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SEO (Search Engine Optimzation) Information For Editors

Overview

What is a Knowledge Panel?

Google’s new feature provides a quick snapshot of information for people, places, and organizations. Knowledge panels are automatically generated based on accesibile information on Google. If Google has automatically created a knowledge panel for you or your organization you are able to claim the panel and make changes. 
Here is an example of a knowledge panel: 

How to Claim your Listing

If you find you have a knowledge panel on Google and would like to take ownership, please follow these steps: 

Step 1: Get verified on Google

Step 2: Create a Google Account if you do not already have one.

Step 3: Search yourself or organization in the search panel to find your knowledge panel. 

Step 4: At the bottom of the knowledge panel click “claim this knowledge panel” 

Step 5: Sign in to a site listed in the knowledge panel that is associated with you such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc. 

Step 6: If Google can not identify you, you will be asked to provide more information. 

Step 7: Add Users You can add users and give permission to others to edit your knowledge panel. 

Step 8: Go to – https://www.google.com/search/contributions/manage

Step 9: Click “start now” under “Add people to this account.”

Step 10: Click add new user and add the user’s email address.

Step 11: Determine if the user will receive manager permissions.

Step 12: To grant manager permission click “invite.” 
Different levels of permissions: manager (can suggest changes and add/remove people), owner ( account owner – same permissions as manager) and contributor (can suggest changes only). 

How to Update your Listing:

Step 1: Find your knowledge panel using the search engine.

Step 2: Sign into your Google account associated with the knowledge panel.

Step 3: Ensure the Web & App Activity is on 

Step 4: Above the entity’s title select “suggest edits.” Step 5: Click on the information you want to change. You can change the following: 

  • Featured image
  • Title 
  • Subtitle 
  • Description 
  • Social profiles 

Step 6: In the response box provided, enter a description consisting of

  • The suggested edit 
  • Why you are suggesting the edit
  • A URL as evidence to confirm the changes suggested 
  • Select “send”

Resources:

Overview

An alternative tag (or “alt tag”) is text that describes the appearance and function of web images for visually impaired users who may be visiting a webpage on screen readers or browsers that can’t process images. This text also plays an important role in boosting the online presence of pages and websites by providing Google and other search engines with important information about an image, making it easier to find and rank in an online search. In order to support both of these needs, we have created an updated optimal alt tag format to support both NC State accessibility standards and to support our performance in search engines.

A new optimized format for Search Engine Optimization

The new optimized format includes several important elements that include:

  • Descriptive text (Describe what you see in the image. Examples: “a student in the forest holding a notebook” or “a deer standing in a field.”)
  • Page title/name (The title of the web page)
  • Department or college name
  • University name
  • A series of dashes to separate each element in the alt tag

The final format recommendations for images for each department/division

Description text – Page name – Internal Resources at NC State University

Example of using the new format

Example: When inserting an alt tag for the image on this page https://cnr.ncsu.edu/extension-outreach/professional-services/, you would use: “Measuring tools and paper – Professional Services – College of Natural Resources NC State University”

Alt Tags Support Materials and Directions

How to use alt tags in images:

Step 1: Upload the image to the WordPress media library.
Step 2: Type your alt tag information in the field labeled  “Alternative Text.”
Step 3: Make sure to use the new format and enter all information.
Step 4: When done, you can close the image window.

Helpful Videos

How to Use Alt Tags

Review these tutorials about alt tags if you need a refresher on how to use alt tags:

For an overview and demo, you can view this recording: 
Tutorial about how to do new Alt Tag Best Practices (New 2021 Format)
https://ncsu.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=ccbe72fa-8c51-435b-adc4-ad04010151c0

FAQ(s): 

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Overview: 

If you want your website or page to be one of the first results to appear in Google you will need to strengthen your search engine optimization skills.Here are some ways to strengthen your SEO according to Moz.com. 

  1. Ensure you have strong crawl accessibility so search engines can access content easily with the use of web crawlers. 
  2. Answer consumers’ questions and create compelling content.
  3. Use keyword optimization to attract views.
  4. Ensure your site has a fast load speed.
  5. Include content that earns links, citations and amplifications. 
  6. Be sure to include a title, URL, & description of all content. 

Read more about how to obtain successful SEO here

How to make your research site come up in the search results?

  • Make a new page with the title of the term. 
  • Ensure you have quality content, 

Ways to ensure your content is quality according to Search Engine Land:

  • Avoid: sneaky directs, creating pages with little to no content, loading pages with irrelevant keywords, automatically generated content, etc. 
  • Provide useful & informative content – useful information such as locations, hours, and contact information can be valuable. 
  • Be Credible – provide credibility for your research. 
  • Focus on Engaging – use color and images, strive to have minimal errors such as different fonts or spacing. 
  • Mention your keyword at least once in the title element.
  • Mention your keyword in alt tags, once in the url, and more than once in subheaders

How can my profile show up in Google?

  • Create a knowledge panel 

What is a knowledge panel? 

Google’s new feature provides a quick snapshot of information for people, places, and organizations. Knowledge panels are automatically generated based on accesibile information on Google. If Google has automatically created a knowledge panel for you or your organization you are able to claim the panel and make changes. 

  • Get verified on Google. Click this link to view the steps on how to get verified on google.

Resources: