entity-seo-playbook

---
name: entity-seo-playbook
description: Use when optimizing for AI search visibility where individual experts and entities outperform generic brand pages. Use when building cross-platform authority for people, organizations, or products that AI models should recognize and cite.
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: ClawFu
  version: 1.0.0
  mcp-server: "@clawfu/mcp-skills"
---

# Entity SEO Playbook

> Build entity authority so AI search surfaces your people, brand, and expertise — not just your pages. Based on Lily Ray's entity-first framework.

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

- **Establish an expert or brand as a recognized entity** in AI search results
- **Audit entity presence** across platforms (Google Knowledge Panel, Wikidata, LinkedIn, etc.)
- **Optimize for AI search** where entities outperform keyword-optimized pages
- **Build cross-platform authority** for a person, product, or organization
- **Improve citation probability** across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews
- **Develop a digital PR strategy** centered on entity recognition

This skill is particularly valuable for:
- Consultants and experts building personal brand visibility
- B2B companies where thought leaders drive trust
- Publishers optimizing for AI-era traffic
- Anyone whose Google Knowledge Panel is missing or incomplete

---

## Methodology Foundation

**Source Expert:** Lily Ray (VP of SEO Strategy, Amsive Digital; columnist, Search Engine Land)

**Core Thesis:** Entity-first replaces website-first. AI search models surface entities — people, organizations, concepts — not URLs. Individual experts with cross-platform digital footprints get disproportionately cited by AI.

> "The shift isn't from SEO to GEO. It's from page-first to entity-first. AI models don't rank pages — they recognize entities and assess their authority across the entire web." — Lily Ray, The Search Session (Advanced Web Ranking)

**Supporting Research:**
- Google Search ranking code leak (2024) — site quality score correlates with brand search volume
- Mark Williams-Cook's signal decay thesis — link graphs and click data are eroding, entity signals are strengthening
- Metehan Yeşilyurt's AI bot analysis — different AI products retrieve entity information differently

---

## What Claude Does vs What You Decide

| Claude Does | You Decide |
|-------------|------------|
| Audits entity presence across platforms | Which entities to prioritize |
| Identifies gaps in entity establishment | Content and PR strategy budget |
| Generates structured data recommendations | Which platforms to invest in |
| Creates entity-building content plans | Expert credentials and experience to highlight |
| Maps entity relationships | Strategic positioning decisions |

---

## What This Skill Does

When invoked, I will guide you through:

1. **Entity Audit** — Assess current entity recognition across AI and search
2. **Entity Establishment** — Create or strengthen entity signals
3. **Cross-Platform Authority** — Build consistent entity presence
4. **Content Strategy** — Create entity-reinforcing content
5. **Measurement** — Track entity visibility in AI search

---

## Instructions

### Phase 1: Entity Audit

Before building, assess where you stand.

#### Entity Recognition Checklist

```
GOOGLE KNOWLEDGE PANEL
[ ] Does the entity have a Knowledge Panel?
[ ] Is the information accurate and complete?
[ ] Are notable works/credentials listed?
[ ] Is the entity connected to related entities?

WIKIDATA / WIKIPEDIA
[ ] Does a Wikidata entry exist? (Q-number)
[ ] Is the entity described with proper claims and references?
[ ] Does a Wikipedia article exist? (if notable enough)

SCHEMA MARKUP
[ ] Is Person/Organization schema present on owned sites?
[ ] Does schema include sameAs links to official profiles?
[ ] Is author markup on all published content?

AI SEARCH TEST
[ ] Ask ChatGPT: "Who is [entity]?" — does it know them?
[ ] Ask Perplexity: "[entity] expertise" — what sources cited?
[ ] Ask Google AI Overview: "[entity] + topic" — are they mentioned?

CROSS-PLATFORM PRESENCE
[ ] LinkedIn profile complete and active?
[ ] Guest appearances on podcasts/webinars?
[ ] Published articles on third-party sites?
[ ] Conference speaking engagements listed?
[ ] Professional directory listings?
```

#### Entity Authority Score (Informal)

| Level | Description | Signals |
|-------|-------------|---------|
| **0 — Unknown** | AI doesn't recognize the entity | No Knowledge Panel, no AI mentions |
| **1 — Emerging** | AI has partial information | Some mentions, no consistent identity |
| **2 — Established** | AI recognizes and can describe | Knowledge Panel exists, AI answers are accurate |
| **3 — Authoritative** | AI cites as a source | Consistently referenced in AI responses on topic |
| **4 — Definitive** | AI uses as primary reference | Top-of-mind entity for the topic domain |

---

### Phase 2: Entity Establishment

#### For People (Experts, Consultants, Authors)

**Minimum viable entity:**
1. **Consistent name** across all platforms (exact same format)
2. **One authoritative bio page** on your own site with Person schema
3. **LinkedIn profile** matching the bio exactly
4. **Wikidata entry** with claims and references (if notable)
5. **Google Knowledge Panel** claimed via Google Search verification
6. **Author bylines** on published content with author schema

**Entity-reinforcing actions:**
- Publish on recognized third-party platforms (not just your blog)
- Get quoted as an expert in news articles (digital PR)
- Appear on podcasts — AI models digest audio transcripts
- Speak at conferences listed on structured event sites
- Create a consistent "About" statement used everywhere

#### For Organizations (Companies, Brands)

**Minimum viable entity:**
1. **Google Business Profile** complete and verified
2. **Organization schema** on website with sameAs to all official profiles
3. **Wikidata entry** with proper organizational claims
4. **Consistent NAP** (Name, Address, Phone) across directories
5. **Brand search volume** — actively build brand awareness outside search

#### For Products

**Minimum viable entity:**
1. **Product schema** on product pages
2. **Reviews on authoritative sites** — AI search heavily weights product reviews from trusted publishers
3. **Comparison content** mentioning the product alongside known competitors
4. **Third-party validation** — awards, certifications, expert reviews

> "Product review pages on authoritative publishers are MORE valuable now than before AI search. AI Overviews synthesize reviews — if you're not in the review set, you don't exist." — Lily Ray

---

### Phase 3: Cross-Platform Authority

AI models don't just crawl your website. They learn from the entire web. Cross-platform content is structural, not optional.

#### Platform Priority Matrix

| Platform | Entity Signal Strength | Why |
|----------|----------------------|-----|
| **LinkedIn** | High | Professional identity, endorsements, content |
| **Podcast appearances** | High | AI transcription creates entity co-occurrence |
| **Guest articles** | High | Third-party validation of expertise |
| **Conference talks** | Medium-High | Listed on event sites, referenced in recaps |
| **YouTube** | Medium | Transcripts + visual identity |
| **Twitter/X** | Medium | Real-time expertise signals |
| **Reddit (as expert)** | Medium | Cited by Perplexity frequently |
| **Professional directories** | Low-Medium | Structured entity data |

#### The Cross-Platform Consistency Rule

Every platform should reinforce the same entity identity:
- **Same name format** (don't be "John Smith" on LinkedIn and "J. Smith PhD" on your site)
- **Same expertise description** (consistent topic association)
- **Same profile photo** (visual entity recognition)
- **Cross-linking** — every profile links to the canonical entity page

---

### Phase 4: Content Strategy for Entity Authority

#### Entity-Reinforcing Content Types

| Content Type | Entity Signal | Example |
|-------------|--------------|---------|
| **Original research** | Strongest — unique data creates citation necessity | "Our analysis of 10,000 campaigns shows..." |
| **Expert interviews** | Strong — entity co-occurrence with recognized experts | "I spoke with [Expert] about..." |
| **Case studies** | Strong — first-hand experience signal | "Here's how we achieved X for [Client]..." |
| **Conference recaps** | Medium — positions entity in professional context | "At [Conference], the key insight was..." |
| **Contrarian analysis** | Medium — differentiation from consensus | "The conventional wisdom is wrong because..." |
| **How-to guides** | Low-Medium — helpful but interchangeable | Commodity content unless paired with unique data |

#### Favicon & Visual Identity in AI Results

Google AI Mode, AI Overviews, and Google Discover all display favicons prominently. Your favicon is the new meta description — it's the visual identifier in AI-generated results.

**Actions:**
- Ensure favicon is distinctive at 16x16px and 32x32px
- Use your brand mark, not a generic icon
- Test favicon visibility against competitors in search results
- Consider favicon as brand recognition driver (users scan visually)

---

### Phase 5: Measurement

#### Entity Visibility Tracking

| Metric | How to Track | Frequency |
|--------|-------------|-----------|
| **Brand search volume** | Google Search Console, Google Trends | Monthly |
| **Knowledge Panel accuracy** | Manual check | Quarterly |
| **AI mention test** | Ask ChatGPT/Perplexity/Claude about entity | Monthly |
| **Citation in AI Overviews** | Search "[topic]" and check AI Overview sources | Weekly |
| **Cross-platform consistency** | Manual audit of all profiles | Quarterly |
| **Branded traffic** | Analytics — filter for brand terms | Monthly |

#### Leading Indicators

- Increasing brand search volume = entity recognition growing
- More Knowledge Panel attributes appearing = entity understanding deepening
- AI responses becoming more accurate about entity = training data inclusion
- Third-party mentions increasing = entity authority compounding

---

## Examples

### Example 1: Consultant Building Personal Entity

**Context:** SEO consultant wants AI search to recognize them as an expert on GEO.

**Entity Audit Results:**
- No Knowledge Panel
- LinkedIn complete but not active
- 3 blog posts on own site
- ChatGPT doesn't know them

**Action Plan:**
1. Create Person schema on About page with sameAs to LinkedIn, Twitter
2. Publish 2 guest articles on Search Engine Land or Search Engine Journal
3. Appear on 3 SEO podcasts as guest expert
4. Create Wikidata entry with references to published work
5. Write original research: "Analysis of 500 AI Overview citations in [niche]"
6. Post weekly LinkedIn analysis (build content entity co-occurrence)

**Expected Timeline:** 3-6 months to reach Level 2 (Established)

### Example 2: B2B SaaS Building Product Entity

**Context:** Marketing analytics tool wants AI to recommend them when users ask about marketing attribution.

**Entity Audit Results:**
- Organization schema exists but incomplete
- No product reviews on authoritative sites
- ChatGPT mentions 3 competitors but not them
- Brand search volume: 200/month (competitors: 5,000+)

**Action Plan:**
1. Complete Organization schema with sameAs, foundingDate, founders
2. Pitch product review to G2, Capterra + 2 industry publications
3. Create comparison content: "[Product] vs [Competitor A] vs [Competitor B]"
4. Launch original research: "State of Marketing Attribution 2026"
5. Get CEO on 5 industry podcasts discussing attribution methodology
6. Build brand awareness: sponsor 2 niche conferences, run LinkedIn ads

**Expected Timeline:** 6-12 months to appear in AI recommendations

---

## Checklists & Templates

### Entity Establishment Checklist

```
PHASE 1: FOUNDATION (Week 1-2)
[ ] Canonical entity page created on owned site
[ ] Person/Organization schema deployed
[ ] All platform profiles consistent (name, photo, description)
[ ] sameAs links connecting all profiles
[ ] Wikidata entry created (if applicable)

PHASE 2: THIRD-PARTY SIGNALS (Month 1-3)
[ ] 2+ guest articles published on authoritative sites
[ ] 3+ podcast appearances completed
[ ] Professional directory listings updated
[ ] Expert quotes obtained in news/industry articles

PHASE 3: CONTENT AUTHORITY (Month 2-6)
[ ] Original research published
[ ] 5+ entity-reinforcing content pieces live
[ ] Cross-platform content calendar running
[ ] Case studies with named clients published

PHASE 4: MEASUREMENT (Ongoing)
[ ] Monthly AI mention test
[ ] Brand search volume tracked
[ ] Knowledge Panel monitored
[ ] Citation tracking in AI Overviews
```

---

## Skill Boundaries

### What This Skill Does Well
- Auditing entity presence across platforms and AI search
- Creating structured plans for entity establishment
- Identifying gaps in cross-platform authority
- Recommending content strategies that build entity signals

### What This Skill Cannot Do
- Create Wikipedia articles (notability requirements are external)
- Guarantee Knowledge Panel creation (Google's decision)
- Access live AI search results to test citations
- Replace genuine expertise (entity signals must reflect real authority)

---

## References

**Primary Sources:**
- Lily Ray — "How Publishers Can Survive in the Age of AI Search" (The Search Session, Advanced Web Ranking)
- Mark Williams-Cook — "From People Also Ask to AI Search" (The Search Session)
- Google Search ranking code leak analysis (2024) — site quality score

**Related Concepts:**
- E-E-A-T (Google Search Quality Rater Guidelines)
- Knowledge Graph Optimization
- Digital PR for entity authority
- Schema.org structured data (Person, Organization, Product)

---

## Related Skills

- **llm-optimized-content** — Content optimization for AI citations
- **schema-markup** — Implementing JSON-LD structured data
- **seo-content-writer** — SEO content with E-E-A-T compliance
- **brand-voice-learner** — Establishing consistent brand identity
- **skyscraper-technique** — Building linkable authority content

---

## Skill Metadata

```yaml
name: entity-seo-playbook
category: seo-tools
subcategory: geo
version: 1.0.0
author: GUIA
source_expert: Lily Ray (VP SEO Strategy, Amsive Digital) — The Search Session podcast
difficulty: intermediate
mode: centaur
tags: [entity-seo, geo, ai-search, knowledge-graph, cross-platform, digital-pr, e-e-a-t, lily-ray]
created: 2026-02-10
updated: 2026-02-10
```