What is Entity-Based SEO?
Entity-Based SEO
Entity-based SEO uses context, not just keywords, to help users find the information they seek.
While keywords are an essential part of your SEO strategy, they don’t fully reflect how humans search for information. For example, a person who searches for “Paris” may be looking for Paris Jackson, the city of Paris (in France or Texas), the movie Paris Is Burning, or innumerable other options.
Why Do Entities Matter for SEO?
Better Search Results
The number one reason behind the switch from keywords to entities is to provide searchers with more relevant search results. Things like mobile search and voice search through digital assistants are much easier with entity SEO.
Improved Translations
Entity-Based SEO also make it easier for things like translations between different languages, based on user search settings. It also improves searches with synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms.
Improved Rich Snippets
Using something called the Google Knowledge Graph, rich snippets are also improving with entity searches. When a rich snippet is more useful to users, the search results are better and the user experience improves as the algorithm continues to learn.
How to Take Advantage of Entity SEO?
List Your Business on Directories
The Google Knowledge Graph uses different directories as databases for their entity searches.
Making sure that your business is listed in relevant directories like Google My Business or Yelp can help ensure that you show up higher in entity rankings.
Prioritize Building Your Brand
Because the entity you create for your marketing business will be focused around your brand, it’s important that you start prioritizing brand building.
This will help you manage your reputation and create a unique and well-defined identity that is recognizable for your brand.
Build Relevant Links
The Google Knowledge Graph is dependent on creating contextual links between different entities.
Having a relevant linking structure on your website and in your content helps to strengthen those contextual connections and support your brand entity.
Create Broader Content
Another thing you need to examine is the content you create. Rather than focusing your marketing content on products and services, you should approach topics more broadly and explore deeper ideas.
This will help you build associations with the entities you want to rank for.
Complete an Entity Audit
An entity audit can help you find out what entities your brand is known for and examine that against your competition.
You can see where there might be gaps in your entity connections and you can then start targeting those gaps in your content creation.
Improve Technical SEO
Alongside your content creation, you also need to work on expanding your technical SEO digital skills.
When you can work on technical SEO alongside content, you can create a better foundation that will support entity SEO in the future. It will also help you build those important connections between keywords and entities.
Focus on Personalization and User Experience
Entity SEO is really all about the searcher’s intention.
Rather than trying to trick search engine algorithms and find ways to rank high without putting in the work, you should really focus on creating personalized, relevant digital content that adds value to your users.
Continually Update Content
As with all SEO, there is no option to “set and forget” with entity SEO.
It’s important for you to continually update your content and continue to monitor updates in the algorithm in order to achieve your SEO goals and rank high on search engine results pages.