Mastering entity-based SEO and standing out in the age of AI
We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again; SEO is undergoing rapid transformation in the face of AI. Some are wondering if it’s still important, or even if it still works. The good news is that yes, it still works, and yes, it’s still important. However, it requires constant attention and a willingness to evolve your approach. And, while some of the trends or topics we cover are not new, they are becoming more important to understand and implement as SEO becomes more competitive. Right now, AI search is attempting to deliver more comprehensive and accurate results at the top of the page instead of a list of websites with important information. The main SEO objective for many organizations is to appear on the first page of the search results, in addition to being listed as a citation in the AI search results. To help achieve this, we’re going to take a dive into entity-based SEO and why brands must optimize for brand meaning and not just keywords.
What Is Entity-Based SEO?
Entity SEO, while not a contrast to traditional keyword SEO (and you cannot have one without the other), looks at the relationship and structure between all the elements and paints a more complete picture. Whereas keyword SEO is mostly focused on creating pillar content and addressing the keywords that people might be seeking, entity SEO puts it all together, using contextual relevance, entity identification, structured data, and authority to make it easy for algorithms to infer the importance and function of the site. The most common entity classifications are locations, people, and businesses, but can include products, services, about, team, theory, rule, and on and on. The list is virtually endless.
Entity-based SEO is critical for multi-location brands now more than ever with the introduction of AI summarization as entity-based SEO helps clarify important information that people are looking for with more context, not just keyword phrases. The more comprehensive the information, the more likely the entity is to be featured in the AI summarization and the SERP.
Mastering entity SEO
Most of the important pieces of local SEO, we all know. But, it makes sense to repeat it in the context of entity SEO. To start and master local SEO, business listings must be accurate and up-to-date. This includes both Google Business, Facebook, and other social platforms where you have a profile for your business.
On the slightly more technical side, the basic structured data and schema on your brand’s website needs to be accurate, including everything from organization name, address, and phone number, opening hours, and much more. Implementing structured data tells Google that your site has valuable information that your audience will want to engage with, meaning the algorithm will most likely place your site higher on the results. According to Google, “You can help us by providing explicit clues about the meaning of a page to Google by including structured data on the page. Structured data is a standardized format for providing information about a page and classifying the page content; for example, on a recipe page, what are the ingredients, the cooking time and temperature, the calories, and so on.” Google provides detailed instructions on incorporating structured data and schema markers, like those for FAQs, into a website.
Once you have the foundation laid, it’s time to focus on building topical authority around each local entity, giving Google an easy-to-understand map of information on your site. The idea is to make the language you use on your site less ambiguous to Google. This is where structured data and schemas come in handy because you can be very explicit in identifying what the entity is and how it links to other content on the site. If you have ever used Wikipedia, you know exactly what entities are and how to connect them. In fact, Wikipedia can serve as a great tool for identifying entities and internal linking strategies.
How to execute
Start by validating the topic you want to start with to ensure it has power in an SEO sense. The topic should be highly relevant and important to your brand. Consider starting with something like products, services, purpose, or vision, and work outwards from there. If the topic is too broad, break it down into different entities that are relevant to your audience. For example, if you start with dental care services, that is much too broad and should be broken down into corresponding segments, such as preventative dental care, cosmetic dental care, and even further into the entities within those topics using internal linking showing the relationship between the entities.
The entity page in question should contain structured data, identifying it as an entity. When creating the content for the page, it’s important to include keywords, but the content should not be created to respond to only those keywords. Use natural language, and the more unique or differentiating information you can provide, the more likely it is to positively impact your SEO results. Imagine the sheer quantity of information on the web. Why would Google reward you for simply restating what others have stated before? Unless you can master each component of entity SEO and knock out your competitors from the top spots, you’ll need to be adding value, not just regurgitating.
Creating robust location pages
Additionally, for multi-location businesses, each location should have its own page as the providers, clientele, services or products, address, phone, and more will differ across locations and it’s vital to differentiate. A great way to enhance the page for each location is to focus on reviews, citations, and local media coverage as that tends to change based on location. Defining the services and products of your brand will also be vital to success. What differentiates your brand, each location, and why should people visit?
While it may seem like an entirely new approach, you should have much of the foundation for entity-based SEO already laid. If you would like help sorting through entity-based SEO, give the MDG team a call today.