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A Google Knowledge Panel for artists (aka Google Knowledge Graph) is a great way to enhance your brand as a singer by building an increased digital presence. Google decides if you’re eligible, but you can up your chances by posting the right content.
Are you seeking to improve your online image as an artist, gain fans and followers and encourage many more people to visit your websites and social accounts? In this article, we’ll take you through the steps you need to take if you want to get noticed on the internet.
Google Knowledge Panel for artists
If you’re a singer, get quality content online to increase the odds of getting a Google knowledge graph. Google knowledge panels and graphs are created from digital content. This includes your images, website, artist bio, Wikipedia information, tour dates, social media and releases.
Google’s Knowledge Panel is the block you’ll see on the right side of your screen in search results. It shows the results of data found on the web, in the form of Google’s Knowledge Graph. It’s relevant to you as a singer, as it can help you to influence what Google shows in the panel, drawing more potential fans to your pages and platforms.
How to get a Google Knowledge Panel as a musician
Google continually changes its algorithms and policies, so you need to stay up to date. And if you don’t have a Google account, then they are unlikely to know that you exist. The first step is to sign up and use it across other platforms, including when creating your YouTube channel. This will help raise your profile.
After registering with Google, the next step is to get an Official Artist Channel. Previously, you had to create a brand account through Google+, but since April 2019, this is no more.
YouTube for artists
You may have noticed that YouTube is linked to Google. Sign in using your Google account and you can save, like, comment, follow and post on the platform. The next step is to get an Official Artist channel on YouTube , so you can interact with your fans better and promote your music. Make sure your profile looks professional and polished, then upload videos to become eligible.
This can be done through YouTube for Artists and will be a great way to make yourself look more professional. We have lots of articles with tips on setting up YouTube accounts, getting more followers and uploading your music videos.
Google Artist Panel – your website
Your website is essential as it distinctly yours and you won’t have to rely on platforms such as Instagram or Facebook. You can use website builders such as Wix, WordPress or Squarespace to make your site.
You can also create your own custom domain name for your website and email through here. This will make you look more professional and give you more authority online and when contacting other people
Be savvy by adding optimised images and content on your website that could be used for a knowledge graph. This includes your artist bio, links to your music and tour dates. Keeping your website connected to external links can help it appear higher in Google and improve your chances of its content appearing in a knowledge graph.
How to get a Knowledge Panel for artists – image optimisation
If you have great photos, then you need them to appear on Google Images before they make it to a knowledge graph. And it’s not enough that they just look great. The process of making them noticeable in digital terms is called optimisation and here’s how it’s done.
- Name your images. File names will be automatically generated by your phone or camera. Go in and rename them with a title that includes your artist name.
- Compress your images to reduce the file size. There are plenty of compressors online that will help your images load faster online. Most people don’t have the patience to wait more than 3 or 4 seconds for an image to load and Google will prioritise those that load quickly.
- Save your photos in a JPEG format. PNG can be good as well, but they tend to be much larger. JPEG is optimised for online use and is compressed to load quickly, which again will give your images preference.
How do I get a Google Knowledge Graph?
Wikipedia and Wikidata provide much of the info for knowledge graphs, such as your name, location and date of birth. It’s free to make these pages, but remember that Wikipedia pages need to be neutral and unbiased. If not, it will be rejected instantly.
Wikipedia articles need to be verified by a third party so you should try and set it up when you have written content about you available from blogs or music websites. Getting good press will also help verify your page.
You also need to have some notable achievements under your belt that you can talk about objectively. This could be charting music, features with famous artists or getting far in a talent competition.
How to get an artist bio on Google
Get your music on digital streaming platforms including:
- Google Play
- Spotify
- SoundCloud
- BandCamp
The first is especially important for this purpose, as uploading your music to Google Play will enable you to create an artists profile on the platform. As it’s a Google service, this will add to your eligibility.
You can also release your music to streaming platforms through digital aggregators. They will either charge a small fee per release or an annual subscription to release your music. You will usually have to sacrifice a royalty rate but if you manage to get your music on streaming platforms then your knowledge graph can send people towards your profiles whenever they Google you. These companies include:
- CD Baby
- TuneCore
- Distrokid
Google artist page
Once you have music on these platforms, you need to make sure that your information is detailed and up to date. This includes uploading optimised profile images and adding an artist bio. When you combine this with your bio and images on your website, this should significantly improve your odds of a knowledge graph appearing.
One of the best features of a knowledge graph is its ability to show tour dates and sell tickets. This can bring in a lot of extra revenue and encourage new fans to come to see you by only Googling your name. So be sure to add your dates and link ticket sales to streaming platforms.
You should also constantly be uploading content on social media and interacting with your fans. Link your content to your website, and make sure your website has social links or buttons. The two should feed into each other. Knowledge graphs will include your social profiles, so they need to be actively used to make sure that you stand a good chance of appearing.
Related Questions
- How do I manage my Google Knowledge Panel?
At the top of the panel, you’ll see a ‘suggest an edit’ (or on mobile – ‘suggest edits’ button. Click on this and it’ll enable you to make changes. After any changes click on ‘send’ for them to activate. You’ll need to be signed in to Google and verified for knowledge panel.
- Should I register with MusicBrainz?
Yes. Google analyses and draws information from for knowledge graphs from this site. Register your details as an artist including details of your releases. All information is moderated before it goes live and moderators vote on it. Make sure your uploads are high quality and that you follow the guidelines on MusicBrainz .
Do you use Google knowledge panel for artists or know someone who does? How has it helped and how did you get it? Let us know in the comments below.