What Is a Knowledge Panel?
A knowledge panel is an information box that appears on the right-hand side of Google search results, typically when someone searches for a named entity such as a well-known business, a public figure, a brand, an organisation, or a location. It provides a consolidated factual summary without requiring the user to click through to any specific website. On mobile, knowledge panels appear above organic search results rather than to the side.
The content in a knowledge panel is assembled by Google from multiple sources: the Knowledge Graph (Google's own database of entities and their relationships), the Google Business Profile for local businesses, Wikipedia and Wikidata, official social media profiles, structured data markup on the entity's own website, and third-party data providers. Google decides what information to show based on what it considers most reliable and useful for the querying user.
A typical knowledge panel for a South African business might show the business name, logo, address, phone number, website link, star rating and review count from Google Business Profile, opening hours, a brief description sourced from the web, and links to the business's social media profiles. For a public figure it might show a photo, birth date, a short bio drawn from Wikipedia, notable works, and links to associated entities. For a place it might show an image, map location, Wikipedia summary, and notable facts.
From an SEO and entity SEO perspective, having a knowledge panel is a strong signal of brand authority and entity recognition. It means Google has identified your business as a distinct, trustworthy entity in its Knowledge Graph. Knowledge panels also improve visibility for AI-powered search features: Google's AI Overviews and other AI answer engines draw on the same entity data, meaning a strong Knowledge Graph presence can improve how your brand is described and cited in AI-generated responses.
Knowledge panels are not guaranteed for every business. They are more likely for entities that have significant online presence, consistent name-address-phone (NAP) data across the web, a verified Google Business Profile, Wikidata or Wikipedia entries, and Organisation or LocalBusiness structured data on their website. Businesses in competitive categories and well-known South African cities are more likely to receive panels than newly established entities with minimal web presence.
Knowledge Panel In Practice
A Pretoria-based law firm that had traded for twelve years but had no knowledge panel audited its entity signals. The firm's name appeared inconsistently across directories: sometimes abbreviated, sometimes with "Incorporated" and sometimes without. The firm updated its Google Business Profile with complete, accurate information, added Organisation structured data to its website, created a Wikidata entry, and ensured its name matched exactly across Yellosa, BusinessListings.co.za, and legal directories. Within three months, a knowledge panel appeared for branded searches.
A Johannesburg restaurant group with several branches noticed that only its flagship location had a knowledge panel, despite all branches having Google Business Profiles. Investigation revealed that the secondary branches had inconsistent trading names and categories across their profiles. After standardising these and adding structured data to the individual branch pages, panels appeared for all locations within the following quarter.
Knowledge panels are also becoming important for AI search. When tools like Perplexity AI or Google's AI Overviews generate answers about a business or person, they draw on the same entity data that populates knowledge panels. Investing in entity signals therefore pays dividends in both traditional search and AI-generated search responses.
FAQ
How does a South African business get a Google knowledge panel?
Build entity signals across the web: claim and fully complete your Google Business Profile, add Organisation and LocalBusiness structured data to your website, earn consistent mentions with your correct name and address on reputable South African directories like Yellosa and BusinessListings.co.za, and get referenced in Wikipedia or Wikidata if applicable. Google aggregates these signals to create and populate a knowledge panel.
Can I edit or update my Google knowledge panel?
Yes. Google allows entity owners to suggest edits to their knowledge panel by clicking Suggest an edit. To claim ownership, you verify the entity through your associated Google account. Verified owners can suggest changes to descriptions, contact details, images, and social profiles, though Google has final say on what it displays.