75% of UK SME Websites Present Different Business Names

Last updated: March 2026

We checked hundreds of UK small business websites for consistency in how they present their own business name. Across the homepage of each site, we compared four key locations where a business name typically appears: the title tag, the H1 heading, the footer text and the logo alt text. Three quarters of the sites we successfully analysed presented a different name or descriptor in at least two of these locations.

TL;DR

• 18 out of 24 UK SME websites (75%) had inconsistent business name signals across their own homepage
• We compared four elements: title tag, H1 heading, footer text and logo alt text
• Common conflicts include using a service description in the title but a brand name in the footer
• Some sites presented three entirely different names across these four locations
• For AI systems trying to determine the canonical name, these conflicting signals create unnecessary ambiguity

What we checked

Every business homepage sends multiple name signals. We focused on four:

1. Title tag - the text in browser tabs and search results
2. H1 heading - the primary visible heading
3. Footer text - typically contains the legal or trading name
4. Logo alt text - the alternative text for the site logo

What we found

### What we found: key figures

| Measure | Count | Percentage |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sites with consistent name signals | 6 / 24 | 25% |
| Sites with name inconsistencies | 18 / 24 | 75% |

Source: Rank4AI Research (2026-03-12)

Anonymised examples