If you have googled anything recently, you might have noticed a new feature called Knowledge Graph, which assists users by highlighting more relevant and informative search results for certain topics.
When searching, Google now brings up the basics on your topic–a biography, map, history, etc.–and displays it at the top right of search results. The goal of Knowledge Graph is to make the search engine think more like a human by showing relationships between ideas—instead of just providing links.
For example, if you search for Austin Capitol Building, it will pull up a map of where it is located, Wikipedia facts about it, and what others have searched for. Or if you search Taj Mahal, it will give you some history, and description of the building in India, but underneath it also gives you the option to see results about Taj Mahal the musician, and Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City.
For the past two years, in order to create Knowledge Graph, Google has been mapping out 500 million objects such as celebrities, movies, sports teams, etc., and collecting 3.5 billion facts about how they relate to each other.
Amit Singhal, the Senior Vice President of Google Engineering, wrote in a blog post about Google Knowledge Graph, “We hope this added intelligence will give you a more complete picture of your interest, provide smarter search results, and pique your curiosity on new topics.”
Knowledge Graph and Online Marketing
When it comes to how Knowledge Graph affects online marketing, a Google spokesperson said that Knowledge Graph doesn’t change search marketing and when relevant, display ads will still appear. But some say Knowledge Graph’s location on the page takes up ideal advertising space.
Since Knowledge Graph just started, no one knows for sure how it will truly impact online marketing. It doesn’t affect all searches, such as if your site doesn’t deal with facts, Knowledge Graph might not show up.
But it does seem like Google is moving away from keyword searches and thinking more like our brains. Yet, only time will tell how Knowledge Graph will truly affect SEO and display ads.
What are your predictions about Knowledge Graph’s impact on online marketing?