The Google knowlegde panel is assigned to us automatically by google based on a series of factors due to the popularity and strength of the brand. It's not possible to enter it manually. Some important factors are the presence on linkedin and especially on wikipedia. When the panel appears looking for our name, you can redeem it with a google account and complete it.
As academics, it is extremely important that our work become and remain visible, not just to the academic community at large but also to the general public. Here is where your Google Knowledge Panel plays it role. Mine magically 'appeared' about a few weeks back on my 45th birthday. How and why it appeared remains a mystery, not just to me but to other academics that have it. My superb PhD supervisor has one but then again, he's a world class academic so no surprise there. As for myself, I think it's the range of work - the width and the depth of online exposure. Oh yes, mine started with a tether to / highlight on my Google Scholar profile. So keep yours constantly updated. All the best, friends 😉
A personal Google knowledge panel is a feature that appears on the right-hand side of the search results page when someone searches for a specific person's name. It provides a summary of information about the person, including their photo, a brief biography, links to their social media profiles, and other relevant information.
For a researcher, having a personal Google knowledge panel can have several benefits. Here are a few:
Increased visibility: A personal knowledge panel can make it easier for people to find information about you online, which can be particularly helpful if you are a researcher trying to build your professional profile.
Credibility: A well-curated personal knowledge panel can help establish you as an authoritative source in your field.
Ease of access: A knowledge panel can make it easier for people to find your website, social media profiles, and other online content, which can help increase engagement with your work.
Consolidation of information: The knowledge panel can help consolidate all of your online information in one place, making it easier for people to get a complete picture of who you are and what you do.
Overall, having a personal Google knowledge panel can be a valuable asset for researchers looking to build their online presence and increase their visibility in their field.
It is true that the knowledge panel is an automatic Google process governed by three algorithms but it is possible with techniques to educate the search engine to generate one for your brand even without a wikipedia page.
For example, I have one even without a wikipedia page.
https://g.co/kgs/88m8bk
The world's leading expert on the subject is Jason Barnard of Kalicube.
I recommend you read his book. I also attended the course and it is very interesting and I will talk about this topic in my next book The blue check.