Google announced that it's shutting down Knowledge Graph source Freebase. Learn about what brands should do to make sure they stay visible in search.

SEO is no longer just about ranking at the top of SERPs – it’s about total overall visibility. That’s why the Knowledge Graph is an increasingly important part of content marketing and search engine optimization. However, Google is throwing a small wrench in the works with its announcement Freebase will be shutting down in 2015.

The database is one of the largest repositories of data Google uses to construct the Knowledge Graph. As far as online businesses are concerned, it’s a helpful tool for making sure the search engine understands a brand so the company will show in Knowledge Graph results. Webmasters can essentially tell Google social profiles are linked together, as well as what industry a company operates in and some history related to the brand. This helps Google paint a better picture of the company, and can translate to an info card or rich snippet in results pages.

For an in-depth guide to the Knowledge Graph as it pertains to businesses, check out this blog post:
6 ways to get content into Google’s Knowledge Graph results

Putting brand data in order

So what do marketers need to know? First and foremost, the data that currently exists on Freebase will remain online and should still be an integral part of Google’s Knowledge Graph. The only difference is that it will be migrating to Wikidata. The search engine feels the wiki model is better for collaborative data-sharing and should ultimately improve the quality of Knowledge Graph information.

Freebase will be accepting edits until March 2015, so brands that haven’t registered still have time to do so. Afterwards, it will be possible to add entries for Wikidata and make edits, though it isn’t yet clear if there will be changes to the interface or editing rules.

Want to learn about the Knowledge Graph and its effects on content marketing? Check out these resources:
Mobile Knowledge Graph results are appearing in desktop SERPs
Knowledge Graph search results answer who, what, where, how…and when
Who’s afraid of Google’s Knowledge Graph? 55% of SEOs

Alex Butzbach is a Marketing Writer at Brafton. He studied Communications at Boston College, and after a brief stint teaching English in Japan, he entered the world of content marketing. When he isn't writing and researching, he can be found on a bike somewhere in Metro Boston.