Why GMB knowledge panel shows up for main local KW phrase instead of maps?

[Mindquest]

Example not real KW phrases:

1. Search Term: "cpa consulting denver" (gets the more monthly searches than #2 search term)
Shows GMB knowledge panel of competitor and no maps


2. Search Term: "denver cpa consulting"
Shows only Google Maps


Trying to understand what it means when a service + city term displays a GMB panel instead of maps. Does that GMB panel display because the site is found to be so relevant to the search term that it overrides the usual display of maps? Yet if city is put first in the term the map reappears.

Anyone know what triggers this?

 

[Ampere]

Are you trying it on a clean browser? If not, could it be part of your personalized results because you have been to that competitors website before?

Here is what I get:

 

[Mindquest]

@Ampere so tried on another server in the city in incognito mode and the two KW phrase variations (not the example I gave in this post) now both show maps and no GMB knowledge panel.

The funny thing is I tried Safari, FireFox & Chrome all in incognito mode and they all showed the GMB knowledge panel for the same search. So I had no personalization other than using the same IP address of my office.

In your experience is Google locking in that IP address with that much of my browsing history to make incognito mode basically worthless?

Interested to here what everyone thinks on this!

 

[Ampere]

I think so, I believe the professional SEOs use VPN’s when testing for that reason.

 

[Mindquest]

@Ampere But even with VPN's won't the ip address you use on it have browsing habits that Google would know about?

 

[Ampere]

@Ampere But even with VPN's won't the ip address you use on it have browsing habits that Google would know about?

No, your IP address would be that of whatever VPN you used.

 

[Adam Bament]

One of the best local SEO tips I've received lately is to add the GS Location Changer Chrome extension to see what search results look like at a specific location (thanks @JoyHawkins ).

 

[Vincent Tobiaz]

The Brave browser too would get around this where those other browsers won't. I don't think you even need to use the TOR or incognito features it has which makes you look like you're international. Might help the organization a little to keep a different app open for just testing, too.

 

[JoyHawkins]

Trying to understand what it means when a service + city term displays a GMB panel instead of maps. Does that GMB panel display because the site is found to be so relevant to the search term that it overrides the usual display of maps?

I actually see this all the time with long tail keywords. If a business has a super-focused website and has way more relevance for that keyword than competitors - they get a one-box.

Here is an example:

"Slip and fall" is in their business name, their reviews, their domain name, all their content etc. They have a lot more relevance to this keyword in comparison with all the other lawyers (dozens of them) in Philadelphia that offer this as a service.

I have found the biggest influencer of these 1-boxes is the business name.