Has anybody else seen a change in how Google is displaying Knowledge Panel results?

[JeffClevelandTN]

It really seems the past few weeks that Google has been really mixing things up on Search! From indented results, local pack results (2 and 5 pack), interesting finds, the list goes on.

Just discovered this with one of our clients. The business name of some knowledge panel search results are being pre-pended with one of the GMB categories of the business and the business name is being put in parentheses. I can't replicate it again right now, but at the time Search was showing similar results for all their locations. Anybody else seeing this? It was also showing up this way for the client's locations for other searches (besides direct business name search) where their locations have earned a KB panel. For example "urgent care CityName". Again, for clarification, the actual business name as shown on GMB is "AFC Urgent Care CityName", we are not spamming the name.

Will post additional images if it resurfaces and will try with clients in different industries.

 

[Phil Rozek]

@JeffClevelandTN, good find. I'm not seeing that for AFC - including for the specific location you took a screenshot of - and haven't seen it for other businesses.

I find it especially interesting that Google chose not to stick the "Urgent care center" category at the beginning of the name, given how close of a match that is to the query.

 

[JoyHawkins]

I believe this happens when you have the business labelled on Google Maps. So it would only show this way to you while logged into the account that labeled the business.

 

[JeffClevelandTN]

I find it especially interesting that Google chose not to stick the "Urgent care center" category at the beginning of the name, given how close of a match that is to the query.

@Phil Rozek
Hi Phil, yes I find it odd too... I didn't take more screen shots but if it recurs I will.

 

[JeffClevelandTN]

I believe this happens when you have the business labelled on Google Maps. So it would only show this way to you while logged into the account that labeled the business.

@JoyHawkins

Hi Joy, I will double-check this, but don't believe this is the case as my recollection is that we saw the same results whether logged into an account or with an incognito tab. However, I could be mistaken. If it recurs will definitely be performing several test scenarios and taking screen shots with each.

 

[JeffClevelandTN]

@JoyHawkins

Hi Joy, I will double-check this, but don't believe this is the case as my recollection is that we saw the same results whether logged into an account or with an incognito tab. However, I could be mistaken. If it recurs will definitely be performing several test scenarios and taking screen shots with each.

So we still haven't been able to get this to recur. However, I'm leaning heavily towards Joy's answer as this was done at a client's office and it is very possible that the user was logged into a profile. As mentioned earlier though, I could have sworn it was reproduced incognito. Was just over there today, and we tried it again on the same computer with the user logged in but couldn't replicate the results. I'm going to consider the case closed per Joy's reply above.