Over the years, Google has continued to evolve its presentation of search results. Text ads, which, for years were the only offering, remain at the forefront. But a few years ago, Google started to provide a big graphical box on the right-hand side of results pages, which is called “Knowledge Graph.” Through Knowledge Graphs, Google aims to provide more intelligent and useful results beyond simply matching queries to single web pages.
The Knowledge Graph is full of useful information and, even better, you (or your agency) can manage most of the information through Google My Business, a free add-on to any Gmail account.
What Does A Knowledge Graph Look Like?
Though Knowledge Graphs differ based on category (company, product or person), they are all presented in an infobox next to search results.
What Information Does It Contain?
- Photos, which are typically segmented by inside and outside
- If you click on the primary photo, you open up a large photo box, which offers multiple images
- Map
- Company Name
- Access to the website, directions and save options
- Star ranking and access to Google reviews
- Categorization of listing with dollars signs to indicate scaled cost
- Brief description
- Address
- Business hours
- Phone number (click to call if using a mobile device)
- Questions and answers
- Popular times
- Relatable search options
- Other options related to the type of business or person
Which Parts of the Knowledge Graph Can You Manage?
- Some of the photos
- Basic information such as website URL, categorization and general price
- Brief description, address, business hours, phone number
- Know this place?
- You can answer questions in this section
Which Parts Are Controlled By Users (And Out Of Your Hands)?
- Photos
- Anyone can add their own photos as well
- Google reviews and web reviews
- Questions and answers
- Questions are asked by your patrons, though you can provide answers
- “People also search for” is driven by Google
Krispy Kreme Knowledge Graph (click on image to enlarge)
How Do I Access Knowledge Graphs?
- Log into your Gmail account
- In the upper right-hand corner, you’ll see a square group of dots, looking a bit like a Rubik’s cube
- Click on it to see a drop-down of all the products offered by Google
- Select Google My Business from the menu
- Fill out all of the information that you can
- Pay extra attention to consistency (i.e., Road vs. Rd.)
How to access Google My Business (click on image to enlarge)
Additional Options Within Google My Business
- Home: Overview page
- Posts: Use this feature to announce new products, events, offers or anything relevant within the next 7 days, as this is how long it will remain in the Knowledge Graph
- Info: This is where you add your company name, category, description, business hours and services
- Insights: Data explaining user behavior
- How people found you and the queries they used during their search
- Views of your listing (both search and maps)
- Actions such as clicking through to your website, requesting directions or calling you
- Reviews: You will find Google reviews in Google My Business, and you can respond as you choose
- Messaging: If your business is set up to accept and respond to texts, this is a great option
- Photos: Add photos and videos within the app
- Website: This is for those who do not have a live site
- Users: There can be a primary owner and one or more managers
- Ads: If you don’t have a Google Ads program and want a simple solution for ads, this is an option
- Locations: This is for companies with more than one location
Why Does This Matter?
First and foremost, Knowledge Graphs take up a lot of real estate. And just think, it can be devoted exclusively to your business in a free and relatively simple way. Furthermore, this powerful tool provides meaningful and varied information in one succinct location for searchers. (Note: Google determines what information is included in the Knowledge Graph and alerts you through Gmail if a new category is added. Recently, they have been promoting photos and holiday hours more than other line items.)
Additionally, the information in a Knowledge Graph is used to power many of the innovative new ways data shows up in rich search results. These new features are evolving quickly, especially with the rise in voice-activated search devices. We’ll explore more of these in our next post.
Belgrave and Knowledge Graphs:
As you may know by now, our team at Belgrave is passionate about the latest and greatest marketing tools. One of the many reasons we like to stay up to date on marketing trends is the opportunity to drive our clients’ bottom lines. While some trends come and go, we are fairly confident that Google Knowledge Graphs will continue to grow more influential.
We are available to help implement or manage your Google account, so reach out if you have any questions.