The knowledge panel is your new homepage

We spend countless hours optimizing websites that fewer local searchers ever visit. Why? Because for local businesses, the Google Knowledge Panel is the new homepage.

This is where customers make decisions, and winning here requires a fundamental shift in strategy from driving clicks to providing answers directly on the SERP.

As a former Director at Google who led the Google Business Profile team, Brad Wetherall will provide an insider's framework for treating the Knowledge Panel as your most important conversion tool.

He'll explain how Google’s ecosystem is built to support this "zero-click" customer journey and why mastering it is essential for future success in an AI-driven world.

Transcript

1. The Knowledge Panel is Your New Homepage Brad Wetherall Former Director of Google Business Profile Founder & CEO, The GBP Experts speakerdeck.com/bradwetherall in/bradwetherall @BradWetherall
3. The Shift From Search Engine To Answer Engine
4. From Information to Intelligence
5. 88% Informational Intent queries that trigger the AIO 1 The decrease of organic CTR when an AIO is presented 2 of searches are now resolved without users clicking links 3 “Zero Click Searches” Local Business Intent queries that trigger the AIO 2 1. Semrush: July 2025 3. Datos / SparkToro: 2025 AI Overview (AI): By The Numbers 40% 70% 60% 2. LocalFalcon: May 2025
10. Do you remember the GBP “Website” …why was it sunset?
11. The Remedy What should Local Businesses do about it?
12. Your GBP is the Most Important Source of Local Business Data for Google AI
13. 6 Tips to optimize your GBP for AI
14. 1. Description & Services • Use keyword-rich descriptions • Answer customer questions • Highlight unique offerings • Include service locations • Be clear and concise
15. Primary Category • Choose precise category • Prioritize key service • Add secondary categories • Avoid irrelevant categories • Align with competitors 2.
16. Reviews • Encourage frequent reviews • Use keywords naturally • Highlight real experiences • Build trust signals • Ask recent customers 3.
17. • Fill all attributes • Keep hours accurate • Use local phone number • Sync with website info Complete Profile 4.
18. • Upload regularly • Use real photos (No AI) • Geo-tag images • Show interior/exterior Photos & Videos 5.
19. • Use for Conversion (not Rank) • Post consistently • Share local updates • Promote offers/events • Reinforce brand voice 6. Local Posts
20. “a reputation for winning big” “personal injury” “majority female owned” The Results…
21. I use GMBapi.com Fully Automated Audit in 10 Minutes • Listing MGMT • Health Scorecard • Reviews • Content • Citations • Local LLM insights • Local Rank Tracking
22. What Got You Here, Will Not Get You There. Google is now an Answer Engine Call The GBP Experts if You Need Help GBP is the Key to feeding Local AI Data Takeaways
23. Thank You! Brad Wetherall linkedin.com/in/bradwetherall TheGBPexperts.com Questions? Find Me at the GBP Experts Booth (66)