Favicon – why it Loads Late? Do Favicon affect SEO?
Though 48x48 or 96x96 pixel size for website favicon was enough but I have used 144x144 pixel size, because I am not worried about any impact of favicon on website load time and performance.
According to Google Developers website, in Chromium-based browsers (such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, Opera, Samsung Internet) favicon loads later than the other critical resources of a webpage, by default settings. For example, browser loads main page resource, CSS, viewport images of a webpage and fonts, earlier than the website favicon. Therefore, it should not affect website speed or SEO.
It means that if a favicon has a larger image, it will not impact the user experience or the load time of actual content of the webpage. However, be cautious as it does not imply that you should use unnecessarily large image because, after all, browser must download the larger favicon to display in user device - wasting bandwidth and CPU resources.
It is good decision by chromium developers because content on a page is more important for a user than the website icon.
You can see in this video demo that page has been rendered but the favicon is still being downloaded by the browser.
Favicon slow loading does not have any impact on SEO because it is programmed by the browsers to load late.
However, if you don’t use favicon, you are missing great branding opportunities.
More Resources
Please also check following useful resources.
Favicon Display Locations: Where Does Website Favicon Appear other than browser tab.
Best Favicon Image Format – ICO, PNG, JPG, SVG?
Favicon Ideal Size – the Best Size for a Website Favicon.
Tips for Designing an Awesome and Highly Visible Favicon.
Examples of Best Favicon Designs.
What is the best size for a website logo?
Guidance about designing an ideal logo for your website.
Get our Dozro Services to design a great favicon for your website.
