Google Knowledge Panel
Definition
A Google Knowledge Panel is an information box that Google Search may show for an entity in Google's Knowledge Graph, using Google's understanding of information available across the web.
- Topic
- Google Business Profile
- Updated
- Written by
- By Sergey Sulimko, Founder
Google generates a Knowledge Panel automatically. Its information can combine open-web sources, data partners, and, in some cases, verified entities that suggest changes to their own panel. The panel can update as information on the web changes. Claiming a panel or suggesting an edit does not give a business control over whether the panel appears or how it is presented.1,2
How is a Knowledge Panel different from a Google Business Profile?
Google describes Business Profiles as specific to businesses that serve customers at a particular location or designated service area.1 Under Google's guidelines, a business with a physical location customers can visit or one that travels to customers can create a Business Profile.3 Google says only verified businesses can show their business information on Maps and Search.4 In this comparison, the Business Profile is the business-specific counterpart to the general entity information shown in a Knowledge Panel.1
| Surface or term | What it refers to | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge Panel | An automatically generated information box for an entity in Google's Knowledge Graph.1 | A profile that a business can fully control.2 |
| Google Business Profile | Google's business-specific presence for an eligible business with a customer-facing location or designated service area.1,3 | A Knowledge Panel. Google describes the two as similar but distinct.1 |
| Maps listing | In this entry, the Business Profile presence customers can find on Google Maps and Search.4 | A second business record separate from the Business Profile. |
| Local pack | In this entry, a trade label for the presentation of nearby local results. Google's help calls these “local results” and says they appear on Google Maps and Search.5 | The Business Profile record itself. |
Can a business control its Knowledge Panel?
Not completely. An entity or its official representative can claim an existing panel and suggest changes, but Google's automated systems determine when, where, and how a specific query displays one.2 Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity, and a business cannot request a better local ranking or pay for one.5
To keep the terms separate, use Google Business Profile for the business record, Google Maps for the map surface, and the Google Business Profile overview for the broader product context.
Maps Agent service
Where your profile stands now
Visibility Score 0-100 · 20 scored factors · free · no signup
- Profile Completeness
- 11 checks · 40% of score
- Performance
- 4 checks · 35% of score
- Competitive Position
- 5 metrics · 25% of score