SEO Efforts to Get Listed in Google Knowledge Graph

The introduction of Google Knowledge Graph has greatly enhanced the search experience by showing a quick summary of the subject queried, important facts, images, and links. In addition, it provides related searches that allow users to explore additional information on what they were looking for. Rather than one specific result, you are now provided with a collection of answers. In fact, the carousal at the top of search results is one of the best parts to the new algorithm because it makes the search process much faster, quicker, and detailed.

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Google Makes Search Smarter, Introduces Knowledge Graph
This Week in Internet Marketing 2015 03 03

Watch the video to get a brief understanding about what exactly knowledge graph is and how it works.

Now, let's come to the point. Can your business get listed in this Knowledge panel through SEO? The answer is yes. You just need to optimize the web with information about your brand for search queries.

Take a look at how you can get started!

Active Your Google+ Profile

Whether your business is small or large, the cornerstone to get in the Knowledge Graph is setting up your Google+ page. The information in the profile is taken by Google to feed its Knowledge Graph. Here is a list of things that you'll need to create a strong Google+ profile.

• Provide all information as asked while creating profile.
• Make sure you choose the most relevant category for your brand.
• Use corporate email so that your business is validated.
• Make sure you provide the logo and Website URL accurately.
• Verify publisher mark-up by adding
• Add images and videos related to your business.
• Keep the profile engaged by posting your updates as well as sharing other posts in your niche.
• Local businesses are recommended to create a Google+ local page and verify the address. If it is already listed, then claim it.
• Encourage your customers to rate and review your business in Google plus. This builds and boosts the trust factor with Google.

Dedicated Wikipedia Page

Google pulls most information to Knowledge Graph from Wikipedia. So, if you still don't have a Wikipedia page for your brand, then consider creating one.

Getting your entry accepted in Wikipedia adds more credibility and is a great social proof. This free online encyclopedia is often ranked in the top five results for 90% of search queries.

Make sure your content is verifiable by citations from reliable sources, otherwise you won't deserve to be in Wikipedia. You can link press releases that your business has published and any relevant blog articles . You want to make your business trustworthy, so you want to include articles about your business from reputable sites.

Make sure that you are using a strong writing style. You want to be objective and to-the-point, rather than making your Wikipedia page promotional. Take a look at what your competitors have written for their Wikipedia page and try to imitate what they've done great.

Freebase Listing

Another great source where Google collects data to its Knowledge Graph is Freebase. It is an open-source database where users can make entries and edits on any topic. Freebase is the one of the largest repositories where lots of entities or topics are filed.

If you have a Wikipedia page, then your Freebase entry will be created by itself. You just need to populate the page with more information, if necessary. With Freebase listing, your brand and business niche will be easily understood by Google. This way, your chances of showing up in the Knowledge Graph results will increase.

Important note: Freebase is shutting down soon and the entries are accepted till March 2015. It is moving to Wikidata, but your entries can still be maintained. If you have not created your profile yet, then hurry up!

Structured Mark-up

Implementing structured mark-up on your website helps search engines better understand your business. The semantic formats like schema.org convey the exact meaning of the content to Google. It is now clear how schema helps Google collect data about your business to potentially place in Knowledge Graph.

The schema consists of many entities, such as 'Restaurant', 'DaySpa' and more, that best matches your business niche. So, choose narrow entities to mark-up your website. Make sure that all the mandatory properties for the specific entity are tagged in the content. You can test the page on webmasters rich snippet tester for any errors and make any needed adjustments.

Adding the schema properties like price, telephone, and reviews will also show up in Google SERP. These features can improve your click-through-rate.

Authority in the Niche

Backlinks and mentions from high authority sites are used as references by Google for your brand. Apart from Wikipedia, there are many non-profit websites, such as government and education sites, that are great references to prove your brand's standing.

Getting rated by reputable review sites, like Yelp and TripAdvisor, will also boosts the likelihood of displaying your business in the Knowledge Graph.

YouTube Channel

Businesses that have videos about their services/products can consider tapping into Youtube for promotion. This is highly important for businesses related to art, especially music and movies. However, videos are effective for all businesses. Similar to your  content strategy, video content makes the sharing of information much easier and visually enticing.

Keeping your brand active in Youtube can result in pulling your content to Knowledge Graph. Make sure you put the video in the correct category and give the descriptions and titles relevant keywords.

Gravatars

Gravatars are yet another important factor that helps Google know more about you. This is critical for individuals or those representing a business.

Gravatars are socially recognized avatars and setting one up, while linking your active social profiles, validates your identity to Google. When you regularly contribute content or comment with the account, Google will recognize you as an active user in the niche and that you are not a spammer. This eases the job of Google to determine who you are while you establish an authoritative relationship with Google.

Social Media Mentions

Digital Marketers consider social media critical in Search Engine Optimization and branding, so does Google. Keeping active social profiles in web and engaging regularly in compliant with customer interest will establish an authority in the eyes of search engines. For sure, social media marketing does not directly affect your SEO, but Google loves when your business is on Google+.

Mention your profile in your author bio, your business website, and even in social networking sites (Google Plus, LinkedIn & more). If your SEO efforts are strong, then you will have a place in the Knowledge Graph in no time!