What is Entity SEO?

What Are Entities in SEO?

An entity is anything that Google can identify as a distinct, well-defined concept. A person, a company, a product, a place, an idea — if Google's Knowledge Graph has a node for it, it's an entity.

Entity SEO means structuring your content so search engines clearly understand which entities your pages are about and how they relate to each other. This matters because Google has moved far beyond simple keyword matching.

Why Entity SEO Matters Now

Google's Hummingbird, RankBrain, and MUM updates all pushed the algorithm toward understanding meaning, not just matching strings. When someone searches "apple," Google uses context — other words on the page, the searcher's history, entity relationships — to determine if you mean the fruit or the company.

For content creators, this shift means:

• Topical depth beats keyword density. Cover the full entity space, not just primary keywords.
• Structured data matters more. Schema markup explicitly tells Google which entities your content discusses.
• Internal linking creates entity relationships. Linking between related content mirrors how knowledge graphs connect nodes.

How to Optimize for Entities

Map Your Entity Landscape

Start by identifying the core entities in your niche. For an SEO tool like BuzzRank, relevant entities include: programmatic SEO, content optimization, SERP analysis, keyword research, topical authority.

Build Content Around Entity Clusters

Instead of writing isolated pages targeting individual keywords, create clusters of content that thoroughly cover an entity from multiple angles. A "content velocity" entity might need pages on definition, measurement, tools, strategies, and case studies.

Implement Structured Data

Use JSON-LD schema markup to explicitly declare entities on your pages. Organization, SoftwareApplication, Article, and FAQPage schemas help Google connect your content to its Knowledge Graph.

Connect Entities Through Internal Links

Every internal link is a relationship declaration. When you link from your "topical authority" page to your "content clusters" page, you're telling Google these entities are related — mirroring the actual knowledge structure.

Entity SEO at Scale

Manually mapping entities works for small sites. But for sites with hundreds or thousands of pages, you need automation. BuzzRank analyzes your content's entity coverage, identifies gaps in your knowledge graph, and generates content that fills them — programmatically.

Start your $1 trial →