Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and the new AI language model Bard have transformed the digital landscape, bringing with them significant SEO implications. One of the most critical aspects of SEO in this new era is the focus on brand entity optimization. SEO has moved on from marketing solely to humans, and now it must also focus on marketing to machines. No matter the interface, whether it’s blue links, rich results, Google surfaces, SGE, or chatbots, the top priority of SEO is to ensure that searchers find and choose our brand. Building a well-known, trusted, and top-rated brand entity is the cornerstone of organic visibility.
The Google Knowledge Graph understands the relationships and “facts” about entities, which Google defines as singular, unique, well-defined, and distinguishable things or concepts represented linguistically by nouns. Entities can be people, places, products, events, ideas, or brands. The Google Knowledge Graph contextualizes entities based on their connections to other entities. Bard, Google’s AI assistant, connects entities, not keywords, to produce opinionated recommendations. Optimizing for entities can help brands appear in rich results such as local packs or related searches. The most valuable entity for a brand is its brand entity.
If a brand entity is not in the Knowledge Graph, Google will have less confidence in its relevance to the user query and its relationship to other entities. This means less entity-level visibility signals, resulting in decreased chances of appearing in the end user’s consideration set. Therefore, it’s essential to build your brand entity by following five steps. First, get your CMO on board by presenting the opportunity or threat of your branded SERP or industry-relevant entity-only SERP features. Second, define and align your brand entity bio to tell Google about your brand in a way that its algorithms can comprehend. Third, build a comprehensive and diverse digital footprint. Fourth, leverage entity optimization tactics to craft gateway content and grow brand awareness within the Knowledge Graph. Finally, measure and refine your brand entity SEO strategy over time.
At Bridgewell Marketing, we specialize in helping companies build their brand entities and improve their organic visibility within the Knowledge Graph. Our team of expert SEO professionals and marketing strategists work together to help brands build a unique entity in the eyes of Google and their target audience. Whether you need help with a new website or a comprehensive audit of your current SEO strategy, our team is here to help. Contact us today to learn more!
