Would you like to use the Google Knowledge Panel to your advantage?
Well, you’ve come to the right place. In this article we will discuss all the most relevant aspects of the Knowledge Panel, we will explain how to get it and increase the visibility of your business or your brand.
Let’s get started!
What is the Google Knowledge Panel?
The Knowledge Panel is the information box on the right-hand side of some Google results pages (SERPs). A “rich result” summarizes the most relevant information related to a particular entity or topic.
[Not sure what an entity is? Read our article on the Google Knowledge Graph]
The content reported by the Knowledge Panel can come from various sources: structured data markup on web pages, data provided directly by websites using markup languages such as JSON-LD, or from other Google services.
What are the different types of Google Knowledge Panels?
There are two primary varieties of Knowledge Panels: the brand type and the local type.
Brand panels include general information about the entity in question, such as links to social profiles, product descriptions, and the date of birth of the brand (among others). On the other hand, the local panels contain specifications related to the regional dimension, such as locations, addresses, reviews, or links to Yelp pages.
But let’s see in detail the differences.
Local Panel
Local Knowledge Panels are displayed when users enter a query with local search intent. Although the content may vary slightly depending on the activity, typically, local boxes contain information such as:
- opening hours
- locations
- contact information
- reviews
- images
Local boxes help users gather all the necessary information about a specific company or business before visiting it – and, in many cases, play a significant role in persuading users to see it!
In fact, through the local panel, people can read reviews from other customers, ask questions about the business, call, make appointments, get directions, check product availability, order food to go, and more. All great levers to push them to get in touch with a business, don’t you think?
Are you wondering how to get your business to appear in Google’s Local Knowledge Panel?
While the exact workings of the Google algorithm remain a secret, we know that factors such as relevance, distance, and business importance impact visibility in organic search results.
And before you ask: no, you can’t pay to appear within this coveted box!
Personal or branded Panel
The Google Knowledge Panel can also take a different form and become a space that contains essential facts about an entity (a person, a concept, a brand).
And, as you can imagine, appearing in the Google Knowledge Panel is a great opportunity to get visibility – and clicks – in organic results.
The box’s design can vary a lot depending on the scope and type of brand or entity being addressed. The same goes for the content: from Knowledge Panels that contain very little information to those that offer such a detailed overview that rival a Wikipedia page.
TIP: The best performing Google Knowledge Panels are those linked to a Wikipedia page. The presence of a dedicated page on Wikipedia makes it easier to be approved by Google and increases the credibility and authority of the brand.
Why is the Google knowledge panel important?
By now, you should have understood: appearing in the Knowledge Panel is an opportunity for visibility not to be missed. In this way, in fact, not only does your business gain immediate prominence and relevance in Google SERPs, but it also attracts more clicks than a typical search result.
So let’s get to the most crucial question of all…
How do you get a Google knowledge panel?
The Knowledge Panel appears when Google thinks that the box can provide helpful information about the entity (person, place, organization, etc.) that the user is looking for at that moment.
In other words, Google Knowledge Panels are automatically generated when a person is searching for information about an entity in the Google Knowledge Graph.
Does this mean you have to rely on the benevolence of the search engine? Not really. There are a few actions you can take to encourage Google to make your business or brand appear.
Let’s see them together.
Step 1 – Make a Wikipedia and Wikidata page
Wikipedia and Wikidata are the primary sources Google draws on to create its Knowledge Panels, so the first thing to do is build your online presence on both of these platforms.
Step 2 – Be Active on Social Media Platforms
As we have already mentioned, social profiles are linked within the information box. What’s more, Google can use social media as a source to find out more about your brand, your services, and how it operates.
Step 3: Implement a Schema Markup
Implementing structured data on your site allows Google to understand your web page content and structure effectively. Schema Markup can also improve your organic visibility and the CTR of your search results (to find out more read this article).
Beyond structured data, we recommend using meta tags to provide as much data about your website as possible. You can optimize your meta tags by making sure to include your main keyword in the title and meta description. And don’t forget to include some author information as well!
How do you improve your Google Knowledge panel?
Inserting Schema Markup on your site means to be sure that search engines fully understand your content, with stunning effects on visibility.
Are you worried about the technical difficulty? Fortunately, WordLift makes it easy!
Our suite allows you to add structured data to your site fully automatically. It works like this: artificial intelligence scans your texts and suggests topics relevant to your business. The issues are transformed into entities and form your vocabulary. At that point, WordLift allows you to create your customized Knowledge Graph.
If you want to learn more, I suggest you read this article.
NEW UPDATE: from the 12th of October 2021, Podcast Knowledge Panels live on Google Search! To find out more, see our Web Stories here. We did it with the contribution of Jason Barnard, the Brand SERP Guy.