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Google Wants to Allow Site Owners to Update Knowledge Panels

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update knowledge panelsGood news if you have ever suffered from having incorrect information show up in a Google Knowledge Panel in the search results.  Google wants to make it easier for site owners and individuals to update their knowledge panels and edit them for correct information, according to Gary Illyes during his State of Search keynote Monday.

Currently it is very difficult for site owners to update this information, depending on where the data is being pulled from, and Illyes acknowledges that it can be a nightmare to change.   Sometimes it is biographical information for a person is wrong, whether it is a ex-spouse listed as a current one or simply the currently held position of an executive, but it is the type of data that people like to see corrected.

John Mueller did give updates on the various sources of data in a Google Webmaster Help hangout in August.

Essentially we pick up this information from various sources like Wikipedia, Wikidata, Freebase and our algorithms then try and figure out whether or not it makes sense to show that information.  And sometimes this is not really a technical decision in that since our algorithms might look at this and it probably doesn’t make sense to show something specific from Wikipedia in the sidebar here.

While Illyes didn’t go into any more details, it would likely be tied into Google Search Console somehow, because Google would need to ensure that it is the site owner or someone associated with the site making changes, and not a competitor making changes for nefarious reasons, when it comes to businesses and similar knowledge panels.  For personal knowledge panels, there could be a personal verification through a Google account.

But having an easier way to update this information would be excellent.

Illyes didn’t mention any timeline for when we might see this available, but it is extremely good news that this is something on the roadmap.

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Jennifer Slegg

Founder & Editor at The SEM Post
Jennifer Slegg is a longtime speaker and expert in search engine marketing, working in the industry for almost 20 years. When she isn't sitting at her desk writing and working, she can be found grabbing a latte at her local Starbucks or planning her next trip to Disneyland. She regularly speaks at Pubcon, SMX, State of Search, Brighton SEO and more, and has been presenting at conferences for over a decade.

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