The way we search is evolving all the time. We live in a word where everything is knowable with a quick search. As SEO’s we understand that Google has one goal, to provide the best answer to a certain query, and thanks to knowledge graph our searches are being answered with more and more complete information.

In the image to the right you can see how much information the knowledge graph enables us to find out within the search results for the query: “salesforce”. Since November 2014 one section of this information has become more and more evident, social. Not only are Google+ posts indexed in search but we are now seeing all networks populating for companies in search results. Google received quite a bit of criticism when social first began appearing in search because of its almost sole attention paid to their own content and network. Now we are beginning to see other big networks appear and have more clout when it comes to social search, most recently being Twitter.

Marketers rejoice! This feature now solidifies your brand further by showcasing all of your outlets, strengthens the bond between your website and your social networks, and also could result in more social media influenced leads.

Implementing Knowledge Graph

Now you are probably wondering “how do I get this great feature?” Well, it’s a little harder to pin down then you might think, isn’t everything with Google? The first step is to make sure you have structured data on your website. Digital Analytics expert Simo Ahava gives us a little insight into specific code that can be implemented along with this specific code. Having your site contain Schema.org markup is also important. Besides having the correct code onsite you have to have consistency across your networks linking to the same URL, using consistent brand naming, and updating your content regularly including links back to your website through fresh blog content.

This move from Google is a big step towards demolishing the digital marketing silos that exist between SEO, content, design, and social media. We are beginning to see the strategy many marketers use of integration and synergy be reflected in search results.

Has your company’s social icons started to appear in search? Let us know!