The Truth About Google Knowledge Panels, Wikipedia, & IMDb

Dr. Jordan Schaul | Schaul PR Group | Bicoastal Publicist | Linktr.ee

Have you ever googled a public figure or celebrity and noticed that your search query generates a unique Search Engine Response Page? A query for a notable figure triggers a graph or entity box known as a Google Knowledge Panel.

Google Knowledge Panels = Google Entity Boxes
Entity boxes consolidate data about notable people.  They improve the Google user experience by making facts about a subject more accessible to the user.  Entity boxes are different than business boxes (Google Business Profiles) because they are generated by search algorithms and not information provided by the business.

Wikipedia, & IMDb, etc. → Google Entity Boxes
Wikipedia is one of the primary sources used to generate entity boxes. Below is a search engine response result for "Michael Jordan", which generated an entity box (on the right).  The box includes images and a snippet of text from his Wikipedia entry.  

If you don't have an entity box populated by Wikipedia, IMDb, The CIA World Factbook, or another biographical source, there are other ways to establish notability and discoverability for the purposes of triggering a knowledge panel to appear in a search for your name. One way is to write a book.  Another is to secure press in the likes of Forbes, USA Today, or local newspapers and magazines. 

Press → Wikipedia, & IMDb, etc. → Google Entity Boxes → Discoverability
Media coverage increases eligibility for inclusion in high-ranking sites like Wikipedia and the generation of an entity box.

Discoverability → Business (More Clients, Book Deals, & TV Shows, etc)Digital publicity not only benefits SEO but it increases business leads and other opportunities, including book deals and opportunities to appear on television programs. 

- Jordan
Schaul PR Group
Los Angles, California