to avoid gradients, shadows and dark colors. Make use of all available space.

How does Google choose the corresponding logo?

Google independently creates a 16 x 16 logo from the available options your website offers. The same logo applies to all pages on your (entire) domain, and cannot be set for individual pages. You can, however, offer it in multiple ways. Unfortunately, you cannot offer an icon specifically for Google results but must use existing standards.

Do you still have questions about this new development within Google or do you need help to stand out more in search results? Please contact us for an introduction, we would love to help you!