In Google Search, each result shows a site name and favicon above the URL. Google picks the name from several sources on the homepage, and its documentation says WebSite structured data is the main way to tell it what you prefer. For a SaaS brand with a short or ambiguous name, getting this right is a small, cheap fix that affects every result your site earns.
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How to set it
Add WebSite markup to the homepage with name set to your preferred name and url set to the homepage. Use alternateName for an acronym or shorter version Google may use instead. Keep the same name in the homepage title, headings and og:site_name, because Google cross-checks these and may choose differently if they disagree.
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "WebSite",
"name": "Fieldkit",
"alternateName": ["Fieldkit Forms"],
"url": "https://www.fieldkit.example/"
}
</script>Things to know
Site names are set at domain and, in some cases, subdomain level, not per folder, so docs at example.com/docs share the main site name. The name should be one you use consistently and not a slogan. Changes appear after Google recrawls the homepage, and Google may still choose another name if the one you suggest is not clearly used across the site.
Example
A domain name instead of the brand
A fictional product, Fieldkit, appears in results as getfieldkit.example because its homepage title is a long slogan and it has no WebSite markup. Adding the markup and starting the homepage title with the brand name lets Google show Fieldkit.
Common mistakes
Putting the markup on every page
Google reads site name markup from the homepage. Elsewhere it does nothing for this feature.
Inconsistent names
If the title says one thing, og:site_name another and the markup a third, Google may pick none of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
It may not be confident about the name. Add WebSite structured data and make the homepage title and headings use the same name.
No. It controls how your site is labelled in results, which can help people recognise it.
Keep reading
- WebSite Schema: WebSite schema describes the site as a whole, its name and URL, and is the markup Google uses to understand which site name to show in results.
- Brand SERP: A brand SERP is the results page people see when they search your company or product name. For a SaaS company it is often the last page a buyer checks before booking a demo.
- Favicon: A favicon is a site's small icon, shown in browser tabs and next to results in Google Search, helping people recognize the site at a glance.
- Title Tag: A title tag is the HTML element that names a page. Google often uses it as the clickable headline in search results, so it shapes both ranking and clicks.
- AggregateRating: AggregateRating summarizes many reviews as an average score and count, and is the markup behind star ratings shown in some Google search results.
- Author Markup: Author markup identifies who wrote a piece of content using the author property, linking articles to a Person or Organization with a profile URL.
- ContactPoint schema: ContactPoint schema describes how to reach an organisation, such as a customer support phone number or email.
- Course Schema: Course schema describes an educational course with name, description and provider. Google phased out its course info rich result in 2025.
