What Is the Google Knowledge Graph & How it Works

Published

4 years ago

January 6, 2021

what is the google knowledge graph how it works via mattgsouthern

Google’s Knowledge Graph is like a “giant virtual encyclopedia of facts” that Google references to generate certain elements of search results.

The virtual encyclopedia, as Google puts it, has grown to be quite large.

But what goes into creating the knowledge panels Google shows in its search results?

In this post, you’ll learn the basics of Google’s Knowledge Graph and how Google generates knowledge panels.

What Is the Google Knowledge Graph

Google’s Knowledge Graph is now comprised of over 500 billion facts about 5 billion entities, according to Google’s Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan.

Google’s Knowledge Graph has amassed over 500 billion facts about five billion entities — people, places and things. This post explains how the Knowledge Graph works, presents information in knowledge panels & how we work to improve it. https://t.co/fSWYTl6i4B pic.twitter.com/ZR4CR8BzTJ

— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) May 20, 2020

Google’s Knowledge Graph is responsible for generating the boxes shown in search results for queries about people, places, and things.

Those boxes, called knowledge panels, present a list of key facts pulled from the Knowledge Graph.

According to Google:

“They’re designed to help you quickly understand more about a particular subject by surfacing key facts and to make it easier to explore a topic in more depth.”

How Google Generates Knowledge Panels

Knowledge panels are automatically generated, which Google points out in case anyone thinks there’s someone updating these things manually.

Google’s automated systems aim to show the most relevant and popular information for an entity in a knowledge panel.

What’s shown in a knowledge panel will vary from one entity to another, but generally Google will include:

Title and short summary of the topic
A longer description of the subject
A picture or pictures of the person, place or thing
Key facts, such as when a notable figure was born or where something is located
Links to social profiles and official websites

A knowledge panel may also include more specialized information depending on the type of entity being searched for.

For example, certain types of knowledge panels may include:

Songs from musical artists
Upcoming episodes from TV shows
Rosters of sports teams

Where Does the Information Come From?

Google’s Knowledge Graph, introduced in 2012, gets its information from web content as well as licensed databases.

Wikipedia is one of the most commonly cited sources, but it’s not the only source.

According to Sullivan:

“We draw from hundreds of sources from across the web, including licensing data that appears in knowledge panels for music, sports and TV.

We work with medical providers to create carefully vetted content for knowledge panels for health issues.

We also draw from special coding that content owners can use, such as to indicate upcoming events.”

Multiple Knowledge Panels on Mobile

Since Knowledge Panels were first launched, search behavior has shifted to the point where most activity now occurs on mobile.

Knowledge Panels were originally designed for desktop search, and initially weren’t very compatible with mobile screens.

Mobile screen size doesn’t allow for a side-by-side display in the same way desktop does.

To work around this, Google presents multiple knowledge panels in mobile search which are spread throughout the SERPs.

What Is the Google Knowledge Graph & How it Works

Changing a Knowledge Panel

Sullivan admits that inaccuracies in the Knowledge Graph can happen, which leads to the wrong information being displayed in search results.

If you spot an inaccuracy you can notify Google by selecting the “Feedback” option.

What Is the Google Knowledge Graph & How it Works

Google uses this feedback to improve the Knowledge Graph by analyzing it to understand how the inaccuracies weren’t automatically detected.

Further, Google will remove inaccurate facts that are brought to its attention, especially when they relate to public interest topics.

Those who have “claimed” their own knowledge panel, such as a person or company, can communicate changes directly to Google at any time.

How to Get in Google’s Knowledge Graph

There is no exact way to get content in Google’s Knowledge Graph, but there are various optimization methods that can improve a site’s chances of being included in it.

Here are different ways you can optimize content for Google’s Knowledge Graph:

Use structured data markup
Create a Google My Business profile
Get listed on Wikidata.org and Wikipedia
Build more links
Create social media profiles
Create listings in relevant directories
Promote your content and share it widely

Utilize the above tactics in conjunction with traditional SEO to maximize the chances of getting your content in Google’s Knowledge Graph.

Does Google’s Knowledge Graph Help SEO?

Yes, the Knowledge Graph does help SEO as it improves Google’s understanding of what a page is about and which queries it’s relevant for.

The more context Google has about a page the more efficiently it can rank said page.

Another way Google’s Knowledge Graph helps with SEO is by making content discoverable across more surfaces.

Google is more capable of returning the content for natural languages queries, such as voice searches, as it can recognize individual attributes and entities.

Knowledge Graph content may be displayed more prominently in search results as it’s eligible for Knowledge Panels and rich results.

How to Request Edits to Knowledge Graph

Knowledge Panels are automatically generated but, if Google gets it wrong, site owners can request edits using the “request an edit” button.

Request an edit to Google’s Knowledge Graph by following the steps below:

Go to Google Search.
Sign in to the Google account associated with the entity that you represent.
Search for your entity on Google and find its knowledge panel. Ensure you see your entity’s title at the top of the knowledge panel.
At the top of the knowledge panel, click Suggest an edit (or Suggest edits on mobile).
Click the information that you want to change. If you have multiple suggestions, submit feedback for each item separately.
In the response box that opens, write a short description that includes the following:
- Clearly state your suggested change.
- Explain why you believe your suggestion should replace the existing content.
- If applicable, include any publicly accessible URLs that confirm your suggested changes.
Click Send.

More Resources

For information about Google’s Knowledge Graph and knowledge panels, see the resources below:

Searchenginejournal

Google Warns About Misuse of Its Indexing API

Published

3 weeks ago

September 12, 2024

Max

Google Warns About Misuse of Its Indexing API

Google has updated its Indexing API documentation with a clear warning about spam detection and the possible consequences of misuse.

Warning Against API Misuse The new message in the guide says:

“All submissions through the Indexing API are checked for spam. Any misuse, like using multiple accounts or going over the usage limits, could lead to access being taken away.”

This warning is aimed at people trying to abuse the system by exceeding the API’s limits or breaking Google’s rules.

What Is the Indexing API? The Indexing API allows websites to tell Google when job posting or livestream video pages are added or removed. It helps websites with fast-changing content get their pages crawled and indexed quickly.

But it seems some users have been trying to abuse this by using multiple accounts to get more access.

Impact of the Update Google is now closely watching how people use the Indexing API. If someone breaks the rules, they might lose access to the tool, which could make it harder for them to keep their search results updated for time-sensitive content.

How To Stay Compliant To use the Indexing API properly, follow these rules:

Don’t go over the usage limits, and if you need more, ask Google instead of using multiple accounts.
Use the API only for job postings or livestream videos, and make sure your data is correct.
Follow all of Google’s API guidelines and spam policies.
Use sitemaps along with the API, not as a replacement.

Remember, the Indexing API isn’t a shortcut to faster indexing. Follow the rules to keep your access.

GOOGLE

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Published

3 months ago

June 30, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Here’s what happened in the world of Google and search engines this week:

1. Google’s June 2024 Spam Update

Google finished rolling out its June 2024 spam update over a period of seven days. This update aims to reduce spammy content in search results.

2. Changes to Google Search Interface

Google has removed the continuous scroll feature for search results. Instead, it’s back to the old system of pages.

3. New Features and Tests

Link Cards: Google is testing link cards at the top of AI-generated overviews.
Health Overviews: There are more AI-generated health overviews showing up in search results.
Local Panels: Google is testing AI overviews in local information panels.

4. Search Rankings and Quality

Improving Rankings: Google said it can improve its search ranking system but will only do so on a large scale.
Measuring Quality: Google’s Elizabeth Tucker shared how they measure search quality.

5. Advice for Content Creators

Brand Names in Reviews: Google advises not to avoid mentioning brand names in review content.
Fixing 404 Pages: Google explained when it’s important to fix 404 error pages.

6. New Search Features in Google Chrome

Google Chrome for mobile devices has added several new search features to enhance user experience.

7. New Tests and Features in Google Search

Credit Card Widget: Google is testing a new widget for credit card information in search results.
Sliding Search Results: When making a new search query, the results might slide to the right.

8. Bing’s New Feature

Bing is now using AI to write “People Also Ask” questions in search results.

9. Local Search Ranking Factors

Menu items and popular times might be factors that influence local search rankings on Google.

10. Google Ads Updates

Query Matching and Brand Controls: Google Ads updated its query matching and brand controls, and advertisers are happy with these changes.
Lead Credits: Google will automate lead credits for Local Service Ads. Google says this is a good change, but some advertisers are worried.
tROAS Insights Box: Google Ads is testing a new insights box for tROAS (Target Return on Ad Spend) in Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns.
WordPress Tag Code: There is a new conversion code for Google Ads on WordPress sites.

These updates highlight how Google and other search engines are continuously evolving to improve user experience and provide better advertising tools.

AI

Exploring the Evolution of Language Translation: A Comparative Analysis of AI Chatbots and Google Translate

Published

7 months ago

February 26, 2024

Max

A Comparative Analysis of AI Chatbots and Google Translate

According to an article on PCMag, while Google Translate makes translating sentences into over 100 languages easy, regular users acknowledge that there’s still room for improvement.

In theory, large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT are expected to bring about a new era in language translation. These models consume vast amounts of text-based training data and real-time feedback from users worldwide, enabling them to quickly learn to generate coherent, human-like sentences in a wide range of languages.

However, despite the anticipation that ChatGPT would revolutionize translation, previous experiences have shown that such expectations are often inaccurate, posing challenges for translation accuracy. To put these claims to the test, PCMag conducted a blind test, asking fluent speakers of eight non-English languages to evaluate the translation results from various AI services.

The test compared ChatGPT (both the free and paid versions) to Google Translate, as well as to other competing chatbots such as Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. The evaluation involved comparing the translation quality for two test paragraphs across different languages, including Polish, French, Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Tagalog, and Amharic.

In the first test conducted in June 2023, participants consistently favored AI chatbots over Google Translate. ChatGPT, Google Bard (now Gemini), and Microsoft Bing outperformed Google Translate, with ChatGPT receiving the highest praise. ChatGPT demonstrated superior performance in converting colloquialisms, while Google Translate often provided literal translations that lacked cultural nuance.

For instance, ChatGPT accurately translated colloquial expressions like “blow off steam,” whereas Google Translate produced more literal translations that failed to resonate across cultures. Participants appreciated ChatGPT’s ability to maintain consistent levels of formality and its consideration of gender options in translations.

The success of AI chatbots like ChatGPT can be attributed to reinforcement learning with human feedback (RLHF), which allows these models to learn from human preferences and produce culturally appropriate translations, particularly for non-native speakers. However, it’s essential to note that while AI chatbots outperformed Google Translate, they still had limitations and occasional inaccuracies.

In a subsequent test, PCMag evaluated different versions of ChatGPT, including the free and paid versions, as well as language-specific AI agents from OpenAI’s GPTStore. The paid version of ChatGPT, known as ChatGPT Plus, consistently delivered the best translations across various languages. However, Google Translate also showed improvement, performing surprisingly well compared to previous tests.

Overall, while ChatGPT Plus emerged as the preferred choice for translation, Google Translate demonstrated notable improvement, challenging the notion that AI chatbots are always superior to traditional translation tools.

Source: https://www.pcmag.com/articles/google-translate-vs-chatgpt-which-is-the-best-language-translator