Have you claimed your Google ‘Knowledge Panel’ yet?

Knowledge panels are information boxes that appear on Google when you search for entities (people, places, organisations, things). They are meant to help you get a quick snapshot of information on a topic based on Google’s understanding of available content on the web.

Google

When was the last time you googled yourself — or your business? A few days I was googling myself to see which of my social media channels was displaying in search — and was totally delighted to find that Google has created a Knowledge Panel for my name. Check it out in the image below — it’s in the orange box on the right-hand side.

If Google has enough information about you (or your business) and they have created a Knowledge Panel for you, you can claim ownership of the space — and request changes if there are errors in the text.

Updating the information in your Knowledge Panel

The information in a knowledge panel is generated automatically from a number of different websites, social media profiles, and listings — so you should carefully check that all the information is correct.

If you spot and error or want to have something removed for privacy reasons — just click the Feedback button at the bottom of the knowledge panel (indicated below with orange arrow). Now type in the errors or issues and send through to Google.

Claiming your Knowledge Pane

If you look in the orange box in the image below, you’ll see there is an area to click to claim your knowledge panel. It’s quite a lengthy process but well worth your efforts — and I recommend anyone with a professional profile to claim theirs as soon as possible.

You will need the following:

• Google account (ie, gmail account).
• Selfie of you holding some photo ID (passport, driver’s licence, government issued citizen card).
• Screen shots of 3-5 different social media and website accounts that you own (while you are logged in).

To claim your own knowledge Panel, login to your Google Account then google yourself. Now click on the ‘Claim this knowledge panel’ at the bottom of the listing and follow the on-screen prompts — uploading the information I listed above.

You should receive a confirmation email back within 24 hours (I did) confirming the verification of your knowledge panel. The email also has links for suggesting changes and to keep your information up-to-date.

If you have a business your knowledge panel can be linked to your Google My Business Account. Again google your business and follow the same process to claim your business listing. If you are serious about SEO, every small business in Australia should take advantage of a free Google My Business Account.

Need some help?

Ready to step up your 2020 Content and SEO plan? Or just need some help claiming your knowledge panel and Google My Business listing? Fill out the quick contact form and I’m usually back in touch within a few hours.