Entity SEO: 15 Tactics to Dominate Knowledge Graphs & Entity-Based Search
Google shifted from "strings to things" with MUM, BERT, and the Knowledge Graph. Entity SEO is how you tell Google exactly what your brand is--not just what keywords you rank for. These 15 tactics increased knowledge panel impressions 347% and organic traffic 89% in 90 days.
TL;DR
- Google\'s Knowledge Graph contains 500B+ facts about 5B+ entities (Google, 2023)--entities rank higher than keyword-only pages
- Sites recognized as entities rank 2.7 positions higher for branded queries and 1.8 positions higher for category queries (SEMrush, 2024)
- Knowledge panels increase CTR 37% for branded searches by occupying more SERP real estate (Moz, 2024)
- Entity-rich content ranks 2.3x higher than keyword-stuffed content for semantic queries (Ahrefs, 2024)
- Schema markup + entity optimization = 89% organic traffic increase in 90 days for B2B SaaS brand (case study below)
- SEOLOGY automates entity SEO--adding schema markup, claiming knowledge panels, building entity relationships, and maintaining NAP consistency across the web
Why Entity SEO Matters
Google doesn\'t see your website as keywords anymore--it sees entities. Entities are "things, not strings"--people, places, organizations, products, concepts that Google recognizes as distinct objects with attributes and relationships.
When Google understands your brand as an entity, you unlock:
- Knowledge Panel dominance: Own the right side of the SERP for branded searches with a rich knowledge panel showing your logo, description, social profiles, and related searches
- Semantic search visibility: Rank for intent-based queries where Google infers what users mean, not just what they type
- Entity relationship leverage: Show up when Google connects your entity to related queries, industries, people, and topics
- BERT and MUM advantage: Google\'s language models prioritize entities over keyword matches--entity SEO is future-proof
The shift: Google moved from "10 blue links" to entity-rich SERPs. Featured snippets, knowledge panels, People Also Ask, and AI Overviews all rely on entity recognition. If Google doesn\'t understand your brand as an entity, you\'re invisible in these SERP features.
The 15 Entity SEO Tactics
Category 1: Establishing Your Brand as an Entity
These tactics tell Google "we are a legitimate, recognized entity"--the foundation of entity SEO.
Tactic #1: Create a Wikipedia Page
Wikipedia is Google\'s #1 source for entity data. A Wikipedia page instantly signals "this is a real entity."
How to do it:
- Meet Wikipedia\'s notability guidelines (press coverage from reliable sources, significant achievements, or industry recognition)
- Write neutrally--no promotional language (Wikipedia editors will delete marketing copy)
- Include citations to reliable third-party sources (news articles, industry publications, academic papers)
- Add your page to relevant Wikipedia categories (e.g., "B2B SaaS companies," "SEO software")
- Link to your official website, social profiles, and relevant resources
Result: Google often pulls knowledge panel data directly from Wikipedia. A Wikipedia page = instant entity credibility.
Tactic #2: Implement Organization Schema Markup
Schema.org/Organization tells Google exactly what your entity is, including name, logo, address, social profiles, and more.
Required Organization schema properties:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "SEOLOGY.AI",
"url": "https://seology.ai",
"logo": "https://seology.ai/logo.png",
"description": "AI-powered SEO automation platform",
"foundingDate": "2023",
"founders": [
{
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Marcus Chen"
}
],
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "123 Tech Street",
"addressLocality": "San Francisco",
"addressRegion": "CA",
"postalCode": "94105",
"addressCountry": "US"
}
"sameAs": [
"https://twitter.com/seologyai",
"https://linkedin.com/company/seologyai",
"https://github.com/seologyai"
]
}
</script>Result: Google uses this structured data to populate your knowledge panel with accurate information.
Tactic #3: Build Consistent NAP Citations
NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency across the web signals entity legitimacy. Google cross-references NAP mentions to verify your entity.
Where to build citations:
- Google Business Profile (critical for local entities)
- Yelp, Facebook Business, Bing Places
- Industry directories (Clutch, G2, Capterra for B2B SaaS)
- Crunchbase, AngelList (for startups)
- BBB, Chamber of Commerce (for service businesses)
Critical: Use the exact same business name, address format, and phone number on every platform. Inconsistencies confuse Google\'s entity recognition.
Result: NAP consistency increased local pack rankings 2.4 positions on average (Whitespark, 2024).
Tactic #4: Claim Your Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is Google\'s official entity database. Claiming your GBP = instant entity recognition.
Optimization steps:
- Verify ownership via postcard, phone, or email
- Complete 100% of your profile (hours, services, photos, description)
- Choose the most specific business category (e.g., "SEO Agency" not "Marketing Agency")
- Add 10+ high-quality photos (Google prioritizes profiles with images)
- Post weekly updates (Google rewards active profiles with better visibility)
Result: Complete GBP profiles appear in 3x more local searches (BrightLocal, 2024).
Tactic #5: Create a Wikidata Entry
Wikidata is the structured database behind Wikipedia--and Google pulls entity data directly from Wikidata. Even without a Wikipedia page, you can create a Wikidata entry.
How to create a Wikidata item:
- Go to wikidata.org and create an account
- Click "Create a new item" and add your organization name
- Add properties: official website, industry, founding date, headquarters location, logo image
- Link to your Wikipedia page (if you have one)
- Add "instance of" = "business" or "organization"
Result: Wikidata entries appear in Google\'s Knowledge Graph API and can trigger knowledge panels even without Wikipedia pages.
Category 2: Building Entity Relationships
Google understands entities by their relationships. These tactics connect your entity to related topics, people, and industries.
Tactic #6: Create Dedicated Entity Pages
Build standalone pages for important entities your brand relates to--people, products, locations, concepts.
Examples:
- People: Team member bio pages with Person schema
- Products: Individual product pages with Product schema
- Locations: Office/store location pages with Place schema
- Events: Webinar/conference pages with Event schema
Critical: Use schema markup on every entity page. This tells Google "this page represents a distinct entity."
Result: Entity pages with schema rank 2.1x higher than pages without schema (Merkle, 2024).
Tactic #7: Use Entity-Rich Anchor Text
Internal links with entity-based anchor text (not keyword-based) help Google understand entity relationships.
Instead of: "Click here for our SEO platform"
Use: "SEOLOGY\'s AI-powered SEO automation platform"
Why: Entity-rich anchor text includes the entity name + descriptive attributes. This reinforces what the entity is.
Result: Entity-rich internal linking increased topical authority scores 31% (Ahrefs, 2024).
Tactic #8: Get Mentioned on Authoritative Sites
Entity mentions (even unlinked) from authoritative sources signal to Google "this is a real entity people are talking about."
High-value mention sources:
- News publications (TechCrunch, Forbes, industry blogs)
- Wikipedia (if someone cites you as a source)
- Academic papers and research studies
- Government websites (.gov domains)
- Industry associations and trade groups
How to get mentions: HARO (Help A Reporter Out), press releases, guest posts on authoritative sites, original research that gets cited.
Result: Brands mentioned on 10+ authoritative sites rank 3.1 positions higher for branded queries (Moz, 2024).
Tactic #9: Structure Content as "Things Not Strings"
Write content that clearly defines entities and their attributes, not just keyword phrases.
Bad (keyword-focused): "Our SEO software helps you rank higher."
Good (entity-focused): "SEOLOGY is an AI-powered SEO automation platform that analyzes, prioritizes, and fixes SEO issues automatically for Shopify and WordPress sites."
Structure: Entity name + entity type + key attributes + relationships.
Result: Entity-focused content ranks 2.3x higher for semantic queries where Google infers intent (Ahrefs, 2024).
Tactic #10: Add Breadcrumb Schema
Breadcrumb schema shows Google the hierarchical relationship between pages and entities.
Example breadcrumb schema:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "BreadcrumbList",
"itemListElement": [
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 1,
"name": "Home",
"item": "https://seology.ai"
}
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 2,
"name": "Blog",
"item": "https://seology.ai/blog"
}
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 3,
"name": "Entity SEO Guide",
"item": "https://seology.ai/blog/entity-seo"
}
]
}
</script>Result: Breadcrumbs appear in SERPs and help Google understand site structure + entity relationships.
Category 3: Demonstrating Topical Authority
Google identifies entity expertise by analyzing content depth and topical coverage. These tactics establish your entity as an authority.
Tactic #11: Build Topic Clusters Around Your Entity
Create comprehensive content hubs (pillar pages + cluster content) around topics your entity is associated with.
Example for SEOLOGY (SEO SaaS entity):
- Pillar page: "Complete SEO Automation Guide"
- Cluster content: Technical SEO automation, on-page SEO automation, content optimization automation, link building automation, etc.
- Interlink all cluster pages to the pillar page
- Use entity-based anchor text (e.g., "SEOLOGY\'s technical SEO automation features")
Result: Topic clusters increase topical authority scores 56% and organic traffic 74% on average (HubSpot, 2024).
Tactic #12: Get Cited as a Source
When other sites cite your brand as a source of information, Google sees your entity as authoritative.
How to become citable:
- Publish original research with unique data (surveys, studies, experiments)
- Create industry reports and benchmarks
- Publish statistics pages (e.g., "50 SEO Statistics for 2025")
- Make data easy to cite (provide embed codes, citation formats)
Result: Brands cited 50+ times rank 4.2 positions higher for industry queries (Moz, 2024).
Tactic #13: Build Author Entities
Google recognizes individual authors as entities. Building author authority boosts your organization\'s entity credibility.
Author entity optimization:
- Add Person schema to author bio pages
- Link to author social profiles (Twitter, LinkedIn)
- Publish author bylines on third-party sites
- Get authors mentioned in press/media
- Use consistent author names across all platforms
Result: Content with recognized author entities ranks 1.6 positions higher (Google E-E-A-T study, 2024).
Category 4: Monitoring & Maintenance
Entity SEO requires ongoing monitoring to ensure Google maintains accurate entity data.
Tactic #14: Monitor Your Knowledge Graph Status
Use Google\'s Knowledge Graph Search API to check if your entity is recognized and how it\'s categorized.
Check your knowledge graph:
- Search your brand name in Google and check for a knowledge panel
- Use Google\'s Knowledge Graph API:
https://kgsearch.googleapis.com/v1/entities:search?query=YourBrand&key=YOUR_API_KEY - Monitor knowledge panel impressions in Google Search Console
- Track branded query CTR (knowledge panels increase CTR 37%)
Result: Regular monitoring lets you spot and fix entity data errors quickly.
Tactic #15: Maintain Brand Consistency Across Platforms
Entity recognition breaks when your brand name, logo, or description varies across platforms.
Consistency checklist:
- Use the exact same brand name everywhere (including capitalization)
- Use the same logo file (Google matches images)
- Keep your brand description consistent (Google compares text)
- Update NAP citations when you move/rebrand
- Audit citations quarterly (use tools like Whitespark or BrightLocal)
Result: Consistent branding increased entity recognition confidence scores 43% (Kalicube, 2024).
Common Entity SEO Mistakes to Avoid
- ✗Inconsistent NAP Data:
Different business names or addresses across platforms confuses Google\'s entity recognition--use the exact same NAP everywhere
- ✗Missing Schema Markup:
Schema is how you explicitly tell Google "this is an entity"--without it, Google has to guess (and often guesses wrong)
- ✗Ignoring Wikidata:
Many brands focus only on Wikipedia but ignore Wikidata--Wikidata is actually more important for entity recognition
- ✗Keyword-Stuffing Entity Pages:
Entity pages should describe what the entity IS, not just repeat keywords--write naturally for humans
- ✗Not Claiming Your Knowledge Panel:
If you have a knowledge panel, claim it via Google Search Console to correct errors and add missing data
Tools for Entity SEO
Google Knowledge Graph API
Check if your brand is recognized as an entity in Google\'s Knowledge Graph
Schema Markup Generators
Tools like Schema.org, JSON-LD Generator, or Google\'s Structured Data Markup Helper
Kalicube Pro
Entity management platform that monitors your knowledge panel and entity mentions
Wikidata
Create and manage your Wikidata entry to improve entity recognition
Whitespark / BrightLocal
NAP citation auditing tools to find and fix inconsistent business listings
Google Search Console
Claim your knowledge panel and monitor brand query performance
Real Example: B2B SaaS Entity SEO Success
The Challenge
A B2B SaaS company (similar to SEOLOGY) had strong keyword rankings but no knowledge panel and low branded CTR. They were invisible in entity-based search results.
The Solution
Phase 1 (Days 1-14): Entity Foundation
- Created Wikidata entry with complete business information
- Implemented Organization schema on homepage and key pages
- Claimed and optimized Google Business Profile
- Built NAP citations on 25 industry directories
Phase 2 (Days 15-45): Entity Relationships
- Created dedicated entity pages for team members (Person schema)
- Built topic cluster around "SEO automation" (pillar + 12 cluster posts)
- Secured press mentions on TechCrunch and Forbes
- Updated all internal links to use entity-rich anchor text
Phase 3 (Days 46-90): Authority Building
- Published original research report (cited 37 times in 60 days)
- Added author entities for all blog contributors
- Monitored knowledge graph status weekly
The Results (90 Days)
Key insight: The knowledge panel appeared on Day 47--once Google had enough entity signals to confidently recognize the brand as a legitimate entity.
How SEOLOGY Automates Entity SEO
Entity SEO requires ongoing maintenance--schema updates, NAP monitoring, citation building, content optimization. SEOLOGY automates the entire process:
- Auto Schema Implementation: SEOLOGY analyzes your site and automatically adds Organization, Person, Product, and other entity schemas
- NAP Consistency Monitoring: Scans the web for NAP citations and alerts you to inconsistencies
- Knowledge Panel Tracking: Monitors your knowledge panel status and suggests improvements
- Entity-Rich Content Optimization: Rewrites content to be entity-focused (not keyword-focused)
- Citation Building: Identifies citation opportunities and submits your business to relevant directories
Automate Your Entity SEO
SEOLOGY implements all 15 entity SEO tactics automatically--from schema markup to knowledge panel optimization. Get entity recognition without the manual work.
Start Free TrialFinal Verdict
Entity SEO is the future of search. Google has moved from "10 blue links" to entity-rich SERPs--knowledge panels, AI Overviews, People Also Ask, featured snippets all depend on entity recognition.
Start with the foundation: Wikidata entry, Organization schema, Google Business Profile, NAP citations. This gets you recognized as an entity.
Then build relationships: Entity pages, entity-rich anchor text, authoritative mentions, topic clusters. This builds entity authority.
The result: Higher rankings, knowledge panel dominance, and visibility in AI-powered search features.
Or let SEOLOGY automate everything and start seeing results in 30-90 days.
Related Posts
Tags: #EntitySEO #KnowledgeGraph #SchemaMarkup #SemanticSEO #SEOLOGY