Entities
What are Entities? (Why Google Stopped Counting Keywords)
For 20 years, SEO was a matching game. If you wanted to rank for “blue running shoes,” you put those words on your page. Google looked for the text string “b-l-u-e.”
That era is over. Today, Google understands concepts. It knows that “Obama” is a Person (Entity) who was the President (Entity) of the USA (Entity).
Welcome to the decoder ring. In modern SEO, an Entity is any distinct, well-defined thing or concept—a person, place, organization, or idea.
At Saint Digital, we stopped doing “Keyword SEO” years ago. We do “Entity SEO.” We don’t just teach Google words; we teach it who you are and how you fit into the world.
Master the Technical Side of SEO
Entities and Schema are just the beginning. Learn how to build a technically perfect site that Google loves to rank in our comprehensive guide.
“Strings to Things”: The Google Brain Shift
Google’s former Head of Search, Amit Singhal, famously described this shift as moving from “strings to things.”
The Old Way (Strings)
Google sees “Jaguar” and looks for pages containing that word. It gets confused. Do you mean the car? The animal? The football team?
The New Way (Things)
Google sees “Jaguar” and uses its Knowledge Graph to understand context.
- If your page mentions “speed” and “engine,” Google connects “Jaguar” to the “Car” entity.
- If your page mentions “jungle” and “predator,” Google connects it to the “Animal” entity.
Why Keywords are (Mostly) Dead
We still do Keyword Research, but we don’t “optimise” for keywords anymore. We optimise for the Entity.
If you write a page about “The Best Coffee Shop in Leeds,” you don’t need to stuff the phrase “coffee shop” 50 times. You need to prove you are a real Coffee Shop Entity by listing Attributes (Menu, Hours) and Relationships (Address, Founders).
How to Optimise for Entities (Entity SEO)
So, how do you become a recognised Entity? You have to connect the dots for Google.
1. Structured Data (Schema)
This is the most direct way. We use JSON-LD code to tell Google: “This page represents the Entity ‘Saint Digital.’ It is an Organization. Its Founder is Richard Saint.” This feeds facts directly into Google’s brain.
2. PRO TECHNICAL: The “SameAs” Schema Property
This is the specific piece of code that connects your website to your external reputation. It acts as a “digital passport.” It tells Google: “I am this website, and I am the EXACT SAME entity as this LinkedIn profile.”
"sameAs": [
"https://www.linkedin.com/in/yourprofile",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Your_Name"
]3. Build Your “Knowledge Graph” Presence
The ultimate goal is to get a Knowledge Panel—that big box on the right side of search results. To get this, you need corroboration from sources Google trusts, like Wikidata, Crunchbase, and LinkedIn.
Technical Insight: The Role of Wikidata
Wikidata is the “Rosetta Stone” for search engines. It is a free, open database that powers much of Google’s Knowledge Graph. If your business is notable enough to have a Wikidata entry, you have essentially been “verified” as a legitimate entity. This is often the tipping point that triggers a Knowledge Panel.
Why This Matters for AI (ChatGPT & Gemini)
This is the future-proofing part. AI tools don’t “search” for keywords. They “think” in entities.
When you ask ChatGPT “Who is the best web designer in Leeds?”, it looks for the Entity with the strongest relationship to “Web Design” and “Leeds.” If you are an established Entity, the AI cites you as the answer. This is the heart of AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation).
The Takeaway
Stop trying to rank for “words.” Start trying to become a “thing.” A keyword is temporary. An Entity is permanent.
At Saint Digital, our SEO services build the technical schema and digital footprint that turns your business into a recognised, authoritative Entity.
Does Google know who you are? Let’s introduce you.
Become a fact, not just a result.
Google is building a map of the world’s knowledge. Is your business on it? We at Saint Digital specialize in Entity SEO. We use advanced data structure and content strategy to turn your website into a recognized authority in the Knowledge Graph.
Let’s build your identity.
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