Invisible content earns zero authority. Learn how to unlock visibility without giving away your best assets.
For as long as marketers have been chasing leads online, the debate over gated versus ungated content has raged.
Entire conference sessions, whitepapers, and LinkedIn flame wars have been dedicated to the question:
Should you hide your best stuff behind a form fill, or give it away for free to maximize search rankings and reach?
The problem is that most of this debate hasn’t caught up with the new realities of AI-driven search.
In a world where visibility in Google’s AI Overviews, Microsoft
Copilot, ChatGPT, and Perplexity directly shapes brand authority, hiding
the wrong content behind a gate doesn’t just cost you some
top-of-funnel visibility.
It makes you invisible in the layer of search that now matters most: the AI answer layer.
AI can’t and won’t fill out a form or subscribe to your paywall.
If your content is gated, the models can’t see it, can’t cite it, and
can’t use it to represent your brand in synthesized answers.
This article aims to reframe the gating debate for 2025 and beyond.
Instead of a binary yes/no, I’ll offer a decision framework for modern gating:
Always ungated: The materials AI and humans alike rely on to understand your value proposition.
Conditionally gated: Feeper research, templates, and assets – but only after exposing enough to earn citations and trust.
Never gated: The basics that establish credibility, authority, and discoverability.
By mapping each type of content to lead quality, brand visibility,
and AI presence, you’ll have a clear rubric for what to hide, what to
show, and why.
Why AI changes the gating conversation
Traditionally, the gating decision was framed as a trade-off between visibility and lead quality.
Ungated: More eyeballs, less lead capture.
Gated: Fewer visitors, but more “serious” form fills.
AI-driven search has come along and moved the goalposts.
These systems no longer index the whole page and show a URL.
That means if the only version of your report lives behind a form or
your insights sit behind a paywall, they effectively don’t exist in the
new search ecosystem.
Even worse, if your competitors ungate their abstracts, summaries,
and key findings, their content becomes the default citation source for
AI Overviews and Copilot answers.
They become the recognized authority, while your gated masterpiece stays invisible.
AI doesn’t reward the best-hidden asset. It rewards the most visible, extractable, and trustworthy one.
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Always ungated: Your brand’s ‘understand me’ layer
Some content should never be hidden. Not from users, and not from
machines. This is the content that establishes who you are, what you do,
and why you’re credible.
Examples include:
Summaries and abstracts: AI pulls these directly into answers. If your executive summary is locked up, you won’t be cited.
FAQs and definitions: Frequently asked questions and concise definitions are prime AI fodder.
Pricing and product basics: If you hide this, AI will default to third-party sources – which might not be accurate.
Author bios and credentials: Ungating author information is a credibility multiplier. E-E-A-T/QC systems look for clear expertise.
These assets act like your brand’s knowledge graph in miniature.
Gating them is like pulling your business card out of circulation and then wondering why no one calls.
Ungated basics ensure that both AI and humans can understand, trust, and represent you correctly.
Conditionally gated: The ‘earn the right’ layer
This is where nuance comes in.
There are absolutely assets you may want to gate – but gating should come after you’ve earned visibility and trust.
Think:
Research reports.
Templates and calculators.
In-depth guides.
Case studies.
The trick is not to slam the gate at the headline.
Instead, provide enough public-facing content to establish credibility and allow AI to cite you.
For example:
Ungate the abstract, methodology, and key findings of a research report. Gate the full dataset and deep analysis.
Ungate a screenshot and explanation of a template. Gate the full downloadable file.
Ungate high-level insights from a case study. Gate the step-by-step breakdown or full deck.
This “teaser ungating” approach achieves two things:
AI inclusion: Models can see, parse, and cite your key takeaways.
Lead quality: Serious prospects will still exchange information for the full version.
It’s a balance, but err on the side of ungating enough to establish authority.
If you don’t, someone else’s partially visible research will be the one cited instead.
From the perspective of both humans and AI, if the content isn’t visible without logging in or paying, it’s gated.
There are two major consequences:
For most brands: A hard paywall means your content
won’t be included in AI Overviews or Copilot, because the models can’t
access it. Unless you negotiate a licensing deal with OpenAI, Google, or
Microsoft (as a few elite publishers have done), your work is
invisible.
For media companies: Some can get away with it
because their authority is so strong that snippets, summaries, and
syndicated content exist elsewhere. But for everyone else, paywalls
without visible abstracts or teasers are a recipe for disappearance.
If you must use a paywall, pair it with ungated summaries, abstracts, and key data points.
That way, AI systems (and human searchers) still see enough to recognize your authority and cite you.
Beware of soft gates and accidental gating
Not all gates are intentional. Sometimes, brands inadvertently hide their most important content behind what I call soft gates:
PDFs that require clicking through a modal or JavaScript event.
“Read more” toggles that collapse key details.
Accordions or tabbed content where the default state hides the text.
Inline lead-gen overlays that must be dismissed before accessing the content.
From a human perspective, these seem minor – just one extra click.
However, from the perspective of AI systems, they’re effectively gates.
Don’t open toggles, expand tabs, or click “download” buttons.
Retrieve and parse only what is visible in the rendered HTML at page load.
That means your “get to know me” content – the very material that
establishes credibility and authority – may be invisible if it’s hidden
behind a collapsed section or accessible only through a PDF download.
The fix is simple but critical:
Surface summaries inline before linking to full PDFs.
Keep key takeaways visible by default.
Avoid making trust signals (like bios or pricing) conditional on interaction.
If the AI can’t see it without “acting like a user,” it won’t use it,
and in the current landscape, invisibility is the same as irrelevance.
Never gated: The ‘credibility’ layer
Some information should never be behind a wall.
Gating it frustrates users and undermines your authority signals with search engines and AI models.
Pricing: If buyers can’t see your pricing, they’ll turn to competitor pages, aggregators, or (worse) AI-generated guesses.
Author and company credentials: Gating this is like telling AI, “We’re not sure we want you to know who we are.” It’s a bad idea.
Basic product specs or service descriptions: Essential for visibility in product-related AI queries.
Hiding this type of content actively damages your E-E-A-T footprint.
If AI can’t verify who you are, what you sell, or why you’re credible, you’re far less likely to be surfaced.
Think of this as the table stakes of trust.
You don’t win by hiding them – you lose.
Mapping gating to outcomes
Here’s a simple way to visualize the impact of gating choices:
When in doubt, ask:
Does gating this improve lead quality or revenue enough to offset the loss of AI visibility?
If the answer is no, ungate it.
A practical checklist for deciding what to gate
Before slapping a form fill, paywall, or modal on your next asset, walk through this checklist:
Will this content build trust if visible?
If yes, ungate it. Trust-building content is too valuable to hide.
Does AI need to “see” this to recognize us as authoritative?
If yes, ungate it – at least partially.
Can I provide a teaser version that earns citations without giving everything away?
If yes, use conditional gating.
Would gating this undermine our E-E-A-T footprint?
If yes, don’t gate. You can’t afford to weaken your credibility signals.
Is there enough ungated content elsewhere to establish authority?
If your entire site is walled off, you’ll vanish. Balance is key.
Bringing it all together
The old gating debate framed it as a binary: hide everything or give everything away.
But in the AI-driven search era, the choice isn’t between free vs. lead-gen. It’s between visible vs. invisible.
AI Overviews, Copilot, and Perplexity are shaping how users discover and trust brands.
If your best content is locked away – behind a form, a paywall, or even a toggle – AI can’t cite you.
And if AI can’t cite you, you’re absent from the very narratives shaping search results.
The modern strategy is layered:
Ungate the “understand me” content (summaries, FAQs, bios, pricing).
Tease the “earn the right” content (research, templates, guides) so both AI and humans can see enough to trust you.
Never gate credibility basics (pricing, credentials, specs).
Be strategic with paywalls:They can generate subscription revenue, but only if they are paired with visible abstracts and context.
Eliminate soft gates: Don’t let JavaScript, toggles, or PDF-only assets hide the very signals that make you worth citing.
In short: don’t lock away the very signals that make your brand worth citing.
Visibility is the new currency
For years, marketers justified gating with the phrase: “If they want it badly enough, they’ll fill out the form.”
The problem is: AI-driven search doesn’t want it badly enough.
It will not fill out a form, it will not subscribe to your paywall, and it won’t click “expand more” to read the details.
That doesn’t mean lead-gen and subscriptions are dead. It means the
path to leads and revenue now runs through visibility first.
Build trust, earn citations, and show up in AI answers. Then invite
users deeper with gated extras once your authority is established.
In 2025 and beyond, the brands that survive and thrive will be the ones that master this balance.
Not by just hiding, but by knowing exactly what to hide, what to show, and why
Apple’s new AI search engine, World Knowledge Answers, will power Siri and Safari with quick, multimodal answers built on LLMs.
Apple is preparing its own AI-powered search engine. Known internally
as World Knowledge Answers, it will debut next spring as part of a
long-awaited Siri overhaul, Bloomberg reported.
The goal: Transform Siri into an “answer engine,” pulling
information from across the web in a style similar to Google’s AI
Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity.
The upgrade. It will go well beyond Siri’s current
fact-checking. Apple’s new system will generate summaries that blend
text, images, video and local results.
The company plans to expand it to Safari and Spotlight, giving Apple multiple footholds in everyday search.
Behind the scenes. Apple will rely partly on Google’s Gemini AI model for its new search experience.
Siri’s overhaul, built around large language models (LLMs), also
includes a new planner and summarizer to make responses more
conversational and accurate.
Apple considered adding a standalone chatbot-style app, but for now is weaving the search into Siri and core iOS features.
Why we care. Apple’s push into AI search could
reshape how billions of queries are handled on iPhones. Visibility for
brands and businesses won’t just depend on Google rankings – it will
depend on whether and how Apple’s AI systems surface and summarize your
content in voice and web answers.
LLM referrals convert
no better than search and make up less than 1% of traffic, challenging
claims of higher-quality clicks, new data shows.
Traffic from large language models (LLMs) doesn’t convert
significantly better than traditional organic search, according to new
research from digital marketing agency Amsive.
What they found. Across 54 websites analyzed:
Organic traffic converted at 4.6% vs. 4.87% for LLM referrals.
That slight edge disappeared under statistical testing – the difference was not significant.
Even on higher-volume sites, LLM conversion lifts didn’t hold up.
LLM traffic made up less than 1% of overall sessions, compared to ~32% from organic search.
Why we care. Google (and other engines) have said that referrals from AI chatbots and LLMs deliver more qualified visitors or higher quality clicks.
This is the second study to undercut that narrative. The real challenge
is scale, not conversion quality, Amsive’s study shows. LLM traffic
accounts for less than 1% of sessions, while organic drives nearly a
third.
Between the lines. Conversion performance was
inconsistent: some sites saw LLM outperform, others underperform. These
mixed results suggest LLM traffic depends more on how AI tools surface
content than on any built-in quality advantage.
About the data. Amsive analyzed six months of GA4
session data from 54 websites with validated macro conversions (form
fills or purchases), applying statistical tests to ensure differences
were significant.
Meanwhile: A May study by Dan Taylor of SALT.agency found organic traffic generally outperformed LLM referrals in engagement, with AI-driven clicks showing an edge only in a few niches like health and careers.
Bottom line. Organic search still dominates in scale
and reliability. You should track LLM traffic as it grows, but don’t
expect it to replace search as a conversion engine anytime soon.
“Stop trying to make GEO happen. It’s not going to happen,” she wrote.
With all due respect to Shelby, whom I know and have tons of respect
for (she’s a contributor at Search Engine Land as well), GEO is already
happening.
The arguments I’ve seen dismissing GEO on LinkedIn and elsewhere
lately (often by “it’s just SEO” people) seem to ignore history and
reality.
GEO is already real
“Generative Engine Optimization” isn’t just a buzzword someone cooked up on LinkedIn.
Since then, it has appeared in conference talks, industry analyses, and practitioner discussions.
Marketers and researchers alike are already using it.
This isn’t wishful thinking. It’s early adoption.
Language evolves
Look no further than a certain American multinational corporation and
technology company – nobody assumes “Apple” only means fruit.
Tech is built on redefined words.
“Cloud” doesn’t just mean a white thing in the sky.
“Cookies” aren’t just baked goods.
“Spam” isn’t just canned meat.
We didn’t reject those terms because of any “linguistic baggage.”
People embraced them and adopted them.
GEO is no different.
Pronunciation isn’t a dealbreaker
The argument that nobody will say “G-E-O” just doesn’t hold.
I’ve been to conferences and heard it mentioned. I’ve heard it in meetings.
Nobody has a problem saying the letter G-E-O in succession. Just like they can easily say S-E-O.
C’mon. It’s a one-letter difference. If I showed my 4-year-old daughter those three letters, she could say them.
We have plenty of initialisms and acronyms that aren’t “perfect.” CTR. CRO. ASO. CWV (you know, LCP, INP, and CLS). GSC.
GEO is, if nothing else, more memorable than many of those.
GEO can be said as “gee-oh” or “G-E-O.” Both work. Neither is a barrier to adoption.
Search engines catch up to language
The idea that GEO can’t compete with entrenched meanings in Google or LLM training data is shortsighted.
Comparing GEO to “FBI = For Better Indexing” is a false equivalence.
The FBI is one of the most globally recognized initialism in existence.
That’s not GEO’s situation.
Think about content marketing. In the early 2010s, hardly anyone was using the term.
By the mid-2010s, it wasn’t just mainstream – it had conferences,
software, dedicated teams, and entire agencies built around it.
Search intent shifted. Authority shifted. Google caught up to the way the community was using the language.
That’s exactly how new terms gain traction.
Authority and intent aren’t fixed permanently; they evolve as people adopt and reinforce new concepts.
GEO is following that same path.
Search engines and LLMs will follow the users if they adopt GEO.
Let’s stop pretending SEO is a perfect name
Everyone seems to forget this: Search Engine Optimization is itself a pretty dumb name.
We’re not actually “optimizing search engines.” We’re optimizing content for search engines.
SEO easily could have been “Content Optimization for Search Engines” (COSE?) or something equally clunky.
Oh, and by the way, SEO isn’t even an acronym. It’s an initialism.
You don’t say “see-oh” — you say the letters: S-E-O. Same will be true for G-E-O.
So why hold GEO to some linguistic purity standard?
GEO is just as “bad” or just as “good” as SEO.
And like SEO, GEO will stick if it’s useful.
GEO is a chance to reframe SEO’s reputation
Let’s be honest: SEO as a discipline has always been undervalued and misunderstood.
That’s why GEO matters. It’s not just about adapting to AI-driven
search. It’s a chance to rebrand our field for the next era, to shed
some of the baggage SEO has carried for two decades.
GEO signals that optimization isn’t static. It evolves with technology – and so does the value of the people doing it.
In other words, GEO isn’t just a new initialism. It’s a fresh opportunity to get the recognition this discipline deserves.
GEO isn’t going away
Generative Engine Optimization is an attempt to describe the reality of how search is changing.
Is it a perfect name? No. But again, neither was SEO.
What GEO tries to do is define the real shift in optimization practice as AI-driven search reshapes discovery.
The initialism is already in circulation in academia and the
marketing industry. Communities are adopting it. Again, the language
will follow the people.
The choice isn’t whether GEO will “happen.” It already has.
The only choice is whether you want to be ahead of the curve or play catch-up.
First, they ignored GEO. Then they laughed at GEO. Now they’re fighting GEO. Maybe this means GEO will indeed win?
External links build
trust and authority. Learn what they are, why they matter for SEO, and
how to use them strategically without hurting your rankings.
External links are easily one of the most overlooked SEO elements. They’re also one of the most misunderstood.
Some add too many links to content without considering quality,
relevance, or long-term maintenance. Others avoid them entirely, worried
about “leaking” ranking authority or losing visitors.
When used strategically, outbound links can build authority, deepen topical relevance, and enhance the user experience.
They signal trust to both search engines and readers, especially when
you’re citing original research, expert opinions, or authoritative
sources.
In this guide, we’ll break down what external links are, why they
matter, how to choose them wisely, and how to maintain them as part of a
scalable, trustworthy SEO strategy.
What is an external link?
An external link (also known as an outbound link) is a hyperlink on
your site that points to a page on a different domain. If you’ve ever
cited a source, linked to a research study, or directed readers to a
helpful tool you don’t own, you’ve created an external link.
From a user’s perspective, an external link is a pathway to more information.
For search engines, they help map your content into the web’s
interconnected knowledge graph (more below), signaling how your page
relates to and supports the destination topic.
Just as importantly, links to authoritative sources also build trust
with your readers. When you cite well-regarded research, news, or expert
commentary, it shows you’ve done your homework and makes your content
feel more credible and reliable.
In other words, external links don’t just connect information, they
also reinforce your authority as a publisher who is worth paying
attention to, both by people and crawlers.
Their purpose is to guide users deeper into your content, help search engines understand your site structure, and distribute link equity between your pages.
External links, by contrast, take readers to credible information outside your site.
They provide supporting context, enhance trust and authority, and
position your content alongside other reputable sources—sometimes even
direct competitors, if they offer complementary information that
enhances your content.
Why external links matter in SEO
When it comes to the importance of links for SEO, most attention goes
to internal links and backlinks—links that point to your content from
other sites.
Backlinko’s study on first-page ranking factors found that pages with more backlinks tend to rank higher in SERPs.
Internal linking, for its part, has seen a bit of a renaissance in
recent years. Thanks in large part to well-respected SEO professionals,
like Kevin Indig, bringing renewed attention to what was once an underutilized tactic.
Done well, internal links improve crawlability, help search engines
discover and index deeper pages, and signal which parts of your site
carry the most weight.
And outbound links deserve a place in the conversation too.
Their impact may not be as immediately measurable, but linking out
can complement and compound the benefits of your internal linking and
backlinking efforts.
Here’s why.
Enhance credibility with readers by referencing authoritative sources
Outbound links signal what your content is about and who you trust in your field.
If you’re writing about SEO trends and link to established sources like Ahrefs, Moz, or Google Search Central, you’re sending clear semantic cues that your content is grounded in recognized expertise.
By consistently linking to sources with equal or greater perceived
authority, you position your brand in the same “weight class.” Over
time, readers begin to associate your name with the same level of
credibility and reliability as the sources you cite.
Take Wikipedia as an example. Linking directly to an individual wiki
page itself may not carry much weight, but seeking out and linking to
one of the primary sources listed at the bottom of the page? That’s
where the real value lies.
Linking directly to those authoritative sources gives your content the same lift in perceived credibility.
Help Google understand your content’s context and credibility
Search engines view the web as a network of interconnected pages and entities—a structure Google calls the Knowledge Graph.
This system is designed to understand facts about people, places, and things, and how those entities relate to one another.
By linking to authoritative, topically relevant sources, you help
Google place your content within that network, advancing its
understanding of the relationships between topics, organizations, and
concepts.
The easier you make it for search engines to establish that context,
the more trusted and credible your content becomes. That trust can
influence how your pages are indexed, how confidently they’re ranked,
and how likely they are to appear for entity-based queries.
Example: The CDC’s Climate and Health Program
links to NOAA’s climate data resources. This gives users direct access
to authoritative weather datasets and also signals to search engines
that their page is connected to recognized experts in climate science.
Improve user experience
Well-placed external links make your content more helpful.
They show readers you’re willing to share resources that serve their needs, even if those resources live off your site.
Sometimes that means filling informational gaps
you don’t currently cover. Other times, it’s about pointing to original
datasets, expert analysis, or niche guidance that would be difficult
for you to replicate in full.
By linking to those resources, you give readers immediate access to
deeper information without forcing them to search for it themselves.
That kind of value builds trust and keeps your content from feeling
insular or self-serving. It also positions you as a curator of the best
information available on a topic, not just a single source of truth.
Example:Moz’s Beginner’s Guide to SEO
regularly links out to Google Search Central’s documentation on
crawling, indexing, and ranking. While Moz’s guidance is more
approachable, they don’t shy away from providing access to the source of
truth.
Can lead to reciprocal links
While your main reason for linking out should be to add value for
your readers, there’s a secondary benefit: Outbound links can open doors
with other brands and publishers.
When you send meaningful traffic to another site—or reference their
work in a way that reinforces their authority—you put your brand on
their radar. That kind of goodwill can lead to relationship-building
opportunities, including collaborations or reciprocal mentions.
It’s not a guaranteed or instant payoff, and it shouldn’t drive your outbound linking strategy.
But links to relevant, high-quality resources inherently make your
content more shareable. If another site sees that you’ve helped elevate
their work, they’re more likely to return the favor with a backlink, a
social mention, or even a partnership.
Build semantic associations with trusted entities and concepts
Semantic SEO
is an advanced strategy focused on making content understandable to
search engines. Rather than focusing on keywords, you build semantic
relationships by emphasizing the actual meaning, context, and user
intent of a topic.
This shift in interpretation is what allows modern content to still
rank without relying on keyword stuffing and inserting exact-match
terms. Outbound linking plays a critical part in building these semantic
relationships.
Linking to authoritative, research-driven sources provides both
readers (as we mentioned before) and search engines with clearer signals
about where your content fits within a topic’s ecosystem.
Consistently connecting your work to recognized entities—whether
that’s a government agency, an academic institution, or an industry
leader—strengthens the associations between your brand and the subjects
you want to be known for. Over time, these relationships contribute to
how Google models your site’s authority and relevance within a domain.
Now, that single link won’t make your page rank on its own. But it
does reinforce the connection between the company’s content and the
leading authority on web standards, adding to the broader semantic
signals that support credibility.
Influence how content is interpreted by AI systems and LLMs
To be clear, there’s no current evidence that outbound links act as a
direct ranking factor for AI results. The benefit may be indirect.
AI systems—including Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT’s Browse,
Perplexity, and other AI-driven search experiences—consider the quality
and relevance of outbound links when deciding what to cite.
By citing credible, authoritative sources, you make your content more
trustworthy, and, in turn, more likely to be referenced in AI-driven
summaries.
Google’s perspective on external linking
There is no shortage of myths about how Google treats outbound links.
Many wonder if they actually help rankings, drain authority from your
site, or are they simply ignored.
Of course, Google’s position is more nuanced. So, let’s break down
what Google has actually said and what that means for your site.
While not a direct ranking factor, E-E-A-T is the framework Google uses to evaluate content quality and relevance.
At its core, the framework is about showing subject-matter expertise
and building trust through reliable, well-sourced information. And
that’s where external links play a critical role.
Referencing credible, authoritative sources—like peer-reviewed
research, respected industry publications, or official
organizations—signals that your content is grounded in facts.
This helps readers validate your claims and demonstrates to search
engines that you’re meeting the editorial standards E-E-A-T is designed
to reward.
Linking to low-quality or spammy sites can hurt trust
The flip side of linking to authoritative sources is that outbound
links to low-quality or spammy sites can actively damage your
credibility.
These links aren’t just “less than ideal.” They can create a poor
experience for users, and in some cases, send strong negative quality
signals to search engines. And in the process, unintentionally harm your
rankings, traffic, etc.
Examples of problematic destinations include:
Thin or duplicate content farms with little to no original value.
Malware-infected or phishing sites that can install harmful software or steal data.
Sites overloaded with intrusive ads or pop-ups that frustrate visitors.
Link networks or obvious SEO spam pages created solely to manipulate rankings.
Outdated or factually incorrect resources that mislead readers.
Sending users to these kinds of sites can erode trust instantly. This
can also contribute to the devaluation of your page in search results,
or result in deindexing in extreme cases.
Linking out doesn’t equal less link equity (debunking the “link juice” myth)
The myth that outbound links “leak” your SEO power goes back to Google’s original ranking system, PageRank.
This founding algorithm was designed to measure a page’s authority
based largely on the quality and quantity of incoming links.
For simplicity’s sake, SEOs began calling the transferable value from
links “link juice.” But today, most professionals use the term link
equity to describe how authority flows from one page to another via
links.
Early on, some SEOs believed that any link—especially a followed link
to an external site—drained authority. So, whenever you linked out, you
would give up some of your own authority and end up losing PageRank,
the thinking went.(Not that we should care about that anyway.)
But Google representatives, including former head of the web spam
team Matt Cutts, have repeatedly clarified that this isn’t the case (starting all the way back in 2009). Link equity isn’t “lost” when you point to other sites; it’s simply shared across all the links on a page.
And outbound links that add value can enhance your page’s usefulness without diminishing your authority in Google’s eyes.
That’s why structure and intent matter more than sheer quantity.
When you link out thoughtfully—keeping links relevant, prioritizing
authoritative destinations, and avoiding overload—you strengthen your
content rather than weaken it.
External links aren’t a direct ranking factor
Google has explicitly stated that outbound links don’t provide SEO and ranking benefits.
John Mueller, a well-known and long-time search advocate at Google, addressed this way back in 2016 during a Google Webmaster Hangout, when he clearly stated that external links “aren’t specifically a ranking factor.”
“Nothing
happens. Why should it? … Here’s my affiliate site about handbags—and
here’s a link to CNN & Wikipedia, please take me seriously now, k?”
He went on to emphasize that links should be treated like any other
content: If they add unique value for users, include them. If not,
don’t. As he put it: “Name-dropping a dictionary doesn’t fix your
spelling mistakes.”
The takeaway: Including external links may not provide the same link
equity benefit as receiving a backlink. But they still provide real
value by strengthening user trust and improving how your content is
perceived.
Just remember they are still not a direct ranking factor.
Be wary of what Google claims
Google liaisons like John Mueller, and, at one point, Danny Sullivan,
have provided helpful guidance on how the search engine actually
works.
But that doesn’t mean you should take every statement as absolute
truth. The safer approach is to use Google’s guidance as a baseline,
then test for yourself.
In the case of outbound links, the consensus is strong enough that you can be confident in the principles outlined here.
SEO is a moving target. What matters most is whether the practices
you adopt improve your rankings, user trust, and business outcomes.
More on external links and E-E-A-T
We’ve already looked at how Google leverages external links as part of its E-E-A-T assessment.
Let’s go a step further, and break down how authoritative sources
strengthen credibility, when higher standards apply, and why outbound
links matter even more in sensitive YMYL contexts.
Linking to authoritative sources demonstrates your credibility
Google’s quality systems reward content that shows strong editorial
judgment. Outbound links are one way to do that: they demonstrate you’ve
vetted your sources and chosen references that add weight to your
arguments.
Specifically for readers, it’s proof you’re not just offering
opinions in a vacuum but anchoring your content to information they can
verify.
Showcase editorial standards by using trustworthy outbound links
Linking to credible sources is one of the simplest ways to prove you’ve done your homework.
Think of it like citations in a research paper—except your readers
can click straight through to check your work. Over time, this habit
builds a reputation for accuracy. Users see you as a source they can
trust, and Google’s quality systems take note.
And if you’re struggling to determine how good a source is, you don’t have to do it manually. You can use tools like Semrush to review a site’s domain authority
before linking. It’s not a perfect metric, but it can help you spot
questionable or toxic sites fast, so your references stay clean and
credible.
In YMYL content, external links are part of the trust signal
“Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) is Google’s label for topics with
real-world consequences. It includes subjects like medical treatment
advice, tax or investment strategies, or guidance on legal rights.
Because inaccurate information in these areas can cause real harm to
an individual, Google applies stricter quality standards to content
about it.
Here are a few examples of YMYL being done right:
A medical article cites the Mayo Clinic.
A financial guide links directly to the IRS for tax info.
A legal explainer points to a state court website when referencing the results of a case.
All are signals that your content is backed by trustworthy
authorities. In YMYL content, these trust signals aren’t just
helpful—they’re required.
Citing medical, legal, or financial sources? Use .gov, .edu, or expert-reviewed content
Not all sources carry the same weight. We’ve mentioned that ad nauseam at this point.
But it’s especially true when covering sensitive or technical
subjects. Specifically in fields like health, law, or finance, Google
expects higher editorial standards.
So, whenever possible, cite peer-reviewed journals, official .gov or .edu sites, and recognized industry organizations.
This makes it clear that you’re prioritizing accuracy and leveraging sources that Google will identify as trustworthy.
Factors that determine the value of an external link
Search engines assess several signals to determine an external link’s value and relevance. Here are the ones that matter most.
Topical relevance
Linking to a highly authoritative site isn’t always the right choice if it’s off-topic.
Search engines look at how closely the subject matter of the destination page matches your own content.
If your article is on ecommerce SEO and you link to a reputable case
study on conversion rate optimization, that’s topically relevant.
Linking to an equally reputable but unrelated site (like a cooking blog)
sends mixed signals and may dilute the perceived focus of your page.
Trustworthiness and authority of the destination
Search engines give more weight to links that point to established,
reputable sources because they’re seen as less likely to mislead users
and more likely to provide accurate, verifiable information.
Authority can come from multiple signals, such as:
Site’s history of publishing accurate information
Recognition from other trusted sites in the same niche
Overall reputation with users
When you point to a destination with proven credibility, you’re
reinforcing your own reliability in the eyes of both search engines and
readers.
Anchor text quality
Anchor text
is the text of a link and acts as a label. It gives both users and
search engines a preview of what to expect on the destination page.
Clear anchor text improves usability by setting accurate expectations
for readers. For search engines, it provides additional context about
how the linked page fits into the broader topic of the origin page.
When it’s descriptive, relevant, and naturally incorporates keywords,
anchor text strengthens the topical connection between your content and
the linked resource.
For example, “2025 SEO industry report” is far more informative and useful than a generic “click here” for a link.
Placement within the content
Where a link appears on the page influences how it’s interpreted.
Links placed naturally within the main body of your
content—surrounded by relevant, related text—tend to carry more weight
than those tucked into footers, sidebars, or navigation menus.
These links are usually added with editorial intent and directly
support the points being made. That context signals to search engines
that the link is meaningful and relevant, rather than simply structural
or boilerplate.
Number of outbound links on a page
The quantity of outbound links matters. Not because there’s a strict
limit, but because too many can dilute focus and overwhelm readers. A
handful of high-value, contextually relevant links is far more effective
than dozens of loosely related ones.
Each external link should have a clear purpose and be placed where it
adds context or supports the point being made. Overlinking, especially
to marginally relevant resources, can make a page feel cluttered and
less valuable to both users and search engines.
An outbound link is an editorial choice—if a link doesn’t meaningfully contribute to the topic at hand, it’s better left out.
Number of links to the same target
Repeatedly linking to the same external page within a single article
rarely adds value for search engines and can feel redundant for
readers.
One well-placed, contextually relevant link is usually enough.
Additional links to the same target should only appear if they serve a
clear user purpose. For example, a “Further reading” section at the end
of the page.
Number of linking root domains
The authority of a destination site can be influenced by the number of unique domains that link to it across the web.
From your perspective as the linking site, citing a source with many
independent endorsements may carry more credibility than linking to one
with few.
While this isn’t a direct ranking factor for your page, it does
affect the trust and value search engines may associate with the
destination page—and, by extension, your own link.
Domain relationship to your site
Search engines also consider the relationship between the sites involved.
Linking to a closely related or affiliated domain can carry different
implications than linking to an entirely independent, third-party
source.
From a strategy standpoint, the perceived independence of a source
can influence how users, search engines, and LLMs view its credibility.
A reference that comes from a neutral, third-party entity—like an
academic institution, research group, or government agency—often carries
more weight than one produced by a brand with a clear stake in the
topic.
That independence signals objectivity, which again reinforces trust.
Links to complementary, authoritative brands can enhance trust and
topical relevance, while links to direct competitors should be used
sparingly and only when they’re the most authoritative option
available.
In those cases, the value to your reader outweighs the competitive risk.
How many external links is too many?
There’s no magic number for outbound links (or internal links for that matter).
The right number ultimately depends on the amount of content you
have, the page’s intended purpose, and how those links serve the reader.
Instead of chasing a ratio, focus on how and why a link improves the
experience.
It depends on length, context, and user intent
There isn’t a fixed number of outbound links that works for every page.
A 300-word news update may only need one or two references, while a 5,000-word industry guide might include dozens.
What matters is whether each link fits the context of the topic and
the intent behind why someone is reading your page in the first place.
Add links that improve clarity, credibility, or usefulness
Think of links as enhancements, not obligations.
If an external source helps explain a complex concept, validate a
claim with data, or direct readers to a credible authority, it earns its
place. Links that don’t add clarity or value risk distracting your
audience instead of supporting them.
Prioritize depth and relevance over sheer quantity
Having more links doesn’t automatically make content stronger. What
readers—and search engines—care about is whether the links you include
deepen understanding of the topic.
A handful of highly relevant, trustworthy references can carry more weight than a long list of loosely related sources.
Set editorial standards for link placement
One way to maintain balance is by defining internal rules for how links are added.
For example, you might set a guideline that an external link should
only appear after at least 150–200 words on a page. Or limit the
available outbound sources to only be websites that meet a certain level
of quality (you can use a website authority tool for a quick gut check).
This prevents over-linking and encourages writers to use links only
when the content warrants it, and only when a viable resource exists.
Audit your linking patterns with SEO tools
Even with the best intentions (and manual tracking), it’s easy for external linking to get out of hand across a large site.
Tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb can surface pages with excessive outbound links or highlight patterns that might overwhelm readers.
Best practices for outbound linking
As with internal linking, which works best when it follows an
intentional strategy, your approach to outbound links should be equally
deliberate.
Use these guidelines to build outbound linking into your SEO strategy
and publishing process, starting with what to do and what to avoid.
Do: Link to the original source
Whenever you reference data or quotes, link back to the original
source whenever possible. This ensures readers can verify the
information in its full context and helps establish your content as
credible.
Avoid relying on aggregators—sites that summarize or
republish data from elsewhere—because they may omit important context,
introduce errors, or fail to update outdated stats.
For example, an SEO blog might cite a survey from 2019 but not
mention that it has been updated in 2023. If you pull from an
aggregator, you risk passing along stale or inaccurate information.
Pro tip:
Before citing, take a moment to search for and then read the original
study. Confirm that the actual data or quote exists and cite it
directly.
Do: Use descriptive, contextual anchor text
Make anchor text specific and relevant so readers and search engines
know exactly what’s on the other side of the link. This improves
usability, reinforces topical relevance, and provides a clearer signal
to search engines about the content you’re referencing.
Do: Ensure links open in a new tab (when appropriate)
Give users access to external resources while keeping your site open
in their browser. This small UX choice reduces bounce risk and makes it
easier for readers to return to and continue engaging with your content.
Do: Audit regularly for link health, especially link rot and 404s
Link rot happens when previously valid links break
over time. This may occur because a page was removed, moved without a
redirect, or the destination site shut down.
The result is a 404 error or an irrelevant redirect, which hurts user trust and can weaken your content’s credibility.
An easy way to stay ahead of broken links, outdated references, or
unnecessary redirects is by scheduling a quarterly link audit. Some
months may not produce errors, but you’ll know your content is
up-to-date, accurate, user-friendly, and aligned with SEO best
practices.
Do: Add schema or source attribution where appropriate
Structured data, like schema markup, helps search engines better understand and surface your content.
For example, adding “Article,” “FAQ,” or “HowTo” schema can make your
references clearer to crawlers and improve how your page appears in
search results.
Additionally, leveraging source attribution like “author,”
“datePublished,” or “citation” shows both users and Google where your
information comes from.
This reinforces transparency, boosts credibility, and can help your content qualify for enhanced search features.
Don’t: Link to low-authority or untrustworthy sites
Avoid destinations with poor reputations, thin content, or misleading
information. They can harm both user trust and the perception of search
engines.
Always review a source yourself for accuracy and relevance. If you need a quick read on its credibility, use a tool like Semrush’s Website Authority Checker.
Don’t: Use generic anchors like “click here”
Vague anchor text wastes an opportunity to reinforce topical
relevance and can frustrate users. It also gives search engines little
to work with when assessing the connection between your page and the
destination.
Don’t: Overload a page with outbound links
Too many links—even good ones—can overwhelm users and dilute page
focus. Focus on quality over quantity, and ensure each link serves a
clear editorial or informational purpose.
Here are some good rules of thumb to follow:
Add a link only when it improves clarity, credibility, or usefulness
Prioritize depth and relevance over sheer quantity
Set an editorial standard for word length required before adding another link
Audit your pages with tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to track external link volume and spot excess
Don’t: Automatically “nofollow” all external links
Use a “nofollow” HTML attribute only when you don’t want to pass
authority (e.g., paid links, unverified sources), not as a blanket
policy. Blanket nofollows can undermine your content’s perceived trust
and miss opportunities to strengthen relevant topical connections.
When to use nofollow, sponsored, and UGC attributes
Attributes—like “nofollow”—are short bits of code you can add to a
hyperlink to tell search engines more about the relationship (rel)
between your page and the one you’re linking to.
Attributes basically act like labels.
By applying the right attribute in the right context, you maintain
transparency for users and send clear signals to search engines about
how a link should be treated.
Here are the most common attributes and their corresponding uses.
rel=”nofollow”
The nofollow attribute tells search engines not to
pass authority through a link. It’s commonly used when you want to link
out but don’t necessarily want to “vouch” for the destination.
When to use it:
Linking to a resource you don’t fully endorse
Adding a reference for completeness, but not credibility
Forum posts or guest contributions where moderation is light
Example: Linking to a third-party tool in a forum post you haven’t vetted.
rel=”sponsored”
The sponsored attribute is required for any paid
link. Whether it’s an affiliate placement, a banner ad, or part of a
partnership campaign, it should be there. This signals to Google that
the link is promotional and shouldn’t pass authority.
When to use it:
Affiliate links in reviews or product roundups
Paid guest posts or advertorials
Sponsored banners or placements within content
Example: Linking to a partner’s product page as part of a paid campaign.
rel=”ugc”
The ugc attribute stands for “user-generated content.” It tells Google that the link wasn’t created by you, but by your site’s users.
This is especially important in areas where spammers try to drop their own links to gain SEO value.
When to use it:
Blog comments
Forum posts
User-submitted reviews or profiles
Example: A link shared by a reader in the comments section of your blog.
External linking and AI visibility (LLMO / AIO)
External links now play a growing role in how AI-driven platforms interpret, trust, and surface your content.
As generative AI search tools like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT
Browse, and Perplexity reshape discovery, the way you link out can
influence whether your site is cited, summarized, or ignored.
Proper linking structure enhances AI discovery
Clear, well-organized content plays a direct role in AI visibility.
Benu Aggarwal, founder of Milestone Inc., and a long-time authority
on search and AI strategy, has explained that systems like Google’s AI
Overviews and Perplexity favor content that can be chunked, cited, and understood in isolation.
When each section is built as a self-contained unit—with headings,
structured formatting, and explicit citations—AI models can more easily
extract, verify, and surface your insights.
Aggarwal pointed out that content should remain intelligible if
quoted on its own, which depends heavily on consistent structure and
linking.
This “chunk-and-cite” approach also strengthens the knowledge graph
connections that help AI determine topical relevance and authority.
Without that structure, even strong content may be skipped over when AI
assembles results.
LLMs use outbound links to assess context and citation-worthiness
Research shows that AI systems often include citations to external
sources as a means of verifying claims and establishing trust.
For example, a report by the Columbia Journalism Review
found that AI chatbots regularly cite external web pages to appear
credible—only that sometimes the “assets” being cited don’t actually
exist.
The LLMs, while incredibly confident, make them up. It’s a common issue called hallucinating that reared its ugly head at the start of the modern AI boom and persists today.
However, even the attempt to reference trusted content and pull from
resources tells us a lot: These tools are trying to generate a response
that feels more authoritative to users.
Building on that same push for credibility, researchers are now
working on ways to make AI citations more reliable. For instance, the ContextCite project
at MIT is designed to help LLMs track and attribute sources accurately,
reinforcing the role of citations in improving transparency and trust.
Outbound links define your niche and build trust
We’ve already touched on how external links can strengthen your
credibility. A piece of that connection is that the sites you choose to
reference also help define your topical niche.
Google’s quality guidelines recognize that linking to authoritative
sources signals trustworthiness, and outbound links to reputable
sites—even competitors—show that your content belongs within a trusted
information ecosystem.
Search engines and AI models apply this same logic when gathering
context. And to deliver a complete answer, systems like Google’s Gemini
use a method called query fan-out.
Basically, this is the process of breaking one question down into
several related questions or searches to identify necessary supporting
information.
For example, a query like “What are the health impacts of climate change?” might fan out into related searches such as:
“Rising temperatures and respiratory illness”
“Vector-borne diseases and warming climates”
“Mental health effects of extreme weather”
By pulling answers from across all of those angles, the model can assemble a more complete response.
Content that covers deeper ideas, and is clearly connected to
authoritative entities that do the same, is more likely to be included
in expanded results.
Linking to recognized entities supports semantic depth
LLMs increasingly rely on entity-based mapping to decide how relevant
your content is and whether to surface it in AI-generated responses.
As a quick refresher, an entity refers to a clearly
defined person, place, thing, or concept: for example, “Eiffel Tower,”
“World Health Organization,” or “carbon emissions.” Semantic context is the relationship between those entities.
Basically, search engines and AI models connect multiple concepts to
divulge meaning. By grounding your content in well-known entities, you
make it easier for AI to align your material with the knowledge graph
connections it uses to organize topics.
And as we covered, they tend to lean on recognizable sources when assessing the value of resources.
So, linking to recognized entities—such as Wikipedia entries,
official organizations, or authoritative knowledge bases—gives AI
systems clear signals about what your content is referring to.
This helps prevent ambiguity (e.g., distinguishing Mercury the planet
from Mercury the element) and increases the likelihood of associating
your content with a subject.
Strengthen your linking strategy for SEO
Thoughtful external linking isn’t about following a fixed rule. It’s
about using links to make your content more valuable, trustworthy, and
relevant.
While outbound links may not have the same direct impact as
backlinks, they still play an important role in SEO. When done well,
outbound links can strengthen topical authority, enhance user
experience, and even improve your visibility in AI-driven results.
To learn more about linking, read our link equity guide and internal linking best practices to understand how outbound and internal linking work together to improve your site’s authority.
With that, you’ll be ready to unite external, internal, and backlink
strategies into one cohesive plan, ensuring your linking efforts work
together to drive long-term SEO success
Want your brand to
stand out in search? Learn how the Google Knowledge Panel works, who
qualifies, and how to boost your chances of getting one.
Ever Googled yourself and wished for that polished informational box to pop up on the results page?
That’s a Google Knowledge Panel. More than just a helpful box on the
search engine results page (SERP), it’s Google’s way of signaling, “We
know who you are, and we trust you.”
Knowledge Panels remain one of the strongest visibility and
credibility tools in search. And with Google shifting toward
entity-based and AI-driven results, securing a Knowledge Panel is
becoming one of the most strategic SEO moves you can make today.
What is a Google Knowledge Panel?
A Google Knowledge Panel is the information box you see to the right
side of desktop search results (or at the top on mobile). It gives a
quick, authoritative snapshot of an entity, such as a person, place,
thing, object, or event, that you’ve searched for.
For example, a Google search of “Apple” shows this Knowledge Panel:
Knowledge Panels, introduced in 2012 alongside Google’s Knowledge
Graph, are one of the earliest and most foundational SERP features
released by Google. Getting a Knowledge Panel is a big deal because it’s
one of the clearest ways that Google shows it has a high level of
confidence and understanding about your entity.
The core principle behind getting a Knowledge Panel is becoming a
“known entity” to Google by building a consistent, authoritative, and
interconnected digital footprint.
Let’s dive into exactly how to achieve that.
Google Knowledge Panel vs. Knowledge Graph: What’s the difference?
Google’s Knowledge Panel is a byproduct of the Knowledge Graph, which is a database containing hundreds of millions of facts about people, places, things, and all sorts of other entities.
While the general public doesn’t have direct access to this database,
the Knowledge Panel acts as a middleman, delivering answers to our
questions in a nice, neat package.
Note:
A Google Knowledge Panel is not the same as a Google Business Profile
(GBP). They are both boxes of information that appear in search results,
but a GBP is created by a business with information it’s submitted to
help it appear in Google Search and Maps. Whereas a Knowledge Panel is
automatically generated from Google’s collected data to share
information about a specific entity.
Examples of entities with a Knowledge Panel
While it’s not a complete list, the most common types of entities that get a Knowledge Panel are people, companies, organizations, events, and creative works (like books or movies).
The type of information shared on a Knowledge Panel can vary by
entity type. For example, the Knowledge Panel for a country like
Australia focuses on geographical and demographic data, such as its
capital, population, and gross domestic product.
Conversely, the Knowledge Panel for a person like Taylor Swift acts
as a real-time summary of her public life, including her various social
media links, age, music platforms, and her albums and songs.
Ultimately, a Knowledge Panel’s content is curated to reflect the
most relevant and frequently searched information about the specific
type of entity.
Which is why it’s possible for a singular person like Taylor Swift to
have a Knowledge Panel that is light years more comprehensive and
extensive than an entire country’s. A famous person’s career provides a
constant stream of new, dynamic data for Google’s algorithm, allowing it
to continuously update her panel with richer content, as opposed to the
mostly static facts about a country.
But, there are a few elements that essentially all Knowledge Panels possess: A title, a brief “About” section, an image, and an authoritativelink
to learn more (typically a website link, but sometimes a Wikipedia
link, a social media link, or a mix). These core elements provide a
consistent, foundational structure across entity types.
Note: Jump to the “Entity eligibility” section to learn more about what qualifies for a Knowledge Panel.
Where do Knowledge Panels appear?
Knowledge panels can appear on various Google-owned platforms (on desktop and on mobile), including Search (the most common), Google Discover, Google Lens, and Google Assistant.
For example, here’s Apple’s Knowledge Panel on mobile:
You can’t manually create a Knowledge Panel. It’s a feature that’s
triggered by Google’s algorithm when they have gathered enough reliable
information about your entity from across the web. And just because it
shows up on one platform, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will appear on
another. A Knowledge Panel isn’t a static, copy-and-paste object.
For example, a Knowledge Panel for “Apple.com” might appear in Search
but not in Discover. Users on Google Search are actively looking for
information about Apple, while Discover shows a personalized feed of
news and articles, and the Knowledge Panel for a company’s homepage is
not typically the type of content it curates.
Why the Knowledge Panel deserves a spot in your SEO strategy
Knowledge Panels offer a huge SEO advantage because they create a
separate, authoritative presence on the search engine results page that
isn’t dependent on your website’s organic ranking. This provides an
unprecedented level of visibility and control.
Other benefits include:
High authority real estate in the SERPs: A
knowledge panel is like an automatic, permanent #1 ranking in the SERPs.
It isn’t affected by ranking fluctuations or the same SEO factors that
determine the position of organic search results.
Builds brand trust and credibility: Google only
grants Knowledge Panels to the most authoritative, visible entities.
Since they’re powered by Google’s Knowledge Graph, they’re like an
endorsement of legitimacy from Google.
Can boost click-through rates: With their
eye-catching boxes and top-of-the-page position, Knowledge Panels can
drive clicks that an entity’s other lower-ranking results might not.
These panels often feature a variety of direct links, such as to an
entity’s website, social media profiles, or Wikipedia page, casting a
wider net to meet a user’s search needs and boost clicks.
Controls the right rail: On desktop, the Knowledge
Panel claims the entire right-side column of the SERP, potentially
preventing competitor ads or organic results from appearing instead.
This allows you to maintain more top-of-SERPs real estate and push out
competition.
Implementing a Knowledge Panel strategy is a win-win because the
tactics needed to earn one (like building high-authority links and
getting media mentions) directly strengthen your traditional SEO
efforts, even if you don’t get a Knowledge Panel right away.
The new reality: Entity-first search and AI overview visibility
This is becoming increasingly important as search shifts from
keyword-based to entity-based. A Knowledge Panel is a sign that Google
recognizes your entity as authoritative in its space, helping it stand
out. This is a strong signal to AI and conversation-based search
platforms that discover your Google Knowledge Panel.
Example When you search “HubSpot
CRM,” you’ll see a Knowledge Panel with details like its headquarters,
founding date, founders, stock ticker, and official links. That panel
exists because Google has robust, structured entity data on HubSpot
already stored in its Knowledge Graph.
So when someone asks a conversational platform or AI assistant, “what
does a CRM do?” or “what’s the best CRM software?” HubSpot has a much
greater chance of being featured. Not because it simply ranks for those
keywords in organic search, but because its entity data has been
validated and connected directly to Google’s AI systems via the
Knowledge Graph.
A validated entity takes on an even more critical role when it comes
to voice search across Google’s ecosystem, from Google Assistant (which
is being phased out and replaced by Gemini) and Google Maps to Android
Auto and Google TV.
Voice search as a foundational component
For voice search, a Knowledge Panel is a primary source for direct
answers, not just a search result. When a user asks a factual question,
the voice assistant doesn’t present a list of links; it queries the
Knowledge Graph and provides a single spoken response.
For a large number of direct, factual queries (the type of query a
Knowledge Panel is designed to answer), having that validated entity
data in the Knowledge Graph is how to get a direct, immediate, no-click,
and authoritative spoken response.
If your information is not in the Knowledge Graph, the voice
assistant’s response will instead be a summarized web search result.
This is a different user experience, and your information is not being
used as the primary, authoritative source of truth. The Knowledge Panel
is the key that unlocks that specific, valuable type of user
interaction.
And as voice search continues to become more integrated into our
daily lives, the Knowledge Panel’s role in providing verified facts will
become even more essential, serving as a critical source of truth for
generative AI.
How Google builds a Knowledge Panel
Google’s algorithm automatically pulls information from its semantic
database (the Knowledge Graph) that most closely answers the user’s
search query.
According to Google,
the Knowledge Graph pulls facts from public sources, licensed data
(like sports scores or stock prices), and even directly from users
who’ve claimed and suggested edits to their Knowledge Panels.
Here’s a list of the top Knowledge Graph sources:
Wikipedia / Wikidata
Google Books, Music, Scholar
Structured data from your website, such as schema
Official social profiles (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, even TikTok)
From there, Google selects the Knowledge Panel template that best matches the query, so panels for the same entity may vary based on what the user searches.
For example, when you search “Taylor Swift albums,” the Knowledge
Panel leads with the “Listen” element that links to each of her albums.
This differs slightly from the standalone “Taylor Swift” search query,
which leads with images of the singer and clickable boxes for her age
and net worth.
So while the main entity stays the same for each search query, the
way the Knowledge Panel results are displayed is tailored to what Google
determines is the user’s primary intent.
Then it’s essentially a plug-and-play, where Google uses its database
of information to fill in the Knowledge Panel template items based on
the template style used.
And boom: The Knowledge Panel is automatically and seamlessly integrated into the search results on the first page.
Entity eligibility: Who or what gets a Knowledge Panel?
While the most common types of entities with Knowledge Panels are people, companies, locations, events, or creative works, any type of entity can qualify for a Knowledge Panel, such as:
Landmarks and places
Brands and products
Sports teams and athletes
Religious figures and concepts
Cultural concepts and movements
Scientific entities
Fictional characters from media
(The list goes on)
It’s less about the category an entity falls under and more about its notability and availability of structured data.
Translation: The more accessible and readable an
entity’s information is to Google, and the more authoritative exposure
it has across the web, the more likely Google is to create a Knowledge
Panel for the entity.
Google has never explicitly stated how its algorithm decides entity
eligibility for a Knowledge Panel, but it appears to be determined by
three key, implied thresholds:
Search interest: A significant volume of search interest tells Google that an entity is relevant and in demand.
Citations: A high number of citations from
reputable sources indicates that an entity is not only well-known, but
also well-respected, which builds credibility and trust.
Unique identifiers: Unique identifiers from across
the web that all point back to a single entity help build a strong
digital footprint and reinforce a consistent reputation. These
identifiers can include your entity’s NAP (business name, address, phone
number), Wikidata ID, ISBN code for a book, CAGE code for a company, or
even a social media profile.
Ultimately, whether an entity gets a Knowledge Panel comes down to
how clearly, credibly, and consistently it shows up across the web.
How to trigger a Knowledge Panel for your entity
Similar to other SERP features like answer boxes and AI overviews,
Knowledge Panels are automatically created when the right mix of signals
is involved in a search query. Your job is to help create that mix to
trigger a Knowledge Panel for your entity.
But before we walk through this, let’s squash the “Wikipedia is everything” debate.
Wikipedia vs. Wikidata: Do you need entity pages on both?
If you want a Knowledge Panel, a Wikidata page is essential.
It feeds Google’s Knowledge Graph in structured, machine-readable
language. Conversely, a Wikipedia page is more for demonstrating the
notability of your entity, not what it actually is, making it more
optional.
Wikipedia once served as the primary source for Knowledge Panels. But
after several algorithm updates, such as the March 2020 core update,
Google has shifted to pulling from a wider mix of sources, no longer
exclusively relying on Wikipedia.
In short: Wikidata = non-negotiable. Wikipedia = nice to have.
But there’s also a catch-22 with having a Wikipedia page: If the
Knowledge Panel uses the Wikipedia page as its main source, you lose
full control over the information, since others can suggest edits. While
it can be beneficial, it also carries the risk of less ownership and
control.
Decide what you’re comfortable with.
Let’s walk through the other key steps to earning a Knowledge Panel.
Establish entity information
Keep your online information consistent and accurate:
This allows search engines to build a verifiable digital footprint for
you, increasing your likelihood of being recognized as a “notable
entity” and qualifying for a Knowledge Panel.
Determine your entity page: It’s recommended that
your website’s “about us” page serve as the unofficial entity
“homepage,” because it’s a fitting place to add facts or answer
questions about your entity that will help Google’s Knowledge Graph
understand it.
Keep your brand elements consistent: Your entity’s
name, logo, bio, and NAP should be the same across all sources. This
consistency signals to Google that all these diverse online mentions are
referring to the same, single entity, which strengthens credibility.
Build high-authority coverage: Get mentions on
high-DA news sites, post on credible publications like Medium or
Linkedin, and create profiles on review sites like Crunchbase, G2, or
Yelp. These types of backlinks
and brand mentions serve as corroborating signals that Google can
trust, increasing your entity’s notability and its chances of being
recognized with a Knowledge Panel.
Leverage structured data
Optimize yourschema markup: The
goal is for your schema markup to perfectly match the copy on your
page, but in Google’s “language” so that it can read and process the
information as efficiently as possible. Use specific schema types like Organization, Person, or LocalBusiness to clearly identify your entity and add key details.
Go one step further and include more specific properties like description, founder, foundingDate,
and any other related attributes that tie back to your Wikipedia page.
The more detailed you are, the more data points Google has to work with
to create an accurate and comprehensive Knowledge Panel.
Link your entity to existing known entities: Use the sameAs property
to link your entity to its other verified online profiles, such as its
official Wikipedia page, social media accounts, review profiles, or
publication profiles. By connecting your entity to other entities that
Google already “knows” and trusts, you strengthen your own entity’s
profile in the Knowledge Graph. It builds that undeniable credibility
that your brand is a real and recognized entity.
Here’s a sample sameAs
code snippet that links your social profiles to your entity. Place it
in the <head> section of your site after inserting your brand’s
information:
Pro tip:
Only link to online profiles that you actively manage and cultivate,
thereby showcasing your brand’s authority. Linking to a Facebook page
you haven’t posted to in a year won’t strengthen your brand’s
credibility.
Ensure information accuracy
Keep your Wikipedia page up to date: If you have a
Wikipedia page, regularly monitor it for any outdated or inaccurate
information. The details on your Wikipedia page, such as your entity’s
name, founding date, key people, and description, can directly populate a
Knowledge Panel. An outdated or incorrect fact here can create a
conflict that confuses Google, potentially leading to an inaccurate
knowledge panel or no panel at all.
Maintain updated and accurate business listings: This
circles back to the importance of how all entity mentions across the
web need to share exactly the same information in order to build
credibility with Google. Identical NAP details across sites like Google
Business Profile and Yelp signal to Google that your entity is
legitimate, which builds a cohesive profile for a Knowledge Panel.
Google may require a minimum of thirty endorsements
from trusted third-party sources to consider an entity for a Knowledge
Panel, according to a study by Jason Barnard’s company, Kalicube. While
it’s not a hard-and-fast rule, it can serve as a loose benchmark for
your efforts.
How to claim and manage your Knowledge Panel
Already have a Knowledge Panel for your entity?
Congrats!
Claiming your panel is a proactive step in managing your online
reputation. By doing so, you can make sure that your brand’s most
important details, from your official website to your social media
links, are up to date and correct.
How to claim a Google Knowledge Panel:
Make sure you have a verified Google account (or create one). You don’t need a Gmail email in order to have a Google account; you can connect an existing non-Gmail account.
Ensure you have some social profiles to help prove your identity.
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or YouTube profiles are strong candidates.
Google may ask you to log in to them to further prove you own these
profiles. If you don’t have social profiles, Google may ask for other
forms of identification, such as government-issued IDs or business
registration documents.
Use Google’s “Claim this Knowledge Panel” link to claim your panel, which appears at the bottom of the Knowledge Panel if it hasn’t been claimed yet.
You can expect it to take a few days to a week for Google to review and approve your claim.
How to edit a Google Knowledge Panel
You can’t directly edit a Knowledge Panel because it’s automatically generated. But you cansuggest edits to elements such as:
Your logo
Description
Social profiles
Images
Titles
Google can review and either approve or deny your suggested edits
within a few days to a few weeks. The turnaround time often depends on
the extent of the suggested edit. A quick update to your social media
profile links could happen overnight, whereas information about your
entity’s founding and creation could take weeks to review and verify.
Be sure to monitor updates over time.
How to optimize and expand your Knowledge Panel
Now that you’ve earned your Knowledge Panel, you can optimize your
online footprint to influence the new expandable features and drop-down
information boxes, which maximize your panel’s helpfulness and
authority.
Follow these guidelines to increase your chances of expanding your Knowledge Panel:
Update your site’s structured data:
Discrepancies between your schema and on-page content can confuse
Google’s algorithms. This confusion may cause Google to ignore your
schema entirely, lowering your chances of earning a Knowledge Panel and
rich snippets. Always ensure your on-page content and structured data
are updated at the same time to avoid these issues.
Identify your entity’s gaps: Compare your own
online presence to the common data points in your competitor’s Knowledge
Panels. Do they all have a Wikipedia page and you don’t? Are they all
listed on Crunchbase with their founding date and key executives? Are
their social media profiles all linked to their structured data?
Identify the most common pieces of information they have that your
entity is missing and use it to build a plan to help enhance your own
digital footprint.
Link to authoritative sources that mention your entity:
A Knowledge Panel often shares information based on what the most
authoritative sources say about your entity. By linking your site to
these sources, you reinforce the connection, which helps validate your
entity’s existence and importance.
For example, from your site’s
“press coverage” page, you could link to an article by a reputable
publication that mentions your entity. Or link from your “customer
stories” page to a customer’s page that mentions your solution.
Promote consistent, high-quality coverage on third-party sites: Expanding
your Knowledge Panel is heavily dependent on expanding your online
presence. Seek out various reputable third-party sources for features,
interviews, or mentions. These could include:
Podcast guest interviews or discussion panels
Press coverage or press releases on prominent news outlets
Data study contributions (if your entity is cited in an independent study or research paper)
Use media tools like Source of Sources (SOS), Qwoted, ProfNet,
and similar journalist resources to position yourself for these
opportunities. Build exposure to your entity by self-publishing articles
on large platforms like LinkedIn, Medium, and Muck Rack.
Expand your presence on relevant Google platforms:
Google will lean on its own platforms to help inform its Knowledge
Panels. Choose the most relevant platforms for your entity and put
meaningful energy into building a presence there. For example:
For authors or books: A strong presence on Google Books can populate a Knowledge Panel with details like book covers and publication dates.
For musicians or bands: A presence on YouTube and other streaming platforms can lead to links to music videos or official artist pages.
For podcasters or show hosts: Go beyond getting
your podcast listed on YouTube Music—post episodes to a regular YouTube
channel as well. This doubles the content repository that a Knowledge
Panel might pull from.
For businesses or experts: A well-maintained
YouTube channel with branded content or a podcast listed on YouTube
Music can be linked directly in your knowledge panel, providing users
with more ways to engage with your brand. It’s not uncommon for experts
to write books to build their credibility—this is another asset you
could list on Google Books, which could lead searchers straight to your
studies or authored work from the search results page.
Stay consistently active on social media: Knowledge
Panels feature social media links and, in some cases, even recent posts
or follower counts. Posting consistently on platforms like X, LinkedIn,
or Instagram gives Google fresh, real-time information about your
entity. This builds an active, relevant image for your entity, which can
complement the information already on your Knowledge Panel.
The goal is to constantly feed new, high-quality content to Google
through various methods and platforms so that your digital signals stay
relevant and give Google more reasons to showcase your entity in greater
detail.
Build the online presence that earns a Knowledge Panel
Earning a Knowledge Panel isn’t about chasing a single tactic; it’s
about maintaining a consistent, authoritative, interconnected presence
across the web. The more you reinforce your entity’s credibility through
trusted sources, fresh content, and clear connections, the more reasons
you give Google to highlight you in search.
Pro tip: Use Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool with the Advanced Filter
to spot queries that already trigger Knowledge Panels. These insights
show you what Google deems entity-rich searches. By optimizing your own
entity’s signals (structured data, authoritative citations, consistent
profiles), you improve your chances of triggering or enriching your
panel for your branded searches. And in some ambiguous cases, ensuring
your entity surfaces where intent overlaps (e.g., “Delta the airline”
vs. “Delta the faucet company”).
Treat your Knowledge Panel as a living asset, and it can become one
of the most visible, trust-building elements of your brand’s online
footprint
