Google Knowledge Panel (What Is It and How Do You Earn It?)

On this page, we’ll dive into detail about the Google knowledge panel and how you can increase your chances of getting your business featured in this panel. If you need help optimizing for the Google knowledge panel, call us today at 888-601-5359 to speak with a strategist.

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What is the Google knowledge panel?

The Google knowledge panel is the panel of information people see when they conduct a search. These boxes appear when people conduct a search looking for a local business. This box appears to the right of the search results.

The information in this box is the knowledge. It’s information about a business that guides a visitor towards choosing that business. The box includes basic information, including the location, hours of operation, and photos.

These panels are powered by the knowledge graph. The information is rendered from this graph. For some businesses, there are more details about features they offer. For instance, a hotel might have amenities listed in the knowledge panel because this is important information to people who search for hotels.

The Google knowledge panel is a valuable spot for driving leads to your business. It helps you stand out from the competition and get your audience to notice your business first.

Components featured in the knowledge panel

When you see a local business knowledge panel, there are many components featured in this panel. Here are some elements you can expect to see on this panel.

1. Photos and videos: These are featured at the top of the listing. The photos and videos include both content your business posts and photos your customers take. On your end, you’ll want to make sure you add plenty of high-quality photos to give your audience a good insight into your business.
2. Maps: When your listing appears in the knowledge panel, there is a Google Map attached to it. Within that map is a pin to your business’s location. Ensure that your pin marks the correct address for your business.
3. Business name: This is the official name of your business. It’s important that you check to make sure your business’s name is properly formatted according to Google’s name. Don’t use any nicknames or acronyms to substitute for your business’s full name.
4. Website button: The website button is one of the most important elements in the Google knowledge panel. It guides users to your business’s website and gets them to learn more about your business. Ensure that the link out from your page is the right place to start their journey on your website.
5. Reviews: Reviews can make or break your business. They have a strong influence on whether someone chooses your business or the competition. If you want to see the biggest impact with your business being featured in the Google knowledge panel, encourage previous customers to leave a review about their experience.

While these aren’t all the components featured in the Google knowledge panel, they are some of the most important parts of your listing. You’ll want to ensure that everything is up-to-date and accurate in your listing.

Why is the Google knowledge panel important?

Knowledge panels are extremely valuable to your business. They help your business get discovered and stand out from the competition. It’s one of the first things your audience will see when they conduct a search for a business like yours.

You will dominate the search results by having a placement at the top right. Since the information is boxed off, the eye is immediately drawn to it. This is extremely beneficial to helping you earn valuable leads interested in your business.

It also gives your audience access to all the information about your business instantly. If they like what they see, they can reach out and contact your business. The Google knowledge panel is valuable for driving leads and turning them into conversions.

How can I get my business to appear in the Google knowledge panel?

There isn’t a special trick or optimization that will guarantee your business a spot in the knowledge panel. Like everything else with Google, the knowledge panel runs on Google’s algorithm. The business that appears in this panel is determined by that algorithm, which creates challenges.

Since no outsider company knows the inner-workings of Google’s algorithm, it’s difficult to know the proper optimizations to get the Google knowledge panel spot. Even though there is no way to fully know what determines who ends up in the knowledge panel spot, there are some speculations on how businesses get featured there.

This spot is given to businesses based on relevance to the search, distance from the user’s location, and the prominence of the business. Google wants to provide users with a relevant business near them that they can trust.

Many businesses are under the false impression that, as long as you verify your business, you’ll appear in the Google knowledge panel. While it doesn’t solely determine whether your business appears in that box, it does help from a customer standpoint to verify your business, so they know it’s real.

There is no way to buy your way into a better ranking, either. Whether it’s Google Search, Google Maps, or Google My Business, you can’t pay your way into the appearing at the top. Google will only generate results that it thinks are the most relevant to the user’s search query.

How to increase your chances of appearing in the Google knowledge panel

While there is no one way to definitively get your business’s listing to appear in the Google knowledge panel, you can help increase your chances of appearing in the panel by taking these three steps.

1. Optimize your listing

Your listing is the most important part of appearing in the Google knowledge panel. The local listing, also known as the Google Business Profile listing, appears in the box for all to see. If you want to help your business have a better chance at appearing in the Google knowledge panel, you’ll want to optimize it.

Ensure that all the information in your Google Business Profile is accurate and up to date. Your hours of operation should reflect your current operating hours. All contact information, like phone numbers and emails, must be accurate.

A complete and accurate Google Business Profile can help your business appear more relevant to the search query. If your listing is filled out and contains all the information your audience needs, it is more helpful to your audience and creates a better opportunity for your listing to be featured.

2. Increase domain authority

Google only wants to promote businesses that are relevant to a user’s search query, provide them with accurate information, and are trustworthy. If you want to build more trust in your business, invest in increasing your domain authority.

Your domain authority is a trust signal. The higher the number, the more trustworthy your site is. A high domain authority means that you have valid and credible information that people trust as a source of knowledge.

Trustworthy sites with a higher domain rating send a positive signal to Google. It can help increase your chances of appearing in the Google knowledge panel.

So, how can you increase your domain authority?

Practices like creating linkable content, removing bad links, optimizing for mobile, and increasing page speed all help contribute to a higher domain authority. If you optimize your site to provide your audience with a better experience, you’ll help increase your chances of appearing in the Google knowledge panel.

3. Provide the best services for your customers

The biggest impact on your business’s performance online will come from the work you do for your customers. If you want to help get your business featured in the Google knowledge panel, start by providing your customers with a great experience. A great experience can bleed into other aspects of your digital campaign and help improve your online performance.

For instance, if someone has a great experience with your business, they may be more likely to leave a review on your Google listing. The next person who stumbles across your business will see this review and feel confident about choosing your business. It will trickle down into more customers choosing your business and leaving reviews about their experience.

When you provide good service for your audience, it leads to more positive effects for your business that help you earn more customers. This can increase your chances of appearing in the Google knowledge panel because you provide good service for your customers.

WebFX will help you optimize your Google knowledge panel

The Google knowledge panel is a valuable resource to help you attract more valuable leads. If you take the steps to ensure that your listing is updated and contains quality information, you’ll help your site appear in the knowledge panel. At WebFX, we know how to optimize business listings.

We’re a full-service digital marketing company that specializes in optimizing local listings. With our team of 500+ experts, we can help you optimize your profile for the Google knowledge panel. We’ll bring our knowledge and expertise to your campaign.

If you’re looking for a company that drives results, look no further than WebFX. In the last five years, we’ve driven over $10 billion in sales and over 24 million leads for our clients. We focus on helping our clients grow their business.

Don’t believe us? Just ask our clients! Check out our 1,100+ client testimonials that attest to the great work we do!

Get started today

If you’re ready to start optimizing your local business listing for the Google knowledge panel, contact us online or call us today at 888-601-5359 to speak with a strategist.

We look forward to helping your business grow!