Google Search 101: What is the Knowledge Network and How It Works
If you have used the Google search engine, you probably came across a knowledge graph without even knowing about it.
What is the Knowledge Graph?
Google knowledge graph is a database with a lot of information in different directions, from celebrities to interesting facts. The main task of the knowledge network is to give the user an exhaustive answer to the question posed using data from the database.
For example, let’s try to find a modern actor. This is how it will look:
Various publicly available sources are used to collect data, including information that can be obtained from content owners and people proposing changes to knowledge blocks (previously verified).
Does Knowledge Graph Affect SEO?
It undoubtedly does. However, this influence cannot be viewed exclusively in a positive way.
On the one hand, users get the most relevant search results and businesses get traffic. At the same time, people are less likely to follow links in search results. It is quite logical if all the necessary information has already been compiled and put into a separate block.
However, do not underestimate the importance of the knowledge network. Thanks to this we gained a better understanding of searches. The difference in Google search algorithms and the Google Knowledge Graph successfully works in practice and provides comprehensive information upon request.
It also helped Google learn to better handle voice queries and brought more popularity and credibility for brands. The benefits are clear.
Recently, a post was published on the Google blog where it was said on what principles google graph works and what nuances should be taken into account when working with it. There was also information that the database has expanded to 500 billion facts about 5 billion objects. These numbers are quite impressive.
Recall that Google’s virtual encyclopedia has its own set of rules that they strictly adhere to:
- The content must not contain scenes of violence against people and animals. It cannot be shocking.
- The use of profanity is categorically unacceptable.
- Calls to terrorist or extremist actions, incitement to interracial hatred, discriminatory statements are prohibited.
- Depicting and describing sex scenes and nudity is taboo.
- Information on a medical direction must have an evidence base and not contradict the world standards of medicine.
- Dangerous content, harassment, threats, insults, and intimidation are also prohibited.
- Great attention is paid to the reliability of the information.
How Knowledge Blocks are Formed
Any block of knowledge is generated automatically based on the most relevant and popular information. The structure in the blocks may differ slightly from each other, but it often preserves the following sequence: title, short information on request, detailed description, photos, facts, and additional information such as sites or links to profiles.
How Do You Get a Knowledge Graph on Google?
Getting into the google search results graph can give a company a number of benefits. The brand’s authority in the eyes of users will automatically increase, and you will also get stuck in search results.
Let’s talk about how to create a google knowledge graph.
If Google Graph does not yet answer a question or you know that your brand could represent it better, there is a chance to do something. You need to do the following:
- Create profiles of your company on social networks. As a reminder, Google Graph also publishes links to social networks. Your minimum needed to start is Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest.
- Use semantic markup on your site. Schema.org will come to your aid.
- Make sure you have unique and structured content. It’s important that it is readable. Google is doing everything it can to provide its readers with access to reliable and useful information, and you can help with this.
- Don’t forget about using keywords in the title and description tags, titles, intros, body text, output, and URL.
- Create your pages on Wikipedia and Wikidata.org.
- Create an account with Google My Business. How they interact is mentioned on Twitter by Glenn Gabe (SEO Consultant at G-Squared Interactive focused on Google algorithm update recovery, technical SEO audits, and SEO training).
- Don’t forget about the need for promotion.
How to Make Changes in the Knowledge Block
Let’s say you have successfully followed all the previous steps and created a google knowledge graph for the brand. Unfortunately, algorithms do not always work perfectly and meet the expectations of their creators. You may encounter errors. However, the system is designed so that you and the users can help improve the algorithms. If you notice an error or inaccuracy in the information, you can claim the rights to the knowledge block by clicking the “claim this knowledge panel” button at the bottom of the block.
After passing the check, you can suggest your edits. How to do this is described in the official Google instructions:
Bill Slawski (the Director of Search Marketing for Go Fish Digital and the editor of SEO by the Sea) notes that learning how the Google Knowledge Graph works can help you understand the impact it has on search results and the Internet. With each answer to a question, Google Knowledge Graph evolves and improves its performance. At this stage, we can say that information about objects is drawn from publicly available sources, libraries, books, and scientific data closed for public access on the Internet.
It is also interesting that the relationship between the objects requested by users and information about these objects is formed, on the basis of semantic relationships, as well as contextual, statistical information, metadata, and audit.
We briefly covered what a knowledge graph is and how do you make a graph on google. By using these tips and tricks, you can increase the chances of creating a google graph for your brand. Stay tuned for updates and use all the opportunities that the knowledge network can provide you.
