What is a Google Search site name?
A site name is the source label Google shows for pages from your site in Search. It is not the per-page title link.
Google currently says site names can appear for domain-level and subdomain-level sites, and that generation is completely automated. Source: Provide a site name to Google Search.
| Label | What it is |
|---|---|
| Site name | Automated source name for the site in Search |
| Title link | The clickable result title for that URL |
| Domain | The hostname, sometimes used as a fallback site name |
| Business Profile name | The Maps / profile name, a different product |
If the wrong company appears for a brand query, that may be an entity collision rather than a site-name feature. See why the wrong business shows for a brand search.
Why is Google showing my domain instead?
Google may show a domain or subdomain when it is less confident in the name you provided, or when that name is not available.
Google says it generally will not use the same site name for two different sites that are global in nature, and
that it may decide a site is better known by an acronym. If confidence is low, the system can generate a name
from other sources or show the domain. Providing alternateName, including the lowercase domain as
a last-resort alternative, is the documented workaround path.
Why is Google showing an old brand name?
An old name usually remains because homepage signals or web references still use it, or because the new preference has not been recrawled yet.
After a rebrand, update WebSite name, homepage text, og:site_name, titles and
headings together. Leftover “formerly” blocks and old citations can keep the previous name visible. Coordinate
that work with
the rebrand Local SEO sequence
and
entity consistency across the site.
How can I tell Google my preferred site name?
Add WebSite structured data to the homepage with name and, if useful,
alternateName.
Google currently says WebSite structured data is the most important preference signal. Use a unique, commonly recognised name that is not generic, and keep it consistent with other homepage sources. There is no manual request form that changes the selected name.
Does Google also look at the homepage?
Yes. Google currently says the site-name system also considers og:site_name,
<title>, heading elements and other text on the homepage, plus references to the site across
the web.
The homepage must be crawlable. If you have HTTP and HTTPS or www and non-www duplicates, use the same structured data on each duplicate, not only on the canonical URL.
Can I set a different site name for each location directory?
No. Google currently does not support subdirectory-level site names.
https://example.com/sydney/ cannot have its own site name. Multi-location sites that put every
branch under one hostname share one site name. If you need a distinct source name, that is a hostname decision,
not a folder label. Location-level identity still belongs in page titles, visible content and, where
appropriate,
LocalBusiness markup on each location page.
Can subdomains have different site names?
Yes. Google currently supports site names at domain and subdomain level.
https://news.example.com/ can have its own site name if that subdomain’s homepage includes the
markup. If the subdomain homepage has no structured data, Google may fall back to the domain-level site name.
Hostnames starting with www or m are generally treated as equivalent to the domain.
Is the displayed site name guaranteed?
No. Google cannot manually change automatically selected site names, and meeting the guidelines does not guarantee your preference is selected.
If the preferred name is not selected, Google’s documented steps are to validate the markup, confirm homepage
consistency, allow time for recrawl, then try alternateName and, as a last resort, the lowercase
domain as the name.
Site name consistency checklist
Other homepage signals
og:site_name, title, headings, visible text Keep them consistent with the preferred name.References across the web
How other sites name the source Google’s system is automated and also considers those references.Location directories
No subdirectory site names Google currently supports one site name per domain or subdomain.Displayed site name
Possible, not guaranteed Not the title link, not the domain by default, not the Business Profile name.
- WebSite
nameon the homepage matches the preferred public brand. alternateNamelists genuine alternatives in preference order.og:site_name, title and headings use the same wording.- No subdirectory is being asked to carry its own site name.
- Old brand strings on the homepage have been updated or clearly dated.
What not to assume
- That the Business Profile name controls the Search site name.
- That a title-tag change is a site-name change.
- That each city folder can be labelled as a different site.
- That a generic name such as “Best Plumber in Town” will be selected.
- That you can file a request to set the name by hand.
What not to do
- Do not add a second WebSite block that conflicts with the first.
- Do not use a misleading or stuffed site name.
- Do not noindex the homepage to force a new name.
- Do not treat a domain fallback as a penalty.
- Do not change the Business Profile name solely to influence the site name.
Practical action plan
- Write the preferred site name and any genuine alternate names.
- Put them in homepage WebSite markup and match visible homepage branding.
- Validate syntax with a schema tester. Site names are not supported in the Rich Results Test.
- Request a homepage recrawl and wait through the documented days-to-weeks window.
- If the old name persists, audit leftover homepage text and third-party references.
When professional help makes sense
Help is useful after a rebrand when Search still shows the previous name, or when a multi-location site is trying to force subdirectory names. It is not useful if the brief is to guarantee a chosen label beside every result.
No consultant can set the displayed site name.
Sources and further reading
- Google Search Central: Provide a site name to Google Search
- Google Search Central: Organization structured data
Google displaying the wrong brand name beside your website results?
Otepsphere can review site-name markup, homepage branding and entity consistency across the website.
Contact OtepsphereWho writes this
This page is published by Otepsphere, a specialist Local SEO consultancy. A named founder biography, photograph and professional profiles will be added here only when they have been verified. Until then, treat Otepsphere as the responsible organisation rather than a fictional expert.