How to control the Site Name that shows up in Google?
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To tell Google what the preferred name of your website is, you have to specify it using Structured Data. Structured Data Markup helps Google to understand the content and structure of a website.
How to specify a site name in Structured Data Markup?
Add structured data script to the <head> section of your website:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context" : "https://schema.org",
"@type" : "WebSite",
"name" : "ExcellentWebCheck",
"alternateName" : "EWC",
"url" : "https://excellentwebcheck.com/"
}
</script>The alternateName is optional. You can include an alternateName to specify an abbreviation for your site name.
Important: you can only include this script once on your entire website! Google does not support multiple site name snippets.
You must include the site name structured data snippet on the home page only!
This json is typed according to WebSite type which you can find on schema.org.
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Do's and don'ts for Site Name in Structured Data Markup
A few do's and don'ts for site names are:
- DO: use a site name that is used in title tags.
- DO: include spaces.
- DON'T: use a site name that is too long.
- DON'T: use a site name that does not reflect your brand.
- DON'T: use a site name from your competitor.
Why is my Site Name not used by Google?
Google will use the site name only in certain languages. The site name from structured data markup is only used in Mobile search results. If Google doesn't detect the site name in other parts of your website it might not show the site name. Make sure that the specified site name is present in other parts of the website. Check that the page where the structured data markup is added is indexed by Google.
Do I need to merge WebSite structured data elements?
Yes. Google supports multiple properties from schema.org/WebSite. An example is a sitelink search box which appears in WebSite structured data as well.
Is using site name structured data good for SEO?
Site name structured data does not appear to impact the Google ranking. However, your website looks more professional in Google search results.
Read more about Site Names On Google Developer.
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