Local knowledge graph = organic position 1?

[Marcus]

Hi,

Something I came across today that I hadn't heard of before.

Without explaining the background, basically if the local knowledge graph appears for your branded search (e.g. Mikes Car Wash) then does this have any effect on the organic result in the same results page?

Specifically does the occurrence of your local knowledge graph mean that you are also organic position 1?

Appreciate any thoughts!

 

[JoyHawkins]

Not necessarily. You can have a knowledge panel that points to a completely different URL (page) than the ones you see organically. Usually the domain is present organically in the top 5, but not always the exact page that GMB listing is linking to.

 

[DanLeibson]

You need to think of these as distinct SERP features. The Knowledge Graph doesn't really have anything to do with organic rankings per se, it's much more based on semantic association and relevance. Basically all the newfangled Googley stuff (tm). It's pretty easy to find examples of a business getting returned in a knowledge graph result that isn't ranking organically in the top 10 at all:

https://www.google.com/search?q=art...1c.1.64.serp..1.5.601...0i7i10i30.9eAeI7O8FsY

Doesn't even have a website linked to the GMB page or a practice website ranking on page 1.

 

[Marcus]

Thanks for the great answers.

I totally agree, I know they are separate and that it doesn't really make sense, and also it's easy to disprove.

But then I look at examples of say small time b&bs/motels who have low DA, hardly any incoming links and yet they're sat at position 1 when their knowledge graph appears, outranking tripadvisor, booking.com and all of the major players.

I guess its just the authenticity/brand factor, but interesting.

 

[DanLeibson]

Relevance, probably the key concept in the knowledge graph, is becoming a bigger and bigger factor in natural/organic search as well. So really what you are noticing could just be examples of a businesses "relevance score" helping it outrank the the "authority/prominence score" of those big sites.