Study Purports to Show Google Knowledge Graph Results Often Outdated
July 16, 2012
Google Analytics may need some spiffing up if this write up is accurate. Search Engine Watch declares, “Google Knowledge Graph Shows Outdated Search Results for Trending Topics [Study].” Writer Miranda Miller cites a recent study from SEO firm Conductor, which found many of Google’s search engine results pages (SERP’s) to be behind the curve, especially on trending topics. Twenty percent of those were found to be out of date, while only four percent of the more static subjects were dusty. The report specifies Conductor’s methods:
“For each query we compared the Knowledge Graph result on the SERP to its Wikipedia entry and noted whether it was or was not an exact match. When they did not match, we measured the lag distribution of the mismatched queries by using WikiBlame to determine when the change occurred and, subsequently, the number of days the Knowledge Graph was behind.”
Why Wikipedia? Conductor has found that high-activity queries are very likely to have their Wikipedia entries updated promptly. By comparison, Google’s much-anticipated Knowledge Graph seems to be falling short. The report commented:
“While a real time Wikipedia update may ultimately not be practical, if Google is indeed positioning Knowledge Graph as the future of search, we have to believe that they can do better than the 2-4 day lag many of their mismatched keywords currently reflect.”
We’d all like to believe that, I think. Miller cautions that users are ultimately responsible for verifying anything they find online. Wise words, considering how influential Web search results, through Google and other engines, have become.
Cynthia Murrell, July 16, 2012
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