For years, the presence of knowledge cards has increased in Google SERPs. As a result, classic search results, also known as the “ten blue links,” have more competition for the searcher’s attention. Or should we call them “interrogators”? Because most search queries are implicitly formulated questions that require an answer. Google wants to use SERP features to answer questions directly. These features are a window into the knowledge graph or related directly or indirectly to it. This article describes how Google creates Knowledge Cards and how they work.
What are knowledge panels?
Entities play a direct or indirect role in many search queries. This is why you will find different box types in the SERPs for many search queries. Once Google recognizes it with a search term as the subject, right after the entity hand over knowledge cards. Dashboards can also be called entity boxes and are provided for almost all types of entities.
However, an information card is not provided for each creature of the same type. The entity must be registered in the Knowledge Graph. One of the basic questions for SEOs is which entities to include in Google’s Knowledge Graph. According to Google, only entities selected from the following entity type classes are mainly recorded in the knowledge graph.
- Books and book series
- Educational and government institutions, local stores and businesses
- events
- Movies and TV shows
- Music bands and albums
- People
- Places
- sports teams
- TV series
- Video games and series
- websites or domains
However, not all entities in these categories are associated with an information panel presented in the SERP. Enterprises must have a certain social connection or authority in the relevant field.
Classic knowledge cards can be viewed through the Share button at the top of the board
Knowledge boards should not be confused with trading funds. These are not based on Knowledge Graphs, but are based on input into Google Business. The extent to which Google’s business data is considered in the Knowledge Graph is not clear, but it is not excluded. Google uses different information panel templates. The content variables in the info card differ depending on the type of entity or entity being searched. Placeholders depend on the standard properties of the corresponding entity type.
How does Google determine the relevance of an entity to provide a knowledge panel?
The criteria by which Google evaluates this communication are not clearly documented or there is no clear statement from Google. Wikipedia has a special role in proving existence. The surest way to identify an entity is to have an entry on Wikipedia. But other platforms that provide semi-structured data, such as Soundcloud, can also be used by Google to identify entities, as the “SEO services India” keyword hack showed.
There it was determined that SoundCloud was used as the source to identify the entity. Websites like SoundCloud or Wikipedia always present information in a consistent structure. This means that information can be easily extracted from websites without coding.
How does Google create an information panel?
Knowledge panels were first introduced in SERPs with the introduction of the knowledge graph in 2012. In Google’s patent for presenting knowledge cards with search results, you will find the basic method and purpose of the knowledge panel. The purpose of the search engine users is as follows.
Knowledge cards can improve users’ search experiences, especially for questions related to learning, browsing, or discovery. For example, an information panel provides users with basic factual information or a summary of information about a particular entity referred to in the search term.
Knowledge cards can help users navigate to relevant content in a smooth and natural way. Information cards can present new content that the user may not have encountered without specifying multiple search results. Knowledge cards can also help users get information faster than when users have to click through multiple search results to get information.
Here is an excerpt from the patent on the dashboard display methodology:
“Methods, systems, and devices, including computer software encoded on computer storage medium, for providing knowledge boards with search results. In one aspect, the method involves obtaining search results that respond to a received query. Identifies the actual entity referred to by the query. Content is selected for display in a card information for the actual entity.
Content includes at least one content item that was obtained from the first source and at least one second content item that was obtained from a second source that is different from the first. Data that leads to recognition of the search results and presentation of the information panel is provided on the search results page. The knowledge panel presents the content specified in the Knowledge Panel area next to at least part of the search results.
The main function when presenting an information card can be summarized in the following process steps:
- Select one or more related entities in the query
- Determine the sources relevant to the asset
- Generate search results related to the search query
- Check if the search term actually refers to the real origin
- Entity that specifies the entity type of the requested parent entity
- Select an appropriate info card template that matches the specific entity type
- Select relevant content items related to the main entity from an appropriate and trusted source.
- Select another content item from another source.
- Fill in the blanks in the specified info card format with the specified content elements.
- Integration of search results and information panel into a single search results page
- It is interesting to realize that each creature type is customized with its own dashboard template with corresponding variants.
The entity type of the related entity that is represented by the info card is always specified below the entity name. According to the standard attributes that are assigned to the entity type and the values that are available for the attributes, content is defined in the dashboards.
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