Search engines have evolved far beyond matching exact keywords. Today Google understands meaning, context, and relationships between entities such as people, places, brands, and things. If you’re still building your SEO strategy around keywords alone, you’re already behind.
This is where Entity Based SEO comes in, a smarter, context driven approach that helps your brand show up in Search Generative Experience (SGE) results, voice search, and AI powered answers.
At Stellar Digital Media we’ve been ahead of this curve, optimising client sites not just for words, but for what those words mean.
What Is Entity Based SEO
Entity Based SEO is about teaching Google who and what your business is, not just what keywords you use.
An entity is any unique identifiable thing such as:
- A brand (Stellar Digital Media)
- A place (Auckland New Zealand)
- A concept (Digital Strategy)
- A service (SEO)
By helping Google connect these dots through structured data, contextually relevant content, and authoritative links, your business builds a knowledge graph presence, a signal of trust and expertise that goes far deeper than keyword matching.
Why Keywords Alone No Longer Work
Google’s algorithms and AI models like Gemini and SGE no longer rely on keyword density. Instead, they focus on understanding intent and relationships.
Here’s why keywords alone fall short:
- Search intent matters more: Google knows the difference between “SEO agency” and “how to hire an SEO agency”.
- AI driven search is conversational: People ask natural language questions, not keyword strings.
- Context signals authority: Structured data, schema markup, and topical clusters tell Google what your site truly represents.
Entity optimisation gives Google a complete picture of your brand, improving visibility in both organic search and AI generated results.
How To Optimise For Entities
1. Build A Clear Topical Structure
Organise your content around key entities such as your services, industries, and brand name. For example, a post on entity SEO should naturally connect to your SEO Services or Digital Strategy pages.
2. Use Schema Markup
Structured data tells Google exactly what each element on your site represents. Use FAQ, HowTo, and Organisation schema across your content. If you’re unsure where to place schema, add it in a Divi code module at the bottom of your page.
3. Strengthen Your Brand Entity
Make sure Google associates your business name, logo, and description consistently across your website, social profiles, and directories. This helps build your Knowledge Panel and brand authority.
4. Optimise For AI Search
AI powered search results like Google’s SGE and ChatGPT pull entity data from trusted sources. The stronger and clearer your brand’s entity relationships, the more likely you are to appear in AI answers and featured snippets.
Benefits Of Entity Based SEO
- Higher authority signals in Google’s knowledge graph
- Better visibility in AI and voice search
- More qualified traffic through contextual ranking
- Improved E E A T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
- Longer lasting SEO performance which is less impacted by algorithm updates
The Future Of SEO Is Entity Driven
The shift to entity optimisation is already happening. Google’s Search Generative Experience, voice assistants, and AI chatbots all depend on entity relationships, not just keywords.
If your SEO strategy doesn’t yet include structured data, topical authority, and entity mapping, you’re leaving visibility on the table.
We build strategies that combine technical SEO, content architecture, and AI readiness, giving your brand the clarity it needs to dominate future search.
Are you ready to optimise beyond keywords?
Explore our SEO Services or Digital Strategy Solutions to future proof your online visibility, or get in touch to discuss your requirments further.
FAQs
Q: What is an entity in SEO?
A: An entity is a distinct person, place, brand, or concept that Google can identify and understand through context and connections across the web.
Q: How is entity based SEO different from traditional SEO?
A: Traditional SEO focuses on keywords, while entity based SEO focuses on meaning, relationships, and structured data that help Google understand your business context.
Q: Why is entity optimisation important for AI search
A: AI systems like Google’s SGE use entity relationships to generate accurate, contextual responses, meaning well structured entity SEO can help your business appear in AI generated answers.
Q: How can I start entity optimisation
A: Start with structured data (schema markup), internal linking between related topics, and consistent brand information across your digital footprint.