Google’s Knowledge Graph is a powerful tool that can help you improve your SEO performance by providing relevant and accurate information to your users.
In this article, you will learn what the Knowledge Graph is, how it influences search, and how to get in the Knowledge Graph and suggest changes to your Knowledge Panel.
You will also learn how to use LSI keywords and long-tail keywords to optimize your content for the Knowledge Graph and rank higher in the search results.
What is the Knowledge Graph?
The Knowledge Graph is a knowledge base of entities and the relationships between them. An entity is any object or concept that can be distinctly identified, such as a person, place, organization, event, or idea.
Entities are connected by edges, which describe the relationships between them.
For example, Barack Obama is an entity, and he is connected to other entities such as Michelle Obama (spouse), United States (country), and President (role).
The Knowledge Graph helps Google to understand the meaning behind search queries and provide more relevant and useful results to the users.
For example, if you search for “Barack Obama birthday”, Google will show you a Knowledge Panel with the answer, along with other information about him, such as his height, education, and books.
The Knowledge Panel is a box that appears on the right side of the search results, or at the top on mobile devices, and displays information from the Knowledge Graph.
How does the Knowledge Graph influence search and SEO?
The Knowledge Graph influences search and SEO in several ways:
- It helps Google to better understand the search intent and the context of the query, and to match it with the most relevant content. For example, if you search for “apple”, Google will show you different results depending on whether you mean the fruit or the company.
- It triggers featured snippets, which are concise summaries of the answer to a query that appear at the top of the search results. Featured snippets can increase your website visibility, authority, and click-through rate, as they provide a direct answer to the user’s question and a link to your page.
- It enables voice search, which is becoming more popular with the rise of smart devices and digital assistants. Voice search queries are usually longer and more natural than typed queries, and the Knowledge Graph helps Google to interpret them and provide accurate and conversational answers.
- It creates opportunities for brand awareness and reputation management, as the Knowledge Panel can showcase your business information, such as your logo, website, social media profiles, reviews, and contact details. The Knowledge Panel can also display facts, images, videos, and other content related to your brand, which can enhance your credibility and trustworthiness.
How to get in the Knowledge Graph and suggest changes to your Knowledge Panel?
Getting in the Knowledge Graph and having a Knowledge Panel for your brand can boost your SEO performance and attract more customers.
However, Google does not guarantee that your brand will have a Knowledge Panel, as it depends on many factors, such as the popularity, relevance, and authority of your brand and your website.
Here are some steps you can take to increase your chances of getting in the Knowledge Graph and suggest changes to your Knowledge Panel:
- Claim and optimize your Google My Business profile, which is a free tool that lets you manage your online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. Make sure to provide accurate and complete information about your business, such as your name, address, phone number, website, category, description, hours, and photos. You can also add posts, offers, events, and Q&A to your profile to engage with your customers and showcase your products or services.
- Use structured data markup, which is a code that helps Google to understand the content and context of your website. Structured data markup can help you to provide rich and detailed information about your brand, such as your logo, social media profiles, contact details, reviews, and products or services. You can use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to generate the code and add it to your website. You can also use Google’s Rich Results Test to check if your structured data is valid and eligible for rich results.
- Build your online authority and reputation, which is a key factor that Google considers when deciding whether to include your brand in the Knowledge Graph. You can build your authority and reputation by creating high-quality and relevant content that answers your users’ questions and provides value to them. You can also earn links and mentions from other authoritative and trustworthy websites, such as Wikipedia, news outlets, and industry publications. You can use Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to analyze your backlink profile and find link opportunities.
- Monitor and update your Knowledge Panel, which is a dynamic and evolving feature that can change over time. You can monitor your Knowledge Panel by searching for your brand name on Google and checking if the information is accurate and up-to-date. You can also suggest changes to your Knowledge Panel by clicking on the “Suggest an edit” or “Claim this knowledge panel” buttons at the bottom of the box. You will need to sign in to your Google account and verify your identity and affiliation with the brand. You can then submit your suggestions and wait for Google to review and approve them.
How to use LSI keywords and long-tail keywords to optimize your content for the Knowledge Graph?
LSI keywords and long-tail keywords are two types of keywords that can help you optimize your content for the Knowledge Graph and rank higher in the search results.
LSI keywords are words and phrases that are semantically related to your main keyword, and that Google expects to see in your content. Long-tail keywords are longer and more specific keyword phrases that have lower search volume but higher conversion rate.
Here are some tips on how to use LSI keywords and long-tail keywords to optimize your content for the Knowledge Graph:
- Find LSI keywords and long-tail keywords using tools, such as Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer, WordStream’s Free Keyword Tool. These tools can help you generate a list of LSI keywords and long-tail keywords related to your main keyword, along with their search volume, difficulty, and click-through rate. You can also use Google’s autocomplete, related searches, and “People also ask” features to find more LSI keywords and long-tail keywords that users are searching for.
- Use LSI keywords and long-tail keywords naturally and strategically in your content, such as in your title, headings, subheadings, introduction, body, conclusion, and meta tags. Make sure to use them in a way that makes sense and adds value to your content, and avoid keyword over-optimization. You can also use LSI keywords and long-tail keywords to create internal links to other relevant pages on your website, which can improve your site structure and user experience.
- Measure and improve your content performance using tools, such as Google Analytics, Google Search Consol, or Ahrefs’ Site Audit. These tools can help you track and analyze your content performance, such as your traffic, rankings, impressions, clicks, bounce rate, and conversions. You can also identify and fix any issues or errors that may affect your content quality and SEO, such as broken links, duplicate content, or slow loading speed.
Conclusion
The Knowledge Graph is a powerful tool that can help you improve your SEO performance by providing relevant and accurate information to your users. To get in the Knowledge Graph and suggest changes to your Knowledge Panel, you need to claim and optimize your Google My Business profile, use structured data markup, build your online authority and reputation, and monitor and update your Knowledge Panel.
To optimize your content for the Knowledge Graph and rank higher in the search results, you need to use LSI keywords and long-tail keywords naturally and strategically in your content, and measure and improve your content performance using tools.
FAQs
What is the difference between the Knowledge Graph and the Knowledge Panel?
The Knowledge Graph is a knowledge base of entities and the relationships between them, while the Knowledge Panel is a box that displays information from the Knowledge Graph on the search results page.
How can I get featured snippets from the Knowledge Graph?
Featured snippets are concise summaries of the answer to a query that appear at the top of the search results. To get featured snippets from the Knowledge Graph, you need to create high-quality and relevant content that answers your users’ questions and provides value to them.
You also need to use structured data markup, headings, lists, tables, and images to make your content easy to read and understand.
How can I influence the Knowledge Graph with social media?
Social media can help you influence the Knowledge Graph by increasing your brand awareness, authority, and reputation.
You can use social media to share your content, engage with your audience, and earn links and mentions from other authoritative and trustworthy sources.
You can also use social media to claim and verify your identity and affiliation with your brand, and to suggest changes to your Knowledge Panel.
How can I optimize my content for voice search and the Knowledge Graph?
Voice search is a type of search where users use their voice to ask questions or commands to a device, such as a smartphone or a smart speaker.
To optimize your content for voice search and the Knowledge Graph, you need to use natural and conversational language, answer your users’ questions directly and concisely, use long-tail keywords and question phrases, and use structured data markup and schema.org vocabulary.
How can I keep up with the changes and updates in the Knowledge Graph?
The Knowledge Graph is a dynamic and evolving feature that can change over time. To keep up with the changes and updates in the Knowledge Graph, you need to monitor and update your Knowledge Panel regularly, follow the latest news and trends in the SEO industry, and use tools and resources, such as Google’s Webmaster Central Blog, Ahrefs’ Blog, or Back
Last modified: January 24, 2024
