Google has a dynamic interface. It learns and improves by itself every time. It has now come up with a relatively small but an integral update nonetheless. This update is regarding changes one can make to knowledge panel results. This is an attempt to provide better information to users. It now allows brands to have command over what their knowledge panel result speaks about the brand. For this, Google now has conjured a way.
A background about Knowledge Panel result
For those of you who would not know what a Knowledge panel result is, here is what it is. It is the information box you see at the right end of the desktop search screen. This pops up as a Search Engine Result Page (SERP), especially for brands. In order to get a better understanding of this, try typing a multinational brand name and hit search. The right hand section of the page would be the knowledge panel for that specific brand. It pops up above the main search results on your mobile phone search.
Many companies these days qualify for such listings as it vouches for credibility. Simply because these brand listings hold value and command a considerable amount of web traffic. A minor link juice leak from these brands on to your page would significantly up your SERP ranking.
What Google’s new update brings to these brand listings?
Google is now handing over the capacity to control information to brands. In their own words: “Individuals and organizations with Knowledge panels can use our verification process to claim their panels and provide authoritative feedback on the information and images presented. Now we’re updating that process as well as extending verification eligibility to more entities.”
How do you do it?
As mentioned, you need to have a Google verified page first. Once you have that, irrespective of individual or brand, you need to run a simple Google search with your page’s name. The Knowledge panel that will pop up will have an option that would read, “Do you manage the online presence of X?” where X represents your brand’s name.
Clicking that would take you to a verification process, where you have to select that medium on which you have a verified marking. You can then update the information on your knowledge panel. As Google puts it, “you can suggest factual changes to information in your knowledge panel and suggest a featured image.”
This update eventually gives brands more control over their online appearance. Usually, how the knowledge panel looked and the facts it read were controlled by Google’s algorithm, which would have a tendency to be slightly incorrect at times. This can only be remedied when you give the person or brand the panel is about, command over what is shown and how it is shown in the knowledge panel.
Something similar to this update had come up last year. Google added Google My Business posts, small text updates and image updates which would be specific to Google. This would make search results very specific. Considering how Google-centric business has gotten, this would render a huge boost to companies who would like to refine their online presence.
