Entities: how AI understands who you are

An entity is a recognisable "thing" that search engines and AI models understand as a single whole: a person, place, product or organisation. Your business is an entity too. The better AI knows who you are, what you do and where you are, the more likely it is to mention you for the right question. Entity SEO is the work of strengthening that recognition.

What exactly is an entity?

Take "a bakery in Deventer". To a person, that is clear. To a language model, it only becomes an entity when it can link lots of separate pieces of information together: the name, the address, the website, the opening hours, the reviews, the Google Business Profile and mentions in the local paper.

When all those pieces match and point to each other, a clear picture emerges. When they contradict each other, the model hesitates. Then it is less likely to mention you, or it mixes you up with another business with a similar name.

Why entities matter for AI visibility

AI assistants work with relationships between concepts. For a question such as "Which bakery in Deventer makes gluten-free bread?", the model looks for entities that fit: a bakery, in Deventer, with gluten-free products. If you as an entity are clearly linked to those properties, you are a logical answer.

That is also why the tips in 7 website changes to get mentioned by AI more often are so often about clarity. The less AI has to guess, the better.

Step 1: a consistent name

Use exactly the same business name everywhere. So not "De Korenaar Bakery" one time, "De Korenaar Deventer" the next and "Korenaar Ltd" somewhere else. Pick one form and stick to it on your website, in your business profiles, on social media and in directories.

The same goes for your address, phone number and description. This is also called NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone). You will find a complete checklist in consistent business details online.

Step 2: sameAs and structured data

With structured data (schema.org) you tell search engines and AI who you are in a fixed format. For entities, the sameAs property is especially useful. With it you say: "this organisation is the same as that profile over there".

In sameAs you add links to your official profiles, for example:

• your LinkedIn company page;
• your Facebook or Instagram account;
• your listing in an industry directory;
• your Wikidata item, if you have one.

That way AI links your website to all those other places. A worked example is in structured data for LocalBusiness.

Step 3: Wikidata and Wikipedia

Wikidata is an open database with structured data about millions of entities. Many systems use it as a source. An item of your own can help establish your organisation as an entity, with a unique identifier.

Be honest and careful, though. Wikidata and Wikipedia have rules on notability and neutrality. Not every business qualifies. A museum, a municipality or a well-known organisation in a sector often does. A small sole trader usually does not. Read more in Wikipedia, Wikidata and AI.

Step 4: the knowledge panel

A knowledge panel is the information box Google sometimes shows next to the search results, with a logo, description and details. It is a sign that Google recognises you as an entity. For local businesses, the Google Business Profile plays a similar role. See Google Business Profile and AI visibility.

You cannot create a knowledge panel yourself. It appears when Google has enough reliable information. Once it appears, you can claim it and suggest changes.

Step 5: mentions that confirm your properties

An entity grows stronger when other sources say the same things about you. If the local paper writes that you bake gluten-free bread, and a recipe site mentions you too, that confirms the link. Such mentions are often also the sources AI cites. More in mentions on other sites.

Frequently asked questions

Is entity SEO different from regular SEO?
It is part of it. Regular SEO often looks at keywords. Entity SEO looks at whether search engines and AI understand who or what you are and how you are connected to other things.

Do I need a Wikipedia page?
No. It can help, but many businesses are recognised perfectly well without one. A clear website, consistent details, sameAs and good mentions matter more for most businesses.

What if AI confuses me with another business?
Make your name, location and speciality extra clear everywhere. See also AI gives wrong information about your business.

See how AI recognises you

Curious whether ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude recognise and mention your business correctly? With the free AI check we ask five customer questions to all four models. You immediately see whether you are mentioned and which sources the models use. Want to follow it every week? Take a look at GEO tracking.