This post covers how to get your business information to appear in the right-side information panel of Google Search results. It’s called the Knowledge Panel, and it’s all done through your Google My Business profile. Read on to learn how.

What is a Google Knowledge Panel?

That right side information bar that you see in Google search results is called the Knowledge Panel. The Knowledge Panel displays information from Google’s greater Knowledge Graph, which means it’s not limited to just business listings. Rather, the Knowledge Panel displays information on specific entities within various genres of data, such as nutrition facts on a particular food, the profile of a plant species, or the cast and plot of a movie. The idea of this nifty sidebar of information is to provide searchers with answers before having to click on any one result.

Here’s the Google Knowledge Panel result for a movie:

Here’s a Google Knowledge Panel result for a food:

And here’s a Google Knowledge Panel result for a business:

How to Create a Google Knowledge Panel for Your Business

Knowledge Panel results appear for specific searches. In the case of a business, it appears when you type in the name of a business plus its location (sometimes just the name). In order to get your business information to display in the right side info panel, you must supply Google with that information. How do you do this? Through your Google My Business Profile. What is that, you ask?

1. Create Your Google My Business Profile

As mentioned above, you must have a Google My Business profile. Your Google My Business profile is a free listing, and also enables you to appear in Google Maps results and the local results of regular Google Search. It is a must for local businesses that want to get maximum Google visibility!

Here’s how to Create, Claim, and Verify Your Google My Business listing.

2. Supply Your Basic Information

If you’re going to be showing up in the right-side information panel, you’ll want to make sure your panel is as useful as possible to Google searchers by filling out every section. However, if you’re looking to just do the bare minimum while you’re reading this post, make sure you cover the basics:

• Name
• Phone
• Address
• Website
• Hours of operation
• Category
• Description aka “From the business” (here are tips on how to write yours)

How to Optimize Your Knowledge Panel

Showing up on Google’s right-side information panel is one thing, but getting searchers to engage with it—and better yet, attracting customers from it—is another. Here’s what you need to do if you want to win customers with your Knowledge Panel.

Complete Every Section

The purpose of Google’s right-side information bar (Knowledge Panel) for businesses is to help customers make an informed decision about engaging with that business. It isn’t just meant to supply quick contact information and products, but rather to paint a complete picture of your business and what it’s like to be a customer there. That’s why it’s crucial to fill out every section of your Google My Business profile. This will increase engagement with your listing, enable Google to show you in more results, and help you to attract more customers. The additional sections include:

• Photos
• Posts
• Questions & Answers
• Reviews

For help with the overall process, check out How to Optimize Your Google My Business Profile.

For a deeper dive into each section, head to the articles below:

• Photos: Tips for Adding Photos to your Google My Business Profile
• Posts: Guide to Posting on Google My Business
• Questions & Answers: How to Use Google Q&A to Get More Customers
• Reviews: 10 Ways to Get More Reviews, with Examples

Can I Edit My Google Knowledge Panel?

The answer to this question is yes and no.

Your Contact information and Category selection are in your full control and can be changed at any time.

While you can write and edit your “From the business” description, this is different from your Editorial summary which is written by Google and cannot be changed.

Reviews, of course, are written by customers and cannot be deleted. Two things you can do to influence your reviews section are to solicit positive reviews and also respond to them—both positive and negative. Responses appear publicly on your Knowledge Panel.

Your Q&A section is a mix. Anyone can ask and anyone can answer any question about your business on here. We suggest (and Google encourages) seeding this section yourself by asking and answering popular questions you get from customers.

Your Photos section is also a mix. You should upload photos of specific products and services you provide, but customers can also upload photos to your sidebar as well.

The Importance of a COMPLETE Google Knowledge Panel

Google ranks business listings according to how useful they are to searchers. The more complete your Google My Business profile is, the better your rank will be. In addition, having content in every section gives you more keyword searches to show up for. If you have a lot of positive reviews about the modern look you provide as an interior designer, your business could very well show up for queries containing “modern design” for your particular area. Or if your Q&A section focuses heavily on exactly what eco-friendly products you use for your cleaning business, you might show up in results for “eco-friendly house cleaning” searches for your region.

Now that you know how to get your business to appear in that neat little right sidebar on Google, it’s time to get to work! Complete your Google My Business profile today so you can start showing up in more places on search results.