Build your brand as a recognised entity for better visibility in both traditional search and AI platforms.
Entity SEOKnowledge GraphSemantic Search
Entity SEO represents the evolution from keyword-based to meaning-based search. For Melbourne businesses, building a strong entity presence is crucial for visibility in both Google and AI search platforms.
What Is Entity SEO?
Entity SEO focuses on establishing your brand, products, people, and services as recognised "things" in search engines' knowledge bases—not just collections of keywords. When Google and AI systems recognise you as an entity, they can better understand and surface your content.
AI Advantage: AI systems heavily rely on entity recognition. A strong entity presence makes your brand more likely to be correctly identified and cited in AI-generated responses.
Building Entity Recognition
Consistent brand mentions – Same name format across all platforms
Wikipedia/Wikidata presence – For notable businesses
Schema markup – Structured data that defines your entities
Google Business Profile – Your local entity foundation
Social profiles – Connected brand presence
Entity Relationships
Entities don't exist in isolation. Building relationships between your brand entity and related concepts strengthens your overall entity graph:
Brand → Products/Services
Brand → Key People (founders, experts)
Brand → Location (for local businesses)
Brand → Industry/Niche Topics
Measuring Entity Authority
Track entity strength through branded search volume, Knowledge Panel appearances, brand mentions across authoritative sources, and AI recommendation monitoring.
Create team member pages with proper Person schema
Seek mentions in local Melbourne publications
Generate reviews across multiple platforms
Long-Term Actions (Months 2-6)
Build Wikipedia presence (if notable enough)
Earn mentions in industry publications
Develop thought leadership content cited by others
Build relationships with complementary Melbourne businesses
Entity SEO for AI
AI systems like ChatGPT and Perplexity rely heavily on entity understanding. The stronger your entity profile, the more confidently AI systems can recommend your Melbourne business.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is entity SEO?
Entity SEO focuses on establishing your brand, products, and key people as recognised entities in search engines' knowledge bases. It's about being understood as a 'thing' not just a collection of keywords.
How do I get my business in Google's Knowledge Graph?
Build entity recognition through consistent brand mentions across authoritative sources, Wikipedia presence (if notable), structured data markup, Google Business Profile optimisation, and mentions on Wikidata and other knowledge bases.
Why does entity SEO matter for AI search?
AI systems rely on entity understanding to provide accurate answers. Recognised entities are more likely to be cited by AI assistants because the AI can confidently identify and attribute information to them.
What's the relationship between entities and keywords?
Keywords are words users search; entities are the concepts they represent. Modern SEO requires both—targeting keywords while building entity recognition. Search engines use entities to understand query intent and content meaning.
How do I measure entity authority?
Monitor branded search volume, Knowledge Panel appearances, mentions across authoritative sources, backlinks with brand name anchors, and citations in AI responses. Tools like Google's NLP API can analyse entity recognition in your content.
Create team member pages with proper Person schema
Seek mentions in local Melbourne publications
Generate reviews across multiple platforms
Long-Term Actions (Months 2-6)
Build Wikipedia presence (if notable enough)
Earn mentions in industry publications
Develop thought leadership content cited by others
Build relationships with complementary Melbourne businesses
Entity SEO for AI
AI systems like ChatGPT and Perplexity rely heavily on entity understanding. The stronger your entity profile, the more confidently AI systems can recommend your Melbourne business.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Entity SEO and why does it matter for AI search?
Entity SEO focuses on establishing your business as a recognised entity in search engines' knowledge systems, particularly Google's Knowledge Graph. For AI search, entities are crucial because AI systems rely on understanding relationships between entities (people, businesses, places, concepts) to generate accurate responses. Melbourne businesses with strong entity presence are more likely to be cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.
How do I get my Melbourne business into Google's Knowledge Graph?
Getting into Google's Knowledge Graph requires consistent NAP information across the web, a comprehensive Google Business Profile, Wikipedia or Wikidata presence (for eligible businesses), structured data markup on your website, mentions from authoritative sources, and strong brand searches. Focus on building your business's digital footprint across multiple trusted platforms.
What's the connection between Entity SEO and AI recommendations?
AI systems like ChatGPT rely heavily on entity understanding to provide accurate recommendations. When your business is a recognised entity with clear attributes (location, services, expertise), AI systems can confidently cite you for relevant queries. Strong entity SEO directly improves your visibility across all AI search platforms.
How long does it take to build entity authority?
Building entity authority is a long-term investment, typically taking 6-12 months of consistent effort. However, improvements begin compounding quickly—each new citation, review, or mention strengthens your entity profile. Melbourne businesses that start now will have significant advantages over competitors who delay.
What schema markup supports Entity SEO?
Key schema types for Entity SEO include LocalBusiness, Organisation, Person (for key team members), Service, Product, FAQPage, HowTo, and Review. Implementing comprehensive schema markup helps search engines and AI systems understand your business's attributes, relationships, and authority areas.