Google has been on a mission to transform search from “strings to things.” This mission was one of the many reasons for the Hummingbird update and the rise of RankBrain.
To pull off this extraordinary feat, Google and its team of engineers needed to create connections between their data using “real world context.” This resulted in what we now know as “The Knowledge Graph.”
Google’s goal is to create a “massive graph of real-world things and their connections, to bring more meaningful results.” When searching for information, users are no longer constrained by 10 blue links; instead, Google now displays relevant content that adds to the content of the user’s search.
For example, let’s say you want to learn more about Abraham Lincoln. After typing in the query, “Abraham Lincoln,” Google will show a “card” on the right side of your search with interesting information about Honest Abe.
Here is what the Knowledge Graph gives us inside Abe’s card:
Name.
Multiple head shots.
Title.
Short bio.
Height.
Death.
Spouse.
Kids.
Quotes.
“People also searched for.”
That’s a lot of information for typing in two words. Cleary, a result like this will benefit the searcher much more than a link. But this result can also help search engine optimization specialists (SEOs) and digital marketers.
If we look more deeply into the cards, we will uncover what type of information Google has determined is most helpful to a user. We can use this knowledge to help us deliver better results and earn more visibility.
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