Everyone has seen it: that panel that appears on the right of the screen when you do a Google search. It’s called a Google Knowledge Panel or Knowledge Graph. We all want to get found earlier in a Google search, and a panel like this could very well be valuable real estate for our business.

What You Should Know About Google Knowledge Graph

What is Google Knowledge Panel?
Who has a Google knowledge graph panel?
How does it work?
How to create a Google Knowledge Panel for your business

Google’s Knowledge Panel offers broad information on corporations, local businesses, famous people, brands and movies. Knowledge Panel essentially gives searchers an overview of information related to a given entity whilst at the same time providing additional and related content. So what is it all about, and how do we use it to our advantage?

What is Google Knowledge Panel?

The Knowledge Panel is a box that pops up on the right-hand side of most searches on Google. The panel is a product of Google’s SERP (or Search Engine Results Page). This page displays information about the relationship between entities on the web. If users Google your company, they will see general information about your business on this panel. A Knowledge Panel is useful if you want to be found for search terms like your name, brand, or business name. If Google decides to show you or your business in this panel, you pretty much dominate the search results on the right side of the screen in desktop search. In mobile, the panel will appear between other results. For example, a Google search for Webcentral will show the panel below in the search results page: The facts in the Knowledge Graph come from various public sources that compile and publish factual information. In addition to public authorities, Google sources additional data from licenced providers providing a range of data, including sports scores, stock prices, and weather forecasts. They also source data from content owners in several ways. In some cases, the content owners can moderate the data shown. In short, ownership of the content is claimed and verified, and then the owner can suggest changes to the data shown.

Who has a Google knowledge graph panel?

Not everyone gets a panel. It’s as simple as that. You cannot create a Google knowledge graph for yourself – you can only claim it. For example, a Google Knowledge Panel for a person is generally reserved for known identities and celebrities. You may need to work very hard to influence the creation of such a panel by Google that you can then claim. But if you can, it is a great way to earn search results real estate.

How does it work?

Distance, prominence, and relevance determine if your business’ information will appear in the Google Knowledge Panel. Google’s algorithm decides if the user is interested in what your business offers based on those three categories. Compare the Google knowledge panel you find when you do related searches. For example, below is what you see when you search for David Jones. Compare it to the Google Knowledge Panel you see when you search for David Jones Bourke Street below. The Google Knowledge Graph Panel for David Jones Bourke Street presents quite different data. The local David Jones store has drawn down additional information concerning its locality, hours of operations, customer reviews, while the brand focused panel provides less detail and more corporate information.

How to create a Google knowledge panel for your business?

You cannot simply create a knowledge panel, but you can improve your chances of getting one. Step one is to get your Google Business Profile organised. Local based data is heavily influenced by your Google Business Profile (which in the past was called Google My Business). Ensuring that the information displayed in the Google Knowledge Graph is accurate and updated is critical to your customer’s satisfaction. Influence and control what appears in the Knowledge Panel by ensuring your Google Business Profile is maintained and updated. Of course, Google will draw on other data sources to populate the panel, but at the very least, you should ensure the information you provide through your Google Business Profile is current. Having a Google Business Profile will enable you to complete a Google knowledge panel verification as the business owner. Upon verification, you can add information or make suggestions to ensure the Google Knowledge Panel is correct. This access will enable you to provide relevant information such as address details, opening hours and photos. Wikipedia or Wikidata are the primary sources of information for Google regarding knowledge panels. Make sure you have a presence on these two platforms. Start building and growing your online presence. Become active on social media and consider becoming involved in podcasts and webinars. Providing valuable and cut-through content helps engage your customers and get mentions from other high-authority sites. These links to other sites can significantly impact your own site’s domain authority. These backlinks and your online marketing efforts can significantly improve the likelihood of achieving a Google Knowledge Panel. Get your SEO strategy up to speed. Make sure that your great content is being found. Good content should be a business imperative anyway, but it may also help you achieve a knowledge panel.

Get Google Knowledge Panel for your business now

We all strive to be found first when users do a Google search. Earning a Google Knowledge Panel is a great way to be seen and to boost your business’s authority and trustworthiness. It is not easy to do but the rewards of claiming your own Google Knowledge Panel make that effort worthwhile.

Melissa Toh