The Evolution of Knowledge Graph

Knowledge Graph

In May 2012 Google unveiled one of the most significant changes to search, the Knowledge Graph.

I recently published a post on the Search Engine People blog discussing the importance of Knowledge Graph, how it works and various types of data which you should expect to see as a result, many of which you have probably naturally encountered throughout your search journey. I would of course highly recommend reading it if you’re unfamiliar with Knowledge Graph of even if you just want to understand it a little better.

Since its release in 2012 Knowledge Graph has evolved quickly branching out into additional languages and returning a broader range of facts and figured to enhance search results. Many of these may have gone unnoticed so I’ve put together this little timeline of the evolution of Knowledge Graph highlighting some of the major changes since it launched.

  1. 2012

    16th May 2012 - Knowledge Graph Launched in the US.

    In May 2012 Knowledge Graph officially rolled-out in the United States. According to Google Knowledge Graph initially contained data about more than 500 million objects and more than 3.5 billion facts about and relationships between different objects.

  2. 8th August 2012 - English Roll-out

    Google rolls-out Knowledge Graph across every English-speaking country in the world. At the same time as the language roll-out, Google launch the Knowledge Graph Carousel available via Google.com only.

  3. 5th September 2012 - Carousel Global Roll-out

    After initial launch in the US, the Knowledge Graph Carousel rolls out globally to all in English speaking countries.

  4. 19th October 2012 - “People also search for” Integration

    Google added explanations of connnections to the “People also search for” function allowing users to better understand the connection between the entities.

  5. 30th November 2012 - Medications Added

    Google added medical information to Knowledge Graph with detailed information about various medications, with data pulled from U.S. FDA, the National Library of Medicine, and DailyMed amongst others.

  6. 4th December 2012 - Language Roll-Out

    Knowledge Graph rolls-out support for additional languages including Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Russian and Italian.

    Google state that Knowledge Graph now contains information on 570 million entities and contains 18 billion facts.

  7. 2013

    8th January 2013 - Clickable Source URLs

    Google implemented a clickable source link when Knowledge Graph displays ‘Web Definitions’.

  8. 27th March 2013 - Android Play Movies & TV -

    Knowledge Graph expands into movies, availabe via the Android Play Movies & TV app allowing users to see relevant information directly within a movie.

  9. 9th April 2013 - Non-Profit Information

    Google adds information about non-profit organisations to Knowledge Graph.

  10. 15th May 2013 - Language Roll-out & Added Stats

    Knowledge Graph rolls-out additional language support including Polish, Turkish, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese announced by Amit Singhal at Google IO.

    Knowledge Graph now contains additional statistics allowing the system to try to predicted a users next question.

    Google announce support for the Organization Schema markup.

  11. 30th May 2013 - Nutritional Information

    Nutritional information added to Knowledge Graph for over 1,000 fruits, vegetables, meats and meals.

  12. 17th June 2013 - Carousel Expansion

    It was rumoured that 50 different topics are now serving the Knowledge Graph carousel. Unconfirmed by Google.

  13. 18th June 2013 - Carousel for Local Search

    The Knowledge Graph Carousel now integrates local serch data for resturants, bars and other local places on desktops.

  14. 26th September 2013 - Comparions and Filters

    Google add the ability to compare various entities (such as Earth and Mars) providing a range of facts and figures.

    Users can also filter results by various factors depending on their search query.

    Google also launch a Music Knowledge Graph with YouTube, Google Now, New Carousel and more.

  15. 3rd October 2013 - Google Now Integration

    Google Now integrated with Knowledge Graph.

  16. 9th October 2013 - Language Roll-Out & TV Episodes

    Knowledge Graph rolls-out support for additional languages including Croatian, Serbian, Hindi, Slovak, Lithuanian, Slovenian, Persian, Catalan, and Latvian, as well as Filipino. The announcement was made by Google Philippines Country Head Narciso Reyes

    Google also add TV Episode information to Knowledge Graph.

  17. 13th December 2013 - Knowledge Graph Ad Testing

    Gianluca Fiorelli noticed Google testing ads in Knowledge Graph results providing an example of local car dealer ads in vehicle related panels.


I think that pretty much covers all of the major changes to Knowledge Graph since its launch in 2012. As you can see Google have come a long way in a relatively short space of time, evolving Knowledge Graph to better server the growing needs of the user. By the way if you think I’ve missed anything please let me know!

What do you expect to see happen next with Knowledge Graph? Do you think Google are missing any vital data which would truly enhance the user experience?