Are Google search results about to get 1,000 times smarter? That’s the claim being bandied about as the search engine giant rolls out its latest innovation, Knowledge Graph. Unlike other recent innovations from Google, Knowledge Graph shouldn’t have a big impact on gaming affiliates anytime soon.
What is Knowledge Graph?
Knowledge Graph is a feature that adds an additional information bar to search engine queries that provides a brief summary of the subject. For example, if a user is searching for “Texas Hold ‘Em,” Knowledge Graph would provide a summary of the subject drawn, primarily, from sources like Wikipedia.
Curious about other recent innovations from Google? Check out New Features of Google Analytics.
Why Knowledge Graph?
Many media outlets are comparing Knowledge Graph to Facebook’s Timeline feature, though that’s not exactly an accurate comparison. The new feature accomplishes two goals for the company, it keeps eyes on the search pages; and it helps them move towards their stated goal of “Strings, not things.”
Google is constantly looking to make their search results smarter and more targeted and this one more step towards that goal. Knowledge Graph is a move away from seeing a search like “Online Poker” as two related keywords and more of distinct concept. This means that Google is beginning to distinguish specific terms and really understand their meanings.
What Does it Mean for Gaming Affiliates
For now, no one really knows how, or even if, Knowledge Graph is going to impact SEO. It’s conceivable that Google might one day add paid listings or summaries of some sort to Knowledge Graph, but that’s just speculation.
Given the emphasis that Google is putting on this feature, it seem certain that it’s going to become more advanced over time and would likely move away from crowd-sourced references like Wikipedia.
For now, Knowledge Graph could be a good thing because it keeps customers on the same page as the search results while they get their questions answered. The more time those eyeballs are on the search page, the more likely they are to click on the links.
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