There's been a great deal of discussion over ranking in Google's SERPs, and that's fine, as we need to get into the SERPs and win a great position if we're to win traffic. However, what about going beyond just the SERPs and optimizing for the Knowledge Graph?
Will the Knowledge Graph SERPs be as successful at driving quality traffic? I'm sure it'll be quality traffic. Well, that's what i'm expecting.
Let's try and create a list of specifics that will help appear in Google's Knowledge Graph.
I'll start with probably one of the key points: Quality content.
Without quality content the knowldge Graph won't even know our target is on the radar. It'll be invisible in amogst all the other content on the topic.
What is quality content? I see it as a combination of (preferably) unique, well-written, well illustrated content on the subject with both topical news and historical material. New material will help keep it fresh, and historical information will help with research.
Another point: Six degrees of separation.
Do you remember the discussion we had here about the Bacon number?
Google's Knowledge Graph Demonstrated with 'Bacon Number' [webmasterworld.com] That was a little bit of fun, but it shows the ability of the Knowlege Graph to connect the dots and indicate the value. It's very clever.
A connection with a good Bacon number is going to help demonstrate a valuable connection. Notice I used the words connection, and not link. Without links you don't have a connection, but links on their own need to be true connections to influence the knowlege graph. Links are valuable commodities, but the value has changed over the years, and a link for link's sake is worth very little, especially in terms of the knowlege graph. However, the connections are worth a great deal more, and especially if it's as close as possible to the topic.
Without the connections you don't have a Bacon number at all.
