Google started testing Knowledge Graph ads over the weekend. SEO strategist Gianluca Fiorelli, who currently resides in Spain, shared this screenshot of a Knowledge Graph ad on Twitter last Friday:

The ad displays details about a US car dealer selling the 2014 Chevrolet Camaro, complete with contact details, address, and a link to directions on Google Maps. The “Dealers nearby” heading indicates that Google will be displaying ads based on the user’s location, but some US users have reported that this particular ad does not appear in their Knowledge Graph results.

Another complaint users have voiced out is that the ad is difficult to distinguish it from the other sections of the Knowledge Graph entry. The example ad shows that it only has a small text label at the top.

Knowledge Graph Advertising was Inevitable

The sudden appearance of this test ad surprised many online marketers and advertisers, but this move toward monetization wasn’t completely unexpected. The Knowledge Graph results’ placement on the right side of the search results page, where ads are usually located, led some users to speculate that Google is “training” users to look at ads.

Earlier this year, Google’s co-founder, Larry Page, issued a statement that seemed to hint at the company’s plans to monetize Knowledge Graph, saying that it “does run on the right hand side where the ads also run,” and that “there could be some short-term impacts on that, but I think the primary thing is getting people better answers is really good for our business.”

Knowledge Graph ads are still in the testing phase, and Google has not released any details about them just yet. In the meantime, having a sound local SEO strategy and keeping the company’s contact details updated is a good way to prepare for their full implementation.