Google is adding more knowledge to its search engine these days, which means web pages aren't the only place you should be optimizing for. Google introduced the knowledge graph in 2012 as a way of including additional information about various topics along with your desktop search results. It includes all kinds of pertinent things such as images, videos, and facts about various topics for nearly all common searches. As you learn about what the knowledge graph does and how it affects SEO, there is one thing that should stand out — this isn't just a small part of SEO — it's an opportunity for both growth and optimization.
What is the Google Knowledge Graph?
Google's Knowledge Graph is a knowledge base used by Google to enhance its search engine's search results with semantic-search information gathered from a wide variety of sources. The Knowledge Graph was introduced in May 2012.
The Knowledge Graph provides information about entities, such as notable people, places, things and concepts, and how these entities are all related to each other. Google uses the Knowledge Graph data to disambiguate or clarify user queries and make them less ambiguous by providing relevant search results. For example, searching for "Barack Obama" brings up his bio information box on the right-hand side of the screen, along with a link to the White House website.
The Google Knowledge Graph is a huge database of facts and connections between them, intended to make it easier for the search engine to answer your questions.
If you've ever Googled a fact, you've probably seen the Knowledge Graph in action. For example, searching "what is the capital of Iceland" brings up the following box:
As you can see, it gives you the answer right away, and provides additional information such as its population and a map of its location. This is the Knowledge Graph in action.
How Does the Knowledge Graph Work?
For years, Google’s search results were based primarily on matching keywords to queries. Recently, however, Google has been moving away from this “strings-based” approach to a more intelligent understanding of the relationships between people, places and things.
The goal is to go beyond the “strings-based” approach of matching keywords to queries and move towards a model that better understands the relationship between entities and the content that surrounds them.
This change towards entity-focused search is powered by what Google calls The Knowledge Graph (KG). The Knowledge Graph is a knowledge base used by Google and its services to enhance its search engine’s results with information gathered from a variety of sources. The KG provides a more direct answer to user questions by returning an actual answer instead of just links to other pages.
When you search on Google, we use the Knowledge Graph to get a much better understanding of what you are searching for. For example, if you search for [jaguar], we know that you're likely looking for a type of big cat. As such, our search results will include a Knowledge Graph card with information about this type of animal. And when you search for [India population], we understand that you are looking for information about how many people live in India and not just any use of the word "India" in text on web pages. As such, our search results will include a card with the population of India and other facts about this country.
So how does Google do this? It starts by identifying which concepts your query is most likely related to based on an understanding of real-world entities — things like people, places or events from around the world. Next, Google can take complex relationships between these entities into account when providing you with search results. For instance, if one politician
What Do We Know About Knowledge Graph Updates and Changes?
In the world of SEO, few things cause as much confusion and frustration as Google's Knowledge Graph updates. The Knowledge Graph is a system of data that powers Google's results, displaying relevant information about a topic in a box on the right side of the screen.
Google's Knowledge Graph has been around since 2012, but it has gone through a number of changes since then. Many SEOs and site owners have noticed that these changes can have an effect on their traffic.
What we do know is that there are some patterns in how Google updates its Knowledge Graph results and which types of sites are affected by them. There are also steps you can take to try to recover if your site is hurt by a Knowledge Graph update.
The Knowledge Graph was, of course, Google's first major step into semantic search. It has been a huge success and its influence is still felt today.
Related Post: What is SEO And How Does It Work
What Do We Know About How They Work?
A bit. Every so often Google reveals something about their process and some information can be gleaned from the patents they file. However, it's worth noting that the patents are not a guide to how the system actually works; they are simply guidelines for what aspects of their process may be patentable in future.
The Knowledge Graph has been enhanced with the addition of structured data from web pages via the new structured data markup tool that Google launched a few months ago.
Can You Edit or Influence How Your Brand Appears in the Google Knowledge Graph?
You've Googled your brand name, and you notice something new. Before the organic search results, there's a box that appears with information about your brand. It's called the Google Knowledge Graph.
Google first introduced the Knowledge Graph in May 2012. It is essentially a compilation of key facts about a particular topic, person or brand that is displayed in search results. The data comes from multiple sources (including Wikipedia) and shows up on the right-hand side of Google's search results page.
How Do I Edit or Influence How My Brand Appears in the Knowledge Graph?
To start off, it's important to note that Google does not provide an editing interface for updating knowledge graph information. If you want to update such information (or remove it), you need to take one of the following steps:
Request that Google change the information itself. This can be done through its modal feedback form at the bottom of every knowledge graph box.
Attempt to influence how your company appears in its knowledge graph by increasing your company's online presence overall and working to gain more online reviews of your products and services.
How Does the Knowledge Graph Affect SEO?
As a search engine, Google is primarily concerned with providing results that are relevant and helpful to the searcher.
To provide this kind of service, Google has been developing its Knowledge Graph, which is based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Google's AI-powered algorithms can detect patterns in information, make predictions based on those patterns, and search through billions of pieces of data to find answers.
The Knowledge Graph is being used more and more as Google continues to develop it. This has had a major impact on SEO. Here's why:
Google's Knowledge Graph shows up a lot for informational queries.
Google Search has traditionally focused on keywords and keyword phrases. As their algorithms have become more sophisticated, they've learned to understand the meaning behind words rather than focusing strictly on the words themselves (keyword "stuffing" no longer works).
In addition to understanding the meaning behind search terms, Google's AI can also detect patterns in user behavior. It looks at what users click after searching for a particular term or phrase and uses that information to determine how well the search result matched that query. If it detects that people are clicking through to a certain website after searching for "coffee beans," it will assume that site is relevant to those keywords. It will then be used.
How Is Google's Knowledge Graph Different from Google's Rich Snippets?
The Knowledge Graph is Google's way of providing searchers with a more comprehensive summary of the topic they're looking for. This summary appears in the right column of search results and includes links to related searches.
Knowledge Graph uses structured data markup that webmasters add to a page (or several pages) using Schema.org vocabulary. Schema helps webmasters identify specific kinds of content on their website, including events, people, products and reviews.
Schema is not just for knowledge graph though; it can also be used to create rich snippets that appear directly in the search results, like this:
Google launched rich snippets in 2009 as a way to make its search results more useful to users. Rich snippets include things like event information, product ratings and author information. Google uses structured data markup from Schema.org vocabulary (and others) to create these "rich" search result features.
The knowledge graph appeared in 2012 as a separate tool for delivering additional information about a subject or entity. This feature is powered by a structured data markup tool, but it's designed for broader topics rather than specific elements on an individual page.
Google's Knowledge Graph is a knowledge base used to enhance search results with semantic-search information gathered from a wide variety of sources. It provides structured and detailed information about the topic in addition to a list of links to other sites.
Rich snippets are structured data added to web pages to make them more easily understood by search engines. These snippets can be anything from customer ratings, product prices or even images. The search engine then uses this information to create rich results for users looking for this type of content.
Rich snippets are not as prominent in search results as the Knowledge Graph, but they are still visible on the search engine results pages (SERPs). They are typically displayed underneath a website's title and URL.
While both knowledge graphs and rich snippets can improve your click-through rates, they do it in different ways. Knowledge graphs are designed to provide users with a lot of information quickly and easily, while rich snippets provide just enough information so that users can decide whether or not they want to click through.
Why Do You Want to Be Included in the Knowledge Graph
Let's start with the most basic question: Why should you care about getting onto Google's Knowledge Graph? The answer is simple: Because it drives a ton of people to your website.
When you're in the Knowledge Graph, every time someone searches for your brand name, Google will display a box at the top of its search results that gives information about your business. The graph will include things like your address, phone number and hours of operation. It may also include links to your website and social media accounts.
It's basically free advertising on the world's biggest advertising platform. If you can show up in the Knowledge Graph, it makes you easier for potential customers to find, and it makes them more likely to take action by visiting your site or calling you up.
The reason the Knowledge Graph is so important to marketers is because it appears in two different places on the SERP — on the right-side of desktop results and at the top of mobile results between paid and organic listings. The Knowledge Graph doesn't have keywords or a URL associated with it, so it doesn't compete with other sites for clicks. Instead, it provides a source of non-competitive additional information for users who are looking for additional answers.
Should You Optimize for the Knowledge Panels
Optimizing for Google Knowledge Panels can be a game-changer for brands.
The Knowledge Panel is a feature on the right-hand side of the Google search results page that is activated when users type in a query related to a brand, person or other entity.
What information does it show?
The panel shows general info about the entity, such as an organization's name, logo and social links, along with images and videos related to that brand. It also includes links to other pages on your site.
The Knowledge Panel feature is an excellent way to promote your brand. Here are three ways you can optimize it:
Submit yourself to Wikipedia
There's no surefire way to get included in a Knowledge Panel, but one of the best ways to boost your chances is by getting listed in Wikipedia. (If you're already listed there, make sure your info is complete and up-to-date.) The online encyclopedia isn't just a great source of information — it's also a trusted resource for Google's algorithms. Listing yourself on Wikipedia will help get you noticed by Google and increase your chances of appearing in longer search results snippets and potentially appearing in the Knowledge Panels.
Conclusion
The Knowledge Graph was created to help users better access information more quickly. Instead of having to search for a company, celebrity, or other well-known entity on Google and then dig through search results to find what you're looking for, the Knowledge Graph can provide that information up front. In theory, this makes it easier for users to find what they want. The end result is that Google will provide the information you're seeking even faster, and may very well change the way we all search online forever.
