Three Simple Steps to Get a Google Knowledge Panel
In this article, you will learn about the 3-step Kalicube Process for a Knowledge Panel. At Kalicube, we have triggered thousands of Knowledge Panels and understand how to best manage this. This experience has allowed us to develop a simple process that works for everyone.
The Kalicube Process for Getting a Google Knowledge Panel
Getting a Knowledge Panel in Google is not limited to famous people. Google has no concept of notability, it is simply trying to understand. It is up to you to provide the facts, and build Google’s confidence in its understanding.
Important: Once Google has the facts and is confident in those facts, you will get a Knowledge Panel.
At Kalicube, we have triggered thousands of Knowledge Panels, and that experience has allowed us to develop a simple process that works for everyone. We call this the Kalicube Process.
Before starting on the 3 step Kalicube Process for a Knowledge Panel, it is helpful to understand the problem Google faces and what it is trying to do. Google is looking at fragmented, often contradictory information that it has collected from around the web. It is trying to piece it together to understand. It is a little like Google is trying to piece together a broken china plate. Google calls this “reconciliation”.
Important: data from the Kalicube Pro platform indicates that the timeframe for this once you have fully completed all three steps is 3 weeks to 3 months!
When you follow the Kalicube Process for a Knowledge Panel, Google will understand, be confident in that understanding and you will get a Knowledge Panel with Photos, a description, detailed information, Filter Pills and Knowledge Panel Cards, other relevant people.
As you can see in the image above, Knowledge Panel Cards cover about 25% of the space above the fold. In this situation, the Knowledge Panel covers about 70% of the space above the fold. Knowledge Panel Cards are an important development in Google Knowledge Panels since they cover a large amount of SERP Real Estate and the Knowledge Panel dominates the Brand SERP (the Google result for your name).
Filter Pills are also an important part of a Knowledge Panel since they highlight different aspects (or facets) of the person – in this case, songs that the entity released. When the user clicks on a Filter Pill, they see a result about the person that focusses on that aspect of them. So here it would show the result for “Jason Barnard songs”.
As of 2023, Knowledge Panel Cards and Filter Pills generally only appear for famous people, however at Kalicube we regularly trigger them for clients who are not famous, including myself, Jason Hennessey and Scott Duffy.
Jason Hennessey subscribed to Kalicube’s Done for You Knowledge Panel Services in order to have the Kalicube team make his Knowledge Panel incredibly rich with Knowledge Panel Cards, Filter Pills, photos, accurate information about him and more. Check out his case study here.
Important – you don’t need to pay an agency. It is a lot of work, but you can get a free Google Knowledge Panel DIY. Read on!
Knowledge Panel for an Entity
It is also important to understand the term “named entity”. An entity is a thing such as a company, person, podcast, music group etc. A named entity is a specific entity such as Jason Barnard (person), Kalicube (company), The Beatles (music group). Knowledge panels appear on Google for entities and named entities. Here I will explain how to get a Knowledge Panel for any named entity (specific people, companies, podcasts, music groups…).
Follow these links if you want to read this explanation adapted for any of the following:
- Knowledge Panel for a Person
- Knowledge Panel for a Musician
- Knowledge Panel for an Actor
- Knowledge Panel for a Visual Artist
- Knowledge Panel for an Author
- Knowledge Panel for a Music Group
- Knowledge Panel for a Company
- Knowledge Panel for a Podcast
- Knowledge Panel for a Lawyer
- Knowledge Panel for a Law Firm
- Knowledge Panel for a Digital Marketing Agency
- Knowledge Panel for a Doctor
- Knowledge Panel for a Company Founder
- Knowledge Panel for a Realtor
Three Simple Steps to Get a Knowledge Panel in Google or Bing
1. Identify the Entity Home
Google is looking for an authoritative source to use as the reference point for the facts about the real estate agent. At Kalicube, we call this the Entity Home.
Generally, Google will choose an Entity Home that contains the best defragmented explanation of the facts about the entity – the china plate in one single piece in our analogy. Google is looking for a complete version of the facts about the entity (china plate in one correctly assembled piece) to which it can compare the facts it has collected from around the web (the china plate it has built from the pieces).
As you can imagine, the best case scenario is that you provide that authoritative reference point and that baseline version of the facts.
Step one is therefore to choose an Entity Home and provide a simple, clear statement of the facts about the entity – the china plate to which Google can compare the information it collects from around the web.
Here are some examples of possible Entity Homes (from best to worst):
- The about page or homepage on the official website of the named entity.
- An official social profile of the named entity (Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook are good candidates).
- An industry (or government) profile page for the named entity.
Then steps 2 and 3 will both ensure Google accepts your choice and build its confidence in the facts you provided. That confidence in understanding is the trigger for Google to give you your Knowledge Panel.
Over the 10 years we have been working on Knowledge Panels at Kalicube, we have seen that the Entity Home is the single most important part of the Knowledge Panel Management.
2. Corroborate and Confirm
You need to ensure that relevant, authoritative sources confirm the facts you are providing to Google on your Entity Home. Google thrives on repetition when it comes to Knowledge Panels since repetition builds up confidence.
So you need to go to every profile page and article about the entity and fact-correct them to ensure the information they contain confirms the information you provided on the Entity Home.
Examples of good authoritative sources for a named entity include Wikidata, Wikipedia, and official government profiles.
Data in the Kalicube Pro platform indicates that you need an average of 20 consistent corroborative sources. The exact number depends on the authority of those sources. With a Wikipedia or Wikidata page, you may only need half a dozen (or less). Without either of those, 30 relevant and authoritative sources usually does the trick, even for non-notable people.
3. Create an Infinite, Self-Confirming Loop
Ideally, every corroborative source you corrected in step 2 should link back to the Entity Home. This ensures Google accepts your decision about which webpage it uses as the authoritative reference for facts. It also creates an infinite self confirming loop of corroboration that educates Google.
As a human, repetition can get annoying. For a machine trying to understand the world, repetition is the one thing it craves.
If every profile and article about the Real Estate Agent reiterates some or all of the facts you lay out on the Entity Home, and they all link back to that Entity Home, you will have created the perfect infinite self-confirming loop.
Important: if these three-steps are done well, Google will gain a clear understanding about the entity and build its confidence in that understanding. As a result, a Knowledge Panel will appear when a user googles the entity’s name.
Do you want to build your Knowledge Panel using The Kalicube Process?
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.
