What Is a Knowledge Panel?

Adam Steele
Dec 7, 2021

Hand off the toughest tasks in SEO, PPC, and content without compromising quality

Explore Services
Quick navigation

You want to know if something negative is being said about your brand on the internet, don’t you?

That is especially true if it is an authoritative source speaking about your business and providing public information about what you sell, where you are located, your hours, your website, and more.

When Google shows information about your brand in what are known as Google Knowledge Panels, you don’t just want to be aware of it; you want to claim it.

What’s your motivation for claiming knowledge panels?

Simple. You get to direct the story.

When you notify Google that you own that brand, you can ensure that the information is correct and up to date.

When utilizing SEO to create your brand, this is a vital stage.

Claiming knowledge panels for your business is a pretty easy process that you should be on top of if you want to keep consumers coming through your doors or to your website on a consistent basis and equipping them with the appropriate information.

In this article, you will learn about knowledge panels in detail, explaining what they are, what they do, how important they are, and how you may obtain one.

Let’s get this party started!

What Is a Knowledge Panel?

In Google’s search results pages, knowledge panels are a sort of rich result. They may display data on a wide range of topics. Things that are also known as entities include, for example, corporations, people, animals, countries, and plants.

When you do a business search, a box will occasionally appear on the right-hand side panel of your SERP (search engine results page). This is intended to provide users with a brief glimpse of information on this topic. This information box is known as the Google knowledge panel.

Google’s Knowledge Graph powers the text, pictures, and other content displayed in this panel.

The Google knowledge panel is an excellent resource for generating leads for your company. It allows you to stand out from the crowd and get your audience to notice your company first.

A brand or organization name, explanations of the person’s history, brand name, phone number, and highlighted photos may all be found on knowledge panels.

Google claims that it utilizes a variety of variables to determine what appears in that panel. As you browse around, you’ll notice that some information appears to have been obtained from other sources, such as Wikipedia or other internet pages.

Furthermore, Google takes data from keyword searches and questions people commonly ask about that entity or thing, and it pulls those queries and answers in. Videos, books, and, of course, People Also Search For are some of the other carousels that may appear at the bottom of a person’s knowledge panel.

Why Is a Knowledge Panel Important?

Knowledge panels may be highly beneficial to your company.

A Google knowledge panel aids in the discovery of your company and its differentiation from the competitors. It’s one of the first things your target audience will notice when searching for a company like yours.

You will dominate the search results if you are positioned at the top right. Because the content is boxed off, the eye is drawn to it right away. This is incredibly useful in terms of generating valuable leads who are interested in your business. According to research, the first five organic results on the first page account for 67.60 percent of all clicks.

It also provides your viewers with immediate access to all of your company’s information. If they like what they see, they can get in touch with your company. The Google knowledge panel is useful for generating leads and converting them into sales.

Knowledge Panel FAQ

Who gets a knowledge panel on Google?

There is no specific method or optimization that will ensure your company’s position on the knowledge panel. The information panel, like everything else on Google, is powered by Google’s algorithm. The algorithm determines which businesses show on this panel, which presents difficulties.

It is impossible to identify the required optimizations to acquire a place on the Google knowledge panel since no outside business understands the inner workings of Google’s algorithm. While there is no way to know for definite what factors influence who is appointed to the knowledge panel, there are several ideas as to how businesses get included there.

This position is assigned to companies based on their relevance to the search, distance from the user’s location, and notoriety. Google wants to connect people with relevant businesses in their area that they can rely on.

Many businesses believe that as long as they authenticate their firm, they will appear on Google’s knowledge panel. While it does not entirely influence whether your business shows in that box, it does assist customers in verifying your business so they know it is legitimate.

There is also no way to purchase your way into a higher ranking. You cannot purchase your way to the top of Google Search, Google Maps, or Google My Business. Google will only provide results that it believes are most relevant to the user’s search query.

How do I use the Google knowledge panel?

Make a wikidata and wikipedia page

When building a knowledge panel, Google’s major sources of information are Wikipedia and Wikidata. As a result, you must have an online presence on each of these channels.

Participate on social media platforms
A knowledge panel displays social media accounts (Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, YouTube etc). They also assist Google in learning more about your brand, its services, and how it works. Aside from that, your internet presence improves exposure and makes it easier for consumers to find your social accounts.

Make use of Schema Markup
Implementing structured data on your web page helps Google to efficiently examine the contents of your site. It also aids search engines in understanding how the information is organized. Implementing schema markup can improve internet visibility and CTRs.

Furthermore, use meta tags to offer as much data about your website as feasible. Optimize the meta tags with the primary keyword, including the meta description and title. Include information on the writers as well.

Make a listing in local directories
Local businesses are also featured in Google’s knowledge panel. So, in order to obtain one for your local business, you should set up a Google My Business profile.

You must first establish and validate a Google My Business account. If you’re a local business, it makes sense to do this anyhow because it allows your company to be featured on Google Maps and allows people to post reviews. That is the fundamentals of local SEO.

There are techniques to improve your odds, as described in a podcast with Jason Barnard (founder and CEO at Kalicube – a groundbreaking digital marketing agency), or in this webinar with Jason and others. However, it will require a significant amount of time and work, and success is not assured.

Why should you claim knowledge panel?

Is it worthwhile to spend time claiming Google knowledge panels?

If you own a brand with a knowledge panel, you may prove your connection to that business and, at the very least, influence part of the information presented on the panel. There are several reasons why you should consider claiming knowledge panels:

  • Keep the links to your social media profiles up to date
  • Choose which featured photos are utilized
  • Have control over what information about your brand is emphasized
  • Have a more involved relationship with what Google is presenting about your brand
  • Ensure up-to-date and accurate information

What happens when you claim a knowledge panel?

Once you’ve claimed the panel, you may make modifications to the information to ensure it’s always up to date and correct. The last thing you want is for someone to search for you on Google and get inaccurate information that prevents them from continuing their inquiry.

You should also add LocalBusiness schema markup to your website and test it in Google Search Console.

You may send in a recommendation or request an update using the Google account connected with that knowledge panel, so Google knows it’s coming from an authorized source when it gets your request.

How long does it take to claim a knowledge panel?

The timeframe is quite erratic. It can take a few days for publishing a Wikipedia article, a few weeks for publishing a well-constructed Wikidata item, and a few months without Wiki.

If you utilize Wiki, you must not use it as a “one-trick pony,” leaving yourself at the mercy of faceless Wiki editors and administrators.

How do I claim my knowledge panel?

You are now ready to claim knowledge panels in Google that pertain to you, your brand, or companies that you represent. There are two choices:

Option 1 —The entity home is recognized by Google

If Google has recognized the entity home (as indicated by the globe icon on the knowledge panel), and you are the recognized owner of the domain (property) in Search Console, you can log in to Search Console and claim the knowledge panel when you click on “claim this knowledge panel.”

There is a new option available (as of early 2022). Google has introduced Twitter and YouTube as additional ways to claim your knowledge panel, and they are sometimes (but not always) available as alternatives.

Please keep in mind that the Search Console option is never available if Google has not recognized the entity’s home. Because of this mechanism, if Google gets the entity home address wrong, someone else might claim your knowledge panel.

Option 2 — Google does not identify the entity home

If there is no ‘globe icon’ or social icons, Google does not identify the entity home or social channels.

You must demonstrate who you are as well as why your relationship with the entity (business, person, etc.) should provide you ownership of their knowledge panel. There are several steps you must take. You must supply your government-issued identification, a selfie with your ID, confirmation of your legal link to the company, and logged-in screenshots of recognized social profiles.

The application is then reviewed by a person at Google, who either accepts or rejects it.
Through Google My Business (GMB), you may claim your company’s local and branded Knowledge Panels . In reality, your company will not obtain a Knowledge Panel until it has established a profile on GMB.

A word of caution: Google My Business boxes are not knowledge panels. They are business listings that include information given by the company itself (in good faith).

Don’t forget: check out the other definitions (over 200) in our growing SEO glossary.

Loganix will help you optimize your Google knowledge panel

Hopefully, this article has given you a better understanding of knowledge panels.

Knowing how the public views you requires understanding what people are learning about you and your brand. If the content at the top of a Google search is incorrect or does not represent what you want to project, you must claim knowledge panels and seek changes.

Claiming knowledge panels can give you a little more control over how your company appears in Google searches, but it’s not the end of the story. In truth, it is only one stage in the process of developing an online brand and SEO. There is so much you can do to enhance your SEO and keep your client base up to date on the information they need to connect effectively with your business.

If you are ready to begin optimizing your local company listing for the Google knowledge panel, please contact us to talk with a strategist.

We look forward to assisting your company’s growth!

Hand off the toughest tasks in SEO, PPC, and content without compromising quality

Explore Services

Written by Adam Steele on December 7, 2021

COO and Product Director at Loganix. Recovering SEO, now focused on the understanding how Loganix can make the work-lives of SEO and agency folks more enjoyable, and profitable. Writing from beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia.