Indeed, whether you need to check out a local restaurant, research your new favorite music artist, or refresh your memory about a significant historical event, you'll likely find answers right in the search results of a knowledge panel.
So how do knowledge panels work and why are they important for your business?
In this article, we'll outline what knowledge panels are, why they're important, and what you can do to claim one for your business.
So let's start with the basics.
What is Google Knowledge Panel?
Knowledge panels are blocks of information that appear on Google's search engine results pages (SERPs) for queries about "entities" such as people, places, and things. These blocks appear to the right of search results on desktop and above (or in the middle) of results on mobile devices.
The purpose of the knowledge panel is to give searchers a quick overview of what they are looking for. For example, here is the knowledge panel for the search term 'John F Kennedy':
Google Knowledge Panel for the search term 'John F Kennedy'
Google automatically generates knowledge panels Shandong Mobile Phone Numbers Database and much of the information that appears in these panels comes from Google’s Knowledge Graph , which is essentially a large database of facts about entities that Google pulls from fact-based sources like Wikipedia, the CIA’s World Factbook, LinkedIn, Bloomberg, and Reuters.
How Does Google Determine When to Display the Knowledge Panel?
A search query can trigger a knowledge panel when it references an entity in Google's Knowledge Graph.
A knowledge panel is more likely to be shown when Google is confident that presenting multiple pieces of information in one place will benefit the user. For example, knowledge panels often present content that users can only obtain by visiting multiple web pages or websites.
Knowledge Panels and Business Profiles
Knowledge panels are often confused with Google Business Profiles.
This is because, just like a knowledge panel for a business, a business profile is an information box on Google's SERPs that provides details about that business.
The main difference is that a business profile only appears in location-specific business searches. Users outside of a company's service area will not see that company's business profile in search results.
Furthermore, businesses find it easier to control what information appears on their business profiles, which they can manage using Google My Business .
To illustrate why it’s easy to confuse the two SERP features, IKEA’s knowledge panel and business profile (for Cardiff, United Kingdom) are placed side by side:
IKEA's knowledge panel and business profile
What Are the Business Benefits of Having a Google Knowledge Panel?
The knowledge panel acts as a sort of search engine billboard for your business and includes your brand logo, links to your site and social media profiles, and high-level information about who you are and what you sell.
The fact that a knowledge panel occupies such a dominant piece of SERP real estate means that user eyes will be immediately drawn to it. So, in addition to making it easier for potential customers to quickly learn about your business and get in touch, a knowledge panel also draws users’ attention away from competing results or ads. Naturally, the more prominent your business is on the SERPs, the more likely you are to get clicked.
What’s more, when people see a knowledge panel when searching for your company or brand, it automatically gives your business a certain air of credibility. This may be because searchers are now accustomed to seeing knowledge panels appear for leading companies and therefore associate the SERP feature with a degree of prestige and credibility.
