Understanding Google My Business & Local Search
Distinguishing the Local Carousel from the Knowledge Graph Carousel
The Knowledge Graph Carousel was first introduced in August of last year. The Local Carousel was introduced formally last week although it had been appearing regularly before that. While there are similarities between the two types of carousel, they do not return quite the same information or display and it might foster some confusion on results that one thinks should be local that are not and vice versa.
How can you tell them apart?
Here are two carousels, one of each type, for roughly the same search result (one was misspelled).
Top level search differences:
Knowledge Graph Carousel Museums NYC
Local Carousel Musueums NYC
Differences: The traditional Knowledge Graph Carousel typically displays logos and the right side panel is for the first, most popular result. The Local Carousel shows a map on the right side panel, typically does not display logos and does display photographs. Most importantly the Local Carousel displays Zagat rating and total reviews.
Interior view differences:
When you click into one of the results there are subtle differences as well.
Knowledge Graph Carousel Museums NYC – American Museum of Natural History
Local Carousel Museums NYC – American Museum of Natural History
Differences: Since there is not “top level” results for the Knowledge Graph Carousel there is no link above the photos on the carousel like with the Local Carousel. The location specific panels are different as well. The Local Carousel panel shows more information from the G+ page and Streeview if available. It displays the phone number higher in the display and offers up the opportunity to write a review.
Panel Differences:
Knowledge Graph Panel
Local Carousel Panel
Differences: There are other differences as you scroll deeper into the panel as well. On the Local Carousel panel Google shows reviews from around the web, recommendations from those in my + circles and other similar listings. The Knowledge Graph panel shows more general detail as well.
Questions you never asked have now been answered. 🙂
© Copyright 2024 - MIKE BLUMENTHAL, ALL RIGHT RESERVED.
Comments
8 Comments
Thanks, Mike. Your explanation made it easy to tell the differences. Anything that feels ‘easier’ with Google right now is a blessing!
@Miriam
Yes giving an “easy” answer to a question that nobody asked (except me). 🙂
Hi Mike–Thanks for the explanation of the differences! Conspicuously missing from both formats is the PPC. ?. Could the coconut juice budget at the Gplex be in danger? What do you think?
@Leeza
You will have to come tomorrow for my interpretation of the whys and wherefores of the layout. 🙂
I find this befuddling. If I search for museums my town (and I did) I get a result.
Why does it matter if its local or knowledge? Even more befuddling…suppose I wanted a local result versus a knowledge graph result….how would I get there?
and then the next question. As a searcher does it matter????
@Dave
In general Google decides which you will see and doesn’t give you a choice. The mispelling forced the local carousel instead of the knowledge graph and was interesting in comparison. It is not anything most users would even see or think about but this “error” gave me a chance to compare them on the same results.
Aha. stuff you never thought about. A worthy Talmudic discussion. I wonder how Rambam and Maimamedes would have dissected this conundrum.
Thanks for sharing the subtle differences, which we disect here carefully..
But, for the actual user, not caring be it local or knowledge carousel, the important thing is that the organic results are going way to the bottom… I am wondering what Google would do next, because this Local Carousel is actually a big push for Google Plus, nothing else.
My 2 cents!
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