Remember those situations in which you have had questions about a topic? Wanted to learn more about a historical event, celebrity, or business? Then you probably have resorted to using search engines.
The truth is that while knowledge is power, search engines are the fuel to that power. Google, the Internet’s most popular search engine, has an estimated 3.5 billion users daily and continues to be people’s preferred source of information.
Here’s when Google knowledge panel guides jump into the game. Does your business need one? Can you create one? Let’s look at the part knowledge can play in your company’s popularity.
Google Knowledge Panels Introduction
When you use Google to search for an entity (business, places, people, etc.), you’ll notice that a panel appears on the right side of the search results. Google’s knowledge panels are information boxes that contain key facts to showcase when a user searches: titles and summaries of a topic, social media channels, photos, and more.
Taking this information to the business world, let’s put it this way: imagine you do a quick search on an entity, a company—especially a worldwide famous one— and you will see you get several facts on their knowledge panels. For example, if you search for Apple, you read information about its founders, CEO, date of creation, and many other interesting facts.
So, based on that, you can see that when a knowledge panel shows up on your business’ SERPs (search engine result pages), it can help potential customers know about your company without extensive research.
Generating a Google Knowledge Panel
The idea of Google knowledge panels sounds amazing, doesn’t it? People could learn about your business just by typing its name and taking a look at the right side of their screens. You are probably wondering if you can create a knowledge panel from scratch or if there is any way to get one.
The most important thing you need about this feature is that knowledge panels are automatically generated. Google decides what information will show up on it. This structured data comes from several sources across the Internet, as the platform states. And if the information changes on these sources, it will update automatically on the SERP.
However, there are ways you can help Google start collecting information about your business. Look at it this way: if the knowledge panel information comes from internet sources, you must find ways to add your company’s information online.
You can start by creating a section on your business website that shares the story of it. Be thorough with the information, add when you created it, the year of creation, who the CEO is, and anything you want Google to add to your panel.
Many recommend creating a Wikipedia page, which can be quite helpful for any local business. And as you would with your company’s website, add your information in a detailed manner.
Claiming a Knowledge Panel on Google: Can Yuo Do It?
Maybe you cannot get a Google knowledge panel for your business, but in case one exists already, you can claim it. The claim process has only a few steps:
- Start from your Google account.
- Perform a quick search of your company’s name, the knowledge panel should show up on the SERPs.
- Scroll toward the bottom of the panel and you will find the Claim This Panel option.
- Google will provide some information about the features you get if you verify the panel’s ownership.
- Next, it will ask you to log into one of their verification pages: Google Search Console, Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook. With this action, the platform will see if the owner of the account and the information of the knowledge panel matches.
Once you complete this process and Google hands your knowledge panel ownership, you will be able to add any manager you would like to your panel as well.
What About Editing a Google Knowledge Panel?
Moving forward, after you claim your knowledge panel, there might be data you would like to edit. It can be challenging to modify it since Google updates the information automatically. However, you can suggest changes by following these steps:
- Start from one of the accounts you used to claim the knowledge panel.
- On your account, turn on the Web and App activity settings.
- Go to your knowledge panel and find the Suggest An Edit option. You’ll find it as “Suggest Edits” on your mobile phone.
- Once you click the link, choose what you wish to edit. Notice that if it requires several changes, you will have to do each of them manually.
- As you start this process, you must add relevant information about your business. You’ll need to add: the change you want to suggest, why you want it to replace the information in the panel, and any URLs that back up the information you are adding.
- Click Send, and your process will complete.
However, if you are unable to perform any information on your business knowledge panel, look into the following reasons:
- You are doing the panel changes from an account that is not the one you claimed your profile with.
- You are not a verified representative of the business entity. In that case, you will need to verify your account or ask the account owner to give you the verification Google requires.
Will Google Let Me Delete a Knowledge Panel?
What if you would like to delete a knowledge panel? The truth is, you can’t. However, you could be in a situation where you cannot find your Google knowledge panel. Look into these facts to see what could have happened.
Knowledge Graph
A knowledge graph is a network of entities that showcases the relationship between them. Google uses knowledge graphs and updates them occasionally. When Google’s knowledge graph goes through this process, the information itself changes, and consequently, the data within the panel changes.
You need to make sure your business entity has a strong entity home. Remember: an entity home can be your webpage About This Company.
Entity Home Issues
So you have an entity home and happen to lose that foundation on Google, your business knowledge panel could disappear. Let’s use the Wikipedia example we saw above:
You create a Wikipedia page for your business, and Google generates a knowledge panel based on it. After a while, your page is deleted for reasons pertinent to the information platform. This situation could lead to the knowledge panel disappearing from your business’ SERPs.
Make sure your information is accurate and also is in a strong entity home. If your entity home is on your website, and the page Google uses for information disappears, it could affect your knowledge panel.
Google Employees
Google employees can delete a knowledge panel. The reasons behind this action could be due to spam, duplicate data boxes, or if a knowledge panel appears to have untruthful information.
It probably seems almost impossible to have spammy panel information, but here’s what you need to know: if Google determines you are managing your panel through practices that go against its guidelines, chances are they will delete it.
For example, if you use paid sources to create knowledge panels, Google could flag it as spam. It’s ok to create a Wikipedia page for your business, but only stating facts about your establishment’s history. If you use it to boost your company’s reputation, it could be damaging to your information panel, according to Google.
It’s important that you fully understand and have a clear comprehension of the platform’s guidelines so that you won’t have to face any issues regarding your knowledge panel.
Boosting Businesses Through Google Knowledge Panels
One of the main goals of business owners is to boost the reach of their company and its content online. It’s a given fact that having an online presence is almost imperative to increase the chance of success.
Increasing your company’s SEO rankings is key to boosting its reach. And information boxes that appear when potential clients do a quick search of your business are a powerful tool to help with your overall reputation and popularity.
Let’s put it this way: our daily life speed is incredibly fast, and sometimes users need to get quick insights about a company instead of performing thorough research. Knowledge panels are a type of brief information that give potential customers what they’re looking for, and it will help users get an idea about your company through a few lines of data.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Main Differences Between Google My Business and Google Knowledge Panels?
There are a few main differences between GMB and a Google knowledge panel. For starters, Google Business profiles are completely handled by the profile owners and admins. On the other hand, while you can claim knowledge panels and request changes within the information, you cannot edit it however you like.
Furthermore, Google Business Profile accounts allow customers to leave reviews and ratings, whereas knowledge panels will only have the information taken from sources Google acquires it from. While you could see GMB accounts as social profiles, knowledge panels are a tool to display crucial information about your establishment.
Do I Have to Pay to Use a Google Knowledge Panel?
Google knowledge panels are completely free. If you try paying to get a knowledge panel, Google will flag it as spam. Remember that the information that appears in knowledge panels is automatically and organically chosen by the platform.
Can Anyone Claim a Knowledge Panel?
Technically, yes, anyone can claim a knowledge panel. However, it is up to Google to determine if the user the information provides is worthy of a knowledge panel claim. Google will decide if the data for its knowledge panel claim is the same date you provide during the process, and then you will be granted ownership.
Final Thoughts
Information changes on the web constantly. However, those information boxes that appear on Google are an excellent way of gaining official details about a business.
A Google knowledge panel comes with enough information to let potential customers know what your business is about, and it’s one of the best ways of letting them know about your company’s history beforehand, which can show the clients how legitimate your establishment is. As you saw in this article, a knowledge panel will present a chance to promote and improve your business’s SEO rankings.
