Why Is Google Showing the Wrong Business Logo in Search or the Knowledge Panel?

Published 2026-09-03 · Last reviewed 2026-09-03 · 15 min read · Technical SEO

Where can Google use an organization logo?

Google currently says some Organization properties can influence visual elements in Search results, such as which logo is shown in Search results and your knowledge panel.

Merchant knowledge panels and brand profiles can show additional details when you are a merchant. Display is not promised on every query or every surface. Source: Organization structured data.

This is not the Search favicon feature. The two images can appear near each other and still come from different systems.

How can a website specify its preferred logo?

Add a logo property on Organization structured data, usually on the homepage or a single about page.

Google recommends using the most specific Organization subtype that matches the organisation. For a local business, that often means a LocalBusiness subtype plus the fields in the Organization guide. You do not need the block on every URL.

What logo image requirements apply?

Google currently documents these image guidelines for Organization logo:

• Minimum 112 by 112 pixels.
• The image URL must be crawlable and indexable.
• The file format must be supported by Google Images.
• Check how the artwork looks on a purely white background. A pale logo can disappear.
• If you use ImageObject, include a valid contentUrl or url.

There are no required Organization properties. Add the ones that apply. Use the same name and alternateName you use for the site name where those names should match.

Why does Google show the old logo after a rebrand?

An old logo can persist because the official site still points at the previous file, because Google has not recrawled the new URL, or because other sources still associate the old mark with the organisation.

Supportable contributing factors include leftover Organization data, an old crawl state, and external entity references. Do not claim a single guaranteed cause. Align the visible homepage, schema, and rebrand sequence first, then allow time for recrawl. Entity consistency across the site is covered in entity SEO for local businesses.

Can LocalBusiness markup specify a logo too?

LocalBusiness is a more specific type of Organization. A location page can include a logo when that image belongs on that page and matches visible content.

For a multi-location site, prefer one organisation-level logo for the parent brand unless a location genuinely uses a different mark. Repeating conflicting logo URLs across location pages creates ambiguity rather than extra Knowledge Panel control. See LocalBusiness schema for multiple locations.

Does updating GBP photos fix organic Search logos?

Not necessarily. They are different systems.

Google Business Profile photos help the Maps and profile surfaces. Organization logo markup is website structured data for Search’s organisation understanding. Updating one does not automatically update the other. If profile photos are the actual problem, use why Business Profile photos are missing.

Can I force Knowledge Panel imagery?

No. Providing a preferred logo does not guarantee that image, or any knowledge panel, will appear.

Google does not offer a supported way to lock Knowledge Panel artwork. Structured data can be ignored if it conflicts with guidelines or with how Google understands the entity.

Should old logos be removed from the website?

Remove them where they are no longer genuinely needed. Keep them where they still explain history.

A current homepage should not present a retired mark as the live identity. A dated “our story” image can remain if the caption makes the timeline clear. Leaving the old file as the Organization logo URL is the problem, not every archive mention.

Business logo diagnostic

Official website organisation information Google recommends placing Organization details on the homepage or a single about page.

Logo URL

Minimum 112 by 112 pixels, crawlable Supported image format. Check how it looks on a white background.

Entity understanding

Helps disambiguate the organisation name, url, sameAs and logo can all contribute.

Possible display

Search or Knowledge Panel Providing markup does not guarantee the image.

• The official site has one crawlable Organization logo URL that matches the current mark.
• The image is at least 112×112 and remains readable on a white background.
• Favicon, Search logo and Business Profile photos are diagnosed as separate features.
• Old schema logo URLs were updated after the rebrand.
• No one is treating markup as a Knowledge Panel switch.

What not to assume

• That a valid Rich Results Test means the logo will appear.
• That the Maps photo is the Search logo.
• That the favicon file is the Organization logo.
• That every local business receives a knowledge panel.
• That deleting every old PNG will force a new panel image.

What not to do

• Do not point Organization logo at a blocked or noindexed file.
• Do not upload a new GBP cover photo and call the Search logo finished.
• Do not add conflicting logo URLs on every location page.
• Do not promise a Knowledge Panel change.
• Do not stuff keywords into the logo filename as a ranking tactic.

Practical action plan

1. Decide which image is the current official mark.
2. Host it at a stable, crawlable URL that meets the size and background guidance.
3. Set Organization logo on the homepage or about page to that URL.
4. Update leftover schema and visible headers that still use the old file.
5. Request a recrawl and wait. Check GBP photos separately if Maps imagery is also wrong.

When professional help makes sense

Help is useful after a rebrand when Search, the website and Maps show three different marks. It is not useful if the brief is to guarantee a Knowledge Panel portrait.

No consultant can force Google to display a particular logo.

Sources and further reading

• Google Search Central: Organization structured data
• Google Search Central: Local business structured data
• Google Search Central: Favicon in search results