A Google Knowledge Panel is the information box that appears on the right side of search results when someone searches for a brand, person, or organisation. It is one of the highest-value SERP features available — it displays your logo, description, social profiles, and key facts directly in Google Search without requiring a click. Schema markup is one of the three primary signals Google uses to decide whether to generate one for you.

Schema markup

Organization/Person with @id + sameAs

🔥 High

Wikipedia / Wikidata

Entity entry linking to your site

🔥 Very High

Consistent NAP

Same name/URL across web

⭐ High

1. The Entity-First Approach: @id and sameAs

Google builds Knowledge Panels around entities — distinct, identifiable things in the world (people, companies, places, products). Your schema markup must signal to Google that your website represents a specific entity, not just a collection of web pages. The two schema properties that do this are @id and sameAs.

// Organization schema for Knowledge Panel — sitewide in layout

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Organization",
  "@id": "https://example.com/#organization",
  "name": "Acme Corp",
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "logo": {
    "@type": "ImageObject",
    "@id": "https://example.com/#logo",
    "url": "https://example.com/logo.png",
    "width": 512,
    "height": 512,
    "caption": "Acme Corp"
  },
  "description": "Acme Corp makes the world's finest widgets
    since 2010.",
  "foundingDate": "2010",
  "numberOfEmployees": {
    "@type": "QuantitativeValue",
    "value": 250
  },
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "123 Main St",
    "addressLocality": "San Francisco",
    "addressRegion": "CA",
    "postalCode": "94105",
    "addressCountry": "US"
  },
  "contactPoint": {
    "@type": "ContactPoint",
    "telephone": "+1-800-555-0100",
    "contactType": "customer service"
  },
  "sameAs": [
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acme_Corp",
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123456",
    "https://linkedin.com/company/acme-corp",
    "https://twitter.com/acmecorp",
    "https://facebook.com/acmecorp",
    "https://instagram.com/acmecorp",
    "https://crunchbase.com/organization/acme-corp"
  ]
}

2. sameAs Priority — Which Profiles Matter Most

Profile	KP Weight	Notes
Wikipedia	🔥 Highest	Having a Wikipedia article almost guarantees a KP
Wikidata	🔥 Very high	Google's preferred structured knowledge source
LinkedIn	⭐ High	Strong entity signal for companies
Crunchbase	⭐ High	For startups and funded companies
Twitter / X	✅ Medium	Social presence corroboration
Facebook	✅ Medium	Especially for local / B2C brands
Instagram	✅ Low-medium	Useful for consumer brands
YouTube channel	⭐ High	Especially if channel has subscribers

3. The @id Pattern — Connecting Your Entity Graph

The @id property gives your entity a stable, unique identifier (a URL). Once set, every other schema block on your site can reference it — creating a connected entity graph that makes it obvious to Google that all these pages belong to the same organisation.

// On every page — reference by @id only, no repetition needed
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "WebPage",
  "url": "https://example.com/about",
  "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://example.com/#website" },
  "about": { "@id": "https://example.com/#organization" },
  "publisher": { "@id": "https://example.com/#organization" }
}

// Blog post author referencing organization
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Article",
  "publisher": { "@id": "https://example.com/#organization" }
}

4. Person Schema for Individual Knowledge Panels

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Person",
  "@id": "https://example.com/#person",
  "name": "Jane Smith",
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "image": "https://example.com/jane-smith.jpg",
  "jobTitle": "CEO",
  "worksFor": { "@id": "https://example.com/#organization" },
  "sameAs": [
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Smith",
    "https://linkedin.com/in/janesmith",
    "https://twitter.com/janesmith"
  ]
}

⚠️ Schema alone rarely triggers a Knowledge Panel

Schema is a necessary but not sufficient signal. Google also needs to find consistent mentions of your entity across third-party sources (news articles, directories, forums). Build external mentions first, then schema helps Google connect them to your site.

5. Off-Site Signals That Trigger Knowledge Panels

Schema markup alone is rarely enough. Google's Knowledge Graph builds entity entries from a wide range of sources. The most impactful off-site signals are:

📌 Wikipedia article

Having an article on Wikipedia about your brand or person is the single strongest Knowledge Panel trigger. If you don't have one, check Wikipedia's notability guidelines — the entity needs coverage from multiple independent reliable sources.

📌 Wikidata entity entry

Wikidata is Google's preferred structured knowledge source. Even without a Wikipedia article, a Wikidata entry with your official website URL and key facts (founding date, industry, key people) significantly boosts Knowledge Panel probability.

📌 News media mentions

Coverage in established publications creates entity signals. 10 substantial mentions in industry publications carries significantly more weight than 100 blog mentions. Focus on earned press in publications that are already known to Google's Knowledge Graph.

📌 Consistent NAP in business directories

For local businesses, consistent citations in Yelp, Yellow Pages, and industry-specific directories (Healthgrades for medical, Avvo for legal) reinforce entity identity.

📌 Google Business Profile (for local entities)

A verified, complete Google Business Profile is nearly always a prerequisite for local business Knowledge Panels. Ensure your profile is claimed, verified, and regularly updated.

6. Claiming Your Knowledge Panel

Search Google for your brand name — if a panel exists, look for "Claim this knowledge panel" at the bottom

Click it and verify via one of your linked official profiles (Google Search Console, YouTube, Twitter, etc.)

Once claimed, you can suggest edits to descriptions, images, and social links

Continue improving your schema and building authoritative citations to expand panel contents over time

Note: Not all Knowledge Panels are claimable. Panels automatically generated from Wikipedia for notable entities (politicians, celebrities, brands with articles) may not have a direct claim option. For business entities, claiming via Google Search Console is the most reliable path.

7. Expected Timeline and What Affects It

Scenario	Expected Timeline
Established brand + Wikipedia article + complete schema	1–4 weeks after schema deployment
Growing brand + Wikidata entry + LinkedIn + Google Business Profile	1–3 months
New brand + schema only, no external citations	Unlikely without external signals — build citations first
Personal brand + LinkedIn + published content	2–6 months depending on volume of coverage
Local business + GBP + Yelp + schema	2–4 weeks after schema + consistent NAP

8. Frequently Asked Questions

Does schema markup guarantee a Knowledge Panel?▼

No. Schema markup is a strong signal but not a guarantee. Google generates Knowledge Panels based on entity recognition from multiple sources — schema tells Google you have an entity, but off-site mentions from authoritative sources confirm it. Wikipedia, Wikidata, and news coverage have more weight than schema alone.

What is the difference between a Knowledge Panel and a Business Profile?▼

A Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a listing you create and manage for local search results and Google Maps. A Knowledge Panel is automatically generated by Google from the Knowledge Graph and appears in general web search. Local businesses can have both.

Which @type should I use for a company — Organization or LocalBusiness?▼

Use the most specific type that applies. For a company with no physical storefront serving customers online or nationally, use Organization. For a business with a physical location serving local customers, use LocalBusiness or its more specific subtypes (Restaurant, Dentist, etc.).

How important is the Wikipedia link in sameAs?▼

Extremely important. If your entity has a Wikipedia article, including that URL in sameAs is one of the highest-impact schema additions you can make. It connects your entity to Google's Knowledge Graph, which dramatically increases Knowledge Panel probability.

Can I control what my Knowledge Panel says?▼

Once you claim a Knowledge Panel, you can suggest edits to the description, social links, and images. Google reviews suggestions and may or may not apply them. The underlying data comes from sources Google trusts (Wikipedia, your website, business profile) — you can improve those sources to influence the panel.

How do I get a Knowledge Panel for a personal brand?▼

The most effective path: (1) Create a Wikidata entry for yourself — even without a Wikipedia article. (2) Ensure your website has a Person schema with complete @id and sameAs links. (3) Build press coverage in established publications. (4) Publish consistently on LinkedIn. (5) Have your Google Scholar profile if academic. The panel often appears after 3–6 months of consistent signal building.

My Knowledge Panel shows wrong information — how do I fix it?▼

Claim the panel via Google Search Console or Google's Knowledge Panel claim flow, then submit suggested corrections. For wrong factual information, update the source that Google is pulling from — often Wikipedia or your Google Business Profile. Schema corrections propagate more slowly than Wikipedia or GBP corrections.

Should my Organization @id use a trailing slash?▼

Use whatever URL pattern is canonical for your site and be consistent. For an organization entity anchor the convention is https://yoursite.com/#organization. Use this exact URL consistently across every schema @id reference to this entity on your entire site.

Validate Your Organization Schema

Check your Organization JSON-LD for @id, sameAs, and logo completeness.

Validate Schema →

Google Knowledge Panel Schema: How to Get and Control Yours