Knowledge Panel Sprouts on Google: What You Need to Know

Knowledge Panel sprout featured image

In this article you will learn what a Knowledge Panel Sprout is, why they are important, and how you can grow a sprout into a blossoming, information-rich Knowledge Panel on your Brand SERP.

What is a Knowledge Panel Sprout?

A Knowledge Panel Sprout is a small Knowledge Panel on a Google SERP that contains only a VERY small amount information – a name, a subtitle or just a thumbnail photo.

They rarely appear on regular SERPs because Google’s Whole Page Algorithm is designed to include only SERP Features that add value for the user. A Knowledge Panel Sprout adds no value to the SERP since it contains only information that is already highly visible on the SERP.

Here is a Knowledge Panel Sprout that contains just the name of the Entity.

Knowledge Panel Sprout  with entity name
Example of a Knowledge Panel Sprout containing only the name of the entity

Here is a Knowledge Panel Sprout that contains just a photo of the Entity.

Example of a Knowledge Panel Sprout containing only the photo of the entity
Example of a Knowledge Panel Sprout containing only the photo of the entity

Here is a Knowledge Panel Sprout that is completely empty.

Knowledge Panel Sprout
Example of a Knowledge Panel Sprout that is completely empty

Why is a Knowledge Panel Sprout Useful?

A Knowledge Panel Sprout is the first step in the process to a full, information-rich Knowledge Panel for a company or a person .

At Kalicube, when building Knowledge Panels for clients, we start with a Knowledge Panel Sprout (generally about 3 months), then we work proactively to do three things:

  1. increase Google’s confidence in the basic information about the entity;
  2. enrich the sprout with additional information;
  3. get it to trigger on the Brand SERP (the Google result for a Named Entity)

This work will also move the entity into Google’s Main Knowledge Graph (Knowledge Vault) which will:

  1. stabilise the Knowledge Panel on the Brand SERP over time;
  2. move the entity towards becoming a dominant entity;
  3. ensure any E-E-A-T signals are fully applied by Google’s Search Algorithms.

All of which is hugely important in the new Entity-SEO epoch.

How Can I Find a Knowledge Panel Sprout?

Knowledge Panel Sprouts don’t appear in normal searches because they don’t bring additional value to the user. That means they can be difficult to find. The main techniques are:

See Results About

When one Entity is dominant, then the secondary entity may appear as a See Results About. Click on that and, you may find a Knowledge Panel Sprout (generally when Google has little information or low confidence about the secondary entity).

Knowledge Panel Sprout
Example of a See Results About Box for a Dominant Entity
Knowledge Panel Sprout
Example of a Secondary Entity
Example of a Knowledge Panel Sprout from a See Results About Box

Knowledge Panel Hopping

The activity that involves googling the name of a closely related entity and clicking on an attributes or a PASF (People Also Search For) is called Knowledge Panel Hopping.

Just one hop can sometimes uncover a Knowledge Panel Sprout.

Multiple “hops” often lead to some surprising sprouts.

Hopping back and forth will often reveal additional attributes on the first Knowledge Panel. These often lead to Knowledge Panel Sprouts.

Example of a Knowledge Panel Hopping

Finding the kgmid

The kgmid is the unique identifier Google uses for entities in its multiple Knowledge Graphs. If you can find that identifier, you can get Google to show you the Knowledge Panel Sprout using Google Search like this: https://www.google.com/search?kgmid{kgmid}

You’ll find multiple techniques for finding a kgmid in this article >>

How can I Create a Knowledge Panel Sprout for myself or my Company?

The Kalicube Process is the best way to trigger a Knowledge Panel Sprout. The process consists of 3 simple steps:

Kalicube's 3-Step Process to Get a Knowledge Panel
Kalicube’s 3-Step Process to Get a Knowledge Panel

Please read this article that provides more details about Kalicube’s 3-step prcess for a Knowledge Panel >>

If you want to implement a Knowledge Panel Strategy, download our free 17-point Knowledge Panel checklist >>

Pitfalls and Drawbacks of Knowledge Panel Sprouts

Our experience leveraging Knowledge Panel Sprouts into fully-fledged Knowledge Panels on Brand SERPs has shown us literally hundreds of pitfalls. Three of the most common are:

Knowledge Panel Sprouts are Unstable

A Knowledge Panel Sprout is information that Google has understood, but it is not confident that its understanding of that information is accurate. Knowledge Panel Sprouts are therefore very unstable. Any inconsistency of the information about the entity around the web can potentially destroy the sprout. Changes in information on important sources are particularly dangerous. Even seemingly unimportant changes.

At Kalicube, we have triggered thousands of Knowledge Panel Sprouts, and have seen that failure to correctly maintain the Entity Home is the most frequent culprit.

It is therefore essential to build the perfect Entity Home, maintain it over time and ensure that all the corroborative sources Google’s Knowledge Algorithms are using are up to date.

Adding Accurate Information is Tricky

An additional problem is adding information to the sprout can be difficult to add. Without a solid foundation, it is impossible to add new information to the Knowledge Panel Sprout. But even as Google’s confidence in the foundational facts increases, new information can be inaccurate. Especially problematic is Google becoming confused with ambiguity such as multiple people sharing the same name, or multiple sub-organisations, branches or departments in a company.

If You Lose the Sprout, It is Back to Square 1, MINUS One Year

A Knowledge Panel Sprout represents knowledge. When a sprout disappears, Google has explicitly decided the information was unreliable, or perhaps even wrong. When you start rebuilding, you are not starting from square one, you are starting from even further back.

At Kalicube we have learned to avoid these pitfalls and problems and can reliably trigger Knowledge Panel Sprouts and build them into information-rich Knowledge Panels that reliably trigger on our clients’ Brand SERPs. Grow a sprout into a Knowledge Panel without the headache.

How do Knowledge Panel Sprouts Fit into Brand SERP Optimisation and Knowledge Panel Management?

Since Knowledge Panel Sprouts are the first step in the process of building a Knowledge Panel for a person or a company, it is foundational to triggering a Knowledge Panel on your Brand SERP.

A stable, information-rich on your Brand SERP is Google’s recognidigitaltion of your authority within your industry, and thus greatly reassures your audience about your credibility. It also indicates that Google has explicitly (and confidently) understood your entity and can therefore fully apply any E-E-A-T signals you have nurtured.

For any long term digital branding or SEO strategy, a Knowledge Panel is no longer an option, it is a necessity. If your brand doesn’t have a Knowledge Panel, then a Knowledge Panel Sprout is the place to start.


Do you want to build your Knowledge Panel using The Kalicube Process? 

Knowledge Panel Checklist
Knowledge Panel Checklist

Free DIY option: download our free Knowledge Panel checklist, where Knowledge Panel expert Jason Barnard reveals how we use the Kalicube Process to trigger and manage Knowledge Panels for our clients.

Kalicube’s Knowledge Panel Checklist Free Download >>

If you need help for getting your Knowledge Panel, Kalicube offers a package consultancy + SaaS deal or a Done-for-You services.

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