If there's something that Google has mastered, it's search engines. Anybody involved in website analysis and promotion is trying to find the Google-like solution that will reach precise, relevant and concise search results.
The Knowledge Graph was developed by Google back in 2012 and is being refined and improved over time. It is a technological tool that has changed the world of data searching and is meant to provide users with direct and precise answers for their search queries. This is done by presenting selected facts beside the regular search results. The graph narrows the gap between what the user is looking for, the amount of data that must be filtered and the direct answer to their query.
The Knowledge Graph is not necessarily presented in the usual graph form that connects the objects from which it is comprised. It represents a shift to a new kind of internet search and information accessibility. It displays information besides the dry description and thus enables the user to make decisions, perform further actions and provides added value. For example, if we search for "Steimatzky", the regular search results displayed on the left will include the official website, a list of chapters, the network's history, etc. However, the Knowledge Graph beside this information will present us with the immediate facts that may call us to action: a phone number, opening hours, customer reviews, which social networks hold information on Steimatzky, etc.
This new search isn’t based on keywords. It is based on the entities these words describe, such as personnel, areas, musical styles, businesses, etc. An entity can be a football team, related to another entity through various contexts, such as geographical area. If you look for information on Barcelona Football Club, you will also be presented with information on another entity: the region of Catalonia.
By linking these entities, Google succeeds in understanding the real world better and optimizing search results for their users' benefit.
Nevertheless, some of the graph's search results will only provide initial facts, such as a certain individual's birth date and place or display a Wikipedia quote rather than a product of Machine Learning this technology was designed to produce. Furthermore, by May 2016 hardly a third of all Google searches conducted monthly (approximately 100 billion) uploaded Knowledge Graphs. The Knowledge Graph's critics claim that by making the direct answers accessible to users, Google limits their exposure to content and harm their curiosity. This accessibility does not encourage users to further read and research.
So, whose side are you on?
Click the picture below for a short video elaborating on the Knowledge Graph:
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