Introduction
Hey and welcome to the first, definitive guide to creating your very own Google Knowledge Panel! My name is Nikolas Lemmel and I’m the team-lead at a boutique digital agency by the name of Maximatic Media, a long-time service provider of Google Knowledge Panel services. To solidify our image of a trusted GKP service provider, I’m gonna use this guide to provide an in-depth overview of everything we’ve learned about creating and stabilizing Google knowledge panels thus far as a company. If you have any experience with either of these components or would like to share one that we’ve yet to cover, please feel free to comment down below.
The Notability Factor
So diving right into the nitty-gritty of GKP creation, we must first cover the concept of notability; arguably, the most important aspect out of all of the points I’ll be covering in this guide. Notability in the context of GKPs simply means how often reputable, secondary sources are referencing you in their media output. Said references come in many forms, whether it be a full feature article, a short bio in a listicle or just a basic citation. However, not all references are made equal. Some references carry significantly more weight than others, either due to its “comprehensiveness” (i.e. a full feature article with the sole focus being on you) or the “reputability” of the source doing the referencing (i.e. mentioned in Forbes vs mentioned in “Biznes-News-Blog”).
Comprehensiveness
Let’s first delve into the topic of comprehensiveness. The comprehensiveness of your reference can be calculated by just a couple factors: the word count of the article, the keyword density of your entity’s name within said article and whether the entity is being referenced in the title/headline of the article. These three components determine the significance laid upon the entity by the reporting outlet. The more extensive the coverage, the higher the significance in the eyes of Google (i.e. a full-feature, 750-word article on Forbes vs a 150 word entry in “Top 30 E-Commerce Businesses of 2023” listicle on Forbes).
The Influence of Topical Relevance
Topical relevance also plays a role in the equation as the contents of the reference should be somewhat aligned with what other sources are discussing when mentioning your entity’s name. If every article that your entity appears in has a completely different context or is overly-generalized, it decreases Google’s certitude of what it truly knows about said entity. That’s largely why it’s not recommended to always opt for brand mentions or stuff keywords into random guest posts as it can drastically impact what Google thinks it knows about you.
Reputability
Now that we’ve covered what I mean by “comprehensiveness”, let’s talk about the other component influencing the power of your media coverage: reputability. The concept of reputability is basically as straightforward as it gets. Just about any semi-famous news or media outlet that you can think of is viewed as a “reputable” source by Google. The likes of Forbes, Mashable, USA Today, etc are all stellar examples of significant coverage that corroborates you or your brand as a notable entity in the eyes of Google. However, a full feature article on each of those aforementioned sites costs $15,000, $2,400 and $6,500 respectively. If you as an entity see no utility in being featured on these media outlets beyond simply meeting the eligibility criteria for a Google Knowledge Panel, it makes little sense to purchase those placements.
The Role of Domain Authority
This is where a more esoteric metric comes into play: Domain Authority. A DA score is effectively a ranking assigned to a domain which we can use to assess any given site’s authority in comparison to the rest of the web. It is calculated using the domain’s age, the amount of other sites referring to it and the reputability of said referrals. Basically the same criteria influencing your probability of getting a GKP but quantified by a score from 1 to 100. Now let’s return back to three examples of reputable media outlets I’ve given above: Forbes, Mashable and USA Today. Forbes has a DA score of 95, Mashable has a DA score of 92 and USA Today has a DA score of 94. So all in all, all three publications are highly renowned, outpacing the vast majority of other sites on the web with scores of 90 and above. However, if referring back to the pricing of each placement, we see a pretty drastic incongruence with the value derived from each media outlet in the context of GKP creation. Forbes, despite being one measly basis point off of USA Today’s DA score, carries more than a 200% higher price tag. Now sure, Forbes has a significantly higher readership and holds far more clout than USA Today but if focusing solely on its impact in the SEO space, it really doesn’t warrant the price you pay for it when compared to other viable alternatives.
And these are just the three sites we’ve mentioned so far. Take a look at the following spreadsheet containing 400+ available media placements and keep an eye on the DA column:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SX7bI0YSZeJCWwxaMEZ1LG-QtoiLFnDVJZjW1n-ZvQ0/edit?usp=sharing
As you scroll through, you’ll find that there are a plethora of Google-News-Approved sites that have a relatively high DA despite costing a fraction of what the internationally distinguished media outlets cost. Sites like Village Voice, HackerNoon, Times of Malta, Chiang Rai Times, etc. Now granted, they don’t exactly pack the same sort of punch that Forbes does but in the context of a Google Knowledge Panel, you are considerably better off securing five B-tier placements in comparison to a singular A tier placement. So long as you are not cheaping out by opting for “Biznes-News-Blog” as your referring source and stick to Google-News-Approved publications, a varied list of reputable placements within your Schema.org set-up (which we’ll be covering later in the guide) will take you much further than just one extremely reputable reference.
The Question of Quantity
A pretty common question we get asked in our GKP consultations with clients is what amount of references guarantees a panel. What is the absolute minimum that I can get away with? And truth be told, we honestly have a hard time answering this question as we don’t truly know. Without an inside look at the inner-workings of Google’s GKP algorithm, it’s impossible to say what the actual amount is. The variables it utilizes are dynamic and there isn’t a constant sum that can be calculated across all cases. We’ve witnessed a client get a GKP with just three mid-tier references in their Schema and we’ve also witnessed a client fail to get a GKP with upwards of 20 strong references.
Having said that though, if taking into account the median number of references across all of our successful cases, a good benchmark to aim for would be roughly 8 semi-strong, corroborating references with a DA of 70 and above. Again, this number is not set-in-stone and may vary contingent on the amount of “keyword-pollution” (i.e. other entities vying for the same moniker) occurring for your entity’s name along with other factors only Google is cognizant of.
Debunking the Myth: The Wikipedia-GKP Connection
Now, let’s clear up a common misconception that I’ve seen floating around: having a Wikipedia page is not a prerequisite for getting a Knowledge Panel. Our anecdotal experience proves no solid line connecting the two. There is absolutely no need to worry about going through the hoops and hurdles of Wikipedia to earn your spot in the Knowledge Graph.
A Wikipedia page is only useful in the context of adding a short bio within your Knowledge Panel which can only be derived from a Wikipedia entry. Beyond that, nothing else about the panel changes. You can still have your website, your logo/image, your social media links and everything else that makes a panel a useful tool within one’s online reputation management’s arsenal.
Believe it or not, securing a stickied Wikipedia page is far, far more difficult than obtaining a GKP. A source like Daily Mail, a highly reputable reference in the eyes of Google, is seen as an “untrustworthy”, “tabloid-like” source of information in the eyes of Wikipedia. As I’ve explained above regarding the Forbes placement, unless you have a separate need for a Wikipedia page beyond its utility in the GKP context, it makes little sense to go through the effort of establishing it. However, if you’re dead-set on getting a Wikipedia page for your personal or corporate brand, you can check out our separate guide about successfully acquiring a Wikipedia page on r/WikipediaPageCreation.
Schema.org Set-Up
Now that we’ve extensively covered the topic of notability, this brings us to the following component which is the nice and robo-friendly organization of your notability indicators. This is where your Schema comes in. Schema.org is a collaborative initiative started by major search engines, including Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Yandex, to create a shared vocabulary that webmasters can use to structure metadata on their websites. It’s basically a form of microdata, a type of HTML specification used to nest metadata within existing content on web pages. When implemented correctly, a Schema markup can significantly improve your presence in the SERPs by helping search engines understand your content more efficiently as soon as it surfaces on the web.
In the context of a Google Knowledge Panel, using a Schema markup eliminates the degree of guess-work involved on Google’s end to determine which piece of content belongs to your entity and which doesn’t. This is what enables Google’s algorithm to use this structured data to generate rich, informative search results – the kind that Knowledge Panels are known for. This part is especially crucial to those of you who are competing for the same name in the SERPs.
Here’s how you’d go about setting up a Schema.org markup:
Step 1: Identify Your Schema Type
Choose the right type of Schema.org markup that suits your content. There are hundreds of Schema types available, from creative works (like books, movies, and music) to organizations, persons, places, and more.
Step 2: Generate Your Markup
Once you’ve identified your Schema type, use a tool like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper or JSON-LD Schema Generator to create your markup. These tools are user-friendly and guide you through the process step-by-step.
Step 3: Implement Your Markup
Once generated, this markup needs to be added to the HTML of your website. The placement of the markup will depend on the type of Schema you’re using and the CMS of your site.
Step 4: Test Your Markup
After implementation, use Google’s Rich Results Test to verify if your markup is correctly implemented and can be read by Google.
Remember, adding Schema.org markup to your site does not guarantee a Knowledge Panel, but it does indeed increase your chances by helping Google better understand and represent your content. It’s just one piece of the puzzle in creating an informative, robust online presence that can contribute to your GKP creation.
Conclusion
In bringing this all together, let me say this: carving out your space on the web with a Google Knowledge Panel is a fine-tuned mixture of art, science, and a bit of ol’ fashioned luck. We’ve talked at length about the importance of building notability, making sure we’re being talked about in all the right places and in the right way. We’ve also stressed the need to take stock of the value each media placement brings to the table, balancing their domain authority and cost to get the most bang for our buck (refer back to the spreadsheet).
We’ve also established that there’s no magic number of references that’ll open the GKP gates for us. Like a lot of things in life, it’s not just about quantity but quality and relevance that counts. And although having a Wikipedia page may seem like the golden ticket, it’s not the be-all and end-all; you can absolutely secure a GKP without one.
As for structuring our online presence for Google’s scrapers, using a Schema.org markup is a crucial piece of the puzzle. It’s like leaving breadcrumbs for Google’s algorithm, making sure it can effortlessly find and understand our content. The detailed steps we’ve covered should help
guide you through this process, but remember, it’s not a guarantee for a panel – just a tool in your arsenal.
At the end of the day, there isn’t a foolproof recipe for securing a GKP. The path to success can vary wildly, each one unique and filled with its own set of disadvantages. But with some patience, a touch of strategy, and a deep understanding of how Google’s algorithm works, we can certainly increase our odds.
Hopefully, y’all found this guide to be useful and a good introduction into the world of GKP creation. If you are in need of a team of specialists to outsource your Google Knowledge Panel objectives to, please check out our Google Knowledge Panel Creation Service page or send us an email directly to support@maximaticmedia.com.Thanks for reading!