Demystifying the Google Knowledge Panel: Algorithms Meet Human Touch
When you type a query into Google, you're sometimes greeted with a concise box of information on the right-hand side – that's the Google Knowledge Panel. But how does this panel come to be, and how does Google ensure its accuracy? Let's dive in.
1. What is the Google Knowledge Panel? The Google Knowledge Panel provides users with an overview of a topic, be it a celebrity, a landmark, a movie, or a local business. All of it with a number of trusted web sources, this box of info aims to give users a snapshot without diving deep into the search results.
2. The Creation Process
Google's Knowledge Panels are, at their core, powered by the Google Knowledge Graph, which is a vast database that understands facts about entities and the relationships between them. Here's a more nuanced breakdown:
Google Knowledge Graph: This is Google's internal database of facts about entities and their relationships. It is the primary source of information for Knowledge Panels. The Knowledge Graph aggregates information from various licensed sources, public sources, and from Google's own properties.
Google Maps and Google Business Profile: For local businesses, Google often sources information from Google Maps and Google Business Profile listings. This data includes business hours, addresses, phone numbers, reviews, and sometimes photos.
Crawled Content: Google's primary function is crawling the web. While the Knowledge Graph powers much of the Panel's data, the content that Google's bots find while crawling the web can influence or add to the information displayed.
Trusted Directories and Websites: Certain authoritative websites and directories can influence the Knowledge Panel. For instance, data about a company might be pulled from reputable business directories or details about a book from libraries or publishers. Through my observations as an SEO, I came to realize that if an entity, person, etc. doesn't have a dedicated Wikipedia page, displaying a Knowledge Panel becomes much more unlikely.
User-Generated Content: Reviews, particularly those on Google Maps or Google My Business, can appear in a business's Knowledge Panel. For some entities, Google might also pull in relevant user-generated content from other platforms.
Direct Feedback: Google also allows users and entities to provide direct feedback on Knowledge Panels, helping in refining and improving the data over time. This feedback is prioritized if you claim the Knowledge Panel. More on this below.
It's important to note that the exact mix and weight given to each source can vary based on the topic of the Knowledge Panel and the available information from each source. The combination of these data sources helps Google provide a comprehensive and accurate snapshot of entities in its Knowledge Panels.
3. Validating the Information: A Two-Pronged Approach While algorithms play a pivotal role in generating these panels, human touch ensures its integrity.
Claiming Panels: Notable figures, organizations, or local businesses can claim their respective Knowledge Panels. Once claimed, you're at liberty to suggest edits. However, these aren't automatically approved.
The Review Process: This is where the blend of technology and human touch shines. Algorithmic checks will assess the relevance and accuracy of the suggested edits. Yet, there are instances when the human eye becomes indispensable. Manual reviewers step in to evaluate changes against Google's stringent guidelines. Their role is especially vital when there are potential discrepancies or contentious edits.
4. Everyone Can Contribute Even without claiming a panel, anyone can suggest edits. These, too, pass through the vigilant eyes of Google's manual review team after an initial algorithmic check.
5. Ensuring Accuracy For those looking to influence their Knowledge Panels, maintaining an updated and consistent online presence is key. Regular updates on profiles, websites, and platforms can make a significant difference.
6. The Double-Edged Sword of Visibility
While Knowledge Panels offer users quick insights and streamline the search experience, they can also serve as a double-edged sword for website owners and marketers. By providing information directly on the search page, these panels can, at times, negate the need for users to click through to websites. Consequently, even if your website's information fuels the panel, you might witness a decline in direct organic traffic.
This phenomenon underscored a crucial shift in the world of SEO. SEO isn't merely about driving organic traffic or achieving top ranks anymore. Today, visibility in search results, be it through Knowledge Panels, featured snippets, or other SERP features, is equally pivotal. It's about ensuring brand presence and dissemination of accurate information. For businesses and SEO professionals, the goal now extends beyond clicks to ensuring consistent, accurate, and prominent representation across all facets of search.
In Conclusion The Google Knowledge Panel is a fascinating blend of machine-driven algorithms and human oversight. While the former ensures efficiency and broad data coverage, the latter guarantees accuracy, making sure the information remains trusted and reliable. And for marketing in general is a visibility tool that can get more eyes on your brand, person, product, etc.
