Entity Audit — Phase 9

Executive Summary

Entity optimization is the bridge between traditional SEO and AI search visibility. Google's Knowledge Graph powers both the traditional Knowledge Panel and AI Overviews — businesses with strong entity signals get cited in AIO at higher rates than those without. In 2025, the minimum viable entity footprint is: GBP verified + 7+ sameAs connections + consistent NAP across all platforms + Wikidata entity. ChatGPT and Perplexity reference businesses with complete Wikidata entries 3× more than businesses without. The 30-minute fix with the highest impact: add sameAs properties to LocalBusiness schema (links to GBP, Facebook, LinkedIn, Yelp, BBB, Instagram, Wikidata) — this single action strengthens entity consolidation significantly.

2025 entity benchmarks:

• sameAs count for Knowledge Panel eligibility: 7+ authoritative sources (Google's Knowledge Vault threshold)
• sameAs 0–3: weak entity — Knowledge Panel very unlikely; 7–9: competitive; 10+: strong
• E-E-A-T entity signal: named author/owner with Person schema = measurable trust increase for YMYL and local service categories
• AI recognition rate: businesses with Wikidata entry cited 3× more by ChatGPT/Perplexity
• knowsAbout schema property: signals topical expertise domain directly to Google NLP
• Most specific @type matters: PlumbingContractor not LocalBusiness — specificity = entity clarity

Numbered Action Plan:

Immediate (30-Minute Wins)

1. Add sameAs links to LocalBusiness schema — Add "sameAs": [...] array with GBP URL, Facebook, LinkedIn, Yelp, BBB, Instagram, Twitter/X, Wikidata (if exists). Each is a separate entity consolidation signal. Effort: 30 min. Priority: 25 (5×5).
2. Change @type to most specific type — If currently "@type": "LocalBusiness", change to specific type (e.g., PlumbingContractor, Dentist, Attorney). Effort: 5 min. Priority: 15.
3. Add knowsAbout to Organization schema — Add the 5–7 core service entities the business is authoritative on. This directly signals topical expertise to Google's NLP and AI systems. Example: "knowsAbout": ["Drain Cleaning", "Water Heater Installation", "Emergency Plumbing", "Sewer Line Repair", "Tankless Water Heaters"]. Also add knowsAbout to Person schema for the owner/key staff. Effort: 15 min. Priority: 20.

Short-Term (Week 1–2)

4. Create Wikidata entity — If business has significant web presence (news mentions, 3+ external references): create Wikidata entry with name, type, location, website, founding date, sameAs links. Effort: 2–4 hrs. Priority: 16.
5. Add Person schema for owner — Create author page for business owner with Person schema: name, jobTitle (specific), credentials, worksFor → business entity, sameAs → LinkedIn. Effort: 1–2 hrs. Priority: 16.
6. Fix entity attribute inconsistencies — Audit: business name format, address format, phone format across website/GBP/Yelp/BBB/Facebook. Any variation = entity fragmentation. Fix the ≤3 platforms causing inconsistency. Effort: 1–2 hrs. Priority: 20.
7. Validate all schema — Run Rich Results Test (search.google.com/test/rich-results) + Schema Markup Validator (validator.schema.org) on homepage and top service pages. Fix any errors (invalid @type, missing required properties). Effort: 1–2 hrs. Priority: 20.

Medium-Term (Month 1–2)

8. Build topical entity associations — Publish 25+ articles on primary service cluster (entity co-occurrence accumulates). Get cited alongside industry terms in local publications. Add about + mentions schema to key pages. Effort: Ongoing.
9. Create team author pages — For each key team member: create /team/[name]/ page with Person schema, headshot, credentials, linked blog posts. Strengthens E-E-A-T author entity signals. Effort: 2–4 hrs/person.
10. Earn entity mentions — Pitch local news, industry publications, community platforms. Each mention = entity co-citation = strengthened Knowledge Graph. Effort: 4–8 hrs/mention.

---

Why Entities Matter in 2025–2026

Google's search engine is fundamentally entity-based. Rankings are increasingly driven by whether Google understands:

1. What your business IS — entity type, attributes, relationships
2. What topics you're authoritative on — topical entity associations
3. Where you exist — local entity with verified location signals
4. Who you're connected to — entity relationships: people, orgs, places

Strong entity presence = trust = better rankings AND AI visibility. In 2025:

• AI Overviews pull entity-structured data as primary citation sources
• ChatGPT/Perplexity reference businesses with complete Wikidata entries 3× more
• Google's Knowledge Vault — entities with sameAs coverage from 7+ authoritative sources achieve Knowledge Panel significantly faster

---

Step 1: Read Project Context

Read {AUDIT_DIR}/intake-data.md — business name, URL, location, services. Read {AUDIT_DIR}/competitor-profiles.md — competitor entity signals. Read {AUDIT_DIR}/local-findings.md — GBP completeness (feeds entity graph).

Tools for this phase:

Tool	Purpose	Cost
Google Cloud NLP API	Entity extraction from page content (salience + type + sentiment)	Free ($0/1K calls)
InLinks	NLP entity analysis, topic wheel, entity-based internal linking	Paid
Kalicube Pro	Brand SERP entity completeness, entity clarity score, Knowledge Panel tracker	Paid
Wikidata (wikidata.org)	Direct entity creation/editing — #1 Knowledge Panel trigger	Free
Google Rich Results Test	Schema entity validation	Free
Schema Markup Validator (validator.schema.org)	Entity schema syntax check	Free
Otterly.ai	Monitor AI mention frequency (entity recognition across AI assistants)	Paid

2025 Entity Context: Google's "Entity Home" concept means each business should have one authoritative page consolidating all entity attributes. An incomplete entity = fragmented Knowledge Graph = weaker rankings. Wikidata entry + GBP + 7+ sameAs connections = minimum viable entity footprint for Knowledge Panel eligibility.

---

Step 2: Business Entity Recognition Tests

Test 1: Knowledge Panel Check

Search Google for each:

Query	Knowledge Panel?	Type	Completeness
[Business Name]	Yes/No/Partial	Local/Brand	[X attributes showing]
[Business Name] [City]	Yes/No/Partial
[Business Name] [primary service]	Yes/No/Partial

Status categories:

• ✅ Full Knowledge Panel — entity well recognized
• ⚠️ Partial — GBP card shows but no full panel (entity weak)
• ❌ No panel — entity not in Knowledge Graph

Test 2: AI Assistant Entity Recognition

Query	Platform	Business Mentioned?	Accuracy?	Source Cited?
"Tell me about [Business Name]"	ChatGPT	Yes/No	Yes/No
"What is [Business Name] in [City]?"	Perplexity	Yes/No	Yes/No
"[Best service] in [city]"	Google AIO	Yes/No	Yes/No

Test 3: Wikidata Check

Visit wikidata.org → search business name:

• Wikidata entity exists? Q-number: [Q_______]
• If exists: attribute completeness (names, location, website, founded, industry, sameAs links)?
• If not: does business qualify? (Must have coverage in reliable external sources, not just website)

---

Step 3: Entity Attribute Consistency

For a local business entity, Google expects these attributes consistently across ALL web properties:

Attribute	Website	GBP	Schema	Wikidata	Consistent?	Action
Legal business name					✅/❌
Brand/trade name					✅/❌
Business @type (e.g., PlumbingContractor)					✅/❌
Street address (exact format)					✅/❌
City, State, ZIP					✅/❌
Phone number (same format)					✅/❌
Website URL (canonical)					✅/❌
Founded year					✅/❌
Owner/founder name					✅/❌
Primary service category					✅/❌
Service area (areaServed)					✅/❌
Logo URL					✅/❌
Social profiles					✅/❌

Inconsistencies = entity confusion = fragmented Knowledge Graph = weaker rankings and AI citations.

Specific @type Recommendations

Use the most specific Schema.org @type available — not just "LocalBusiness":

Business Category	Recommended @type
Plumber	PlumbingContractor
Electrician	Electrician
HVAC	HVACBusiness
Attorney	Attorney (sub-type of LegalService)
Dentist	Dentist
Restaurant	Restaurant
Accountant	AccountingService
Auto repair	AutoRepair
Gym/fitness	HealthClub

---

Step 4: sameAs Entity Connections

sameAs creates a web of entity signals Google uses to consolidate and strengthen the business entity.

sameAs Inventory Audit (from website's LocalBusiness schema)

Property	URL Included?	URL Correct?	Priority
Google Business Profile URL	✅/❌	✅/❌	Critical
Facebook Page URL	✅/❌	✅/❌	Critical
Instagram Profile URL	✅/❌	✅/❌	High
LinkedIn Company Page URL	✅/❌	✅/❌	High
YouTube Channel URL	✅/❌	✅/❌	Medium
Twitter/X Profile URL	✅/❌	✅/❌	Medium
Yelp Business URL	✅/❌	✅/❌	High
BBB Profile URL	✅/❌	✅/❌	High
Industry association profile	✅/❌	✅/❌	Medium
Chamber of Commerce listing	✅/❌	✅/❌	Medium
Wikidata entity URL	✅/❌	✅/❌	High — Knowledge Panel trigger

sameAs count benchmarks:

• 0–3 sameAs: ❌ Weak entity — Knowledge Panel very unlikely
• 4–6 sameAs: ⚠️ Developing — partial entity recognition possible
• 7–9 sameAs: ✅ Competitive — Knowledge Panel achievable
• 10+ sameAs: ✅✅ Strong — full entity consolidation likely

Current sameAs count: [X] / 11 recommended

---

Step 5: Content Entity Analysis (NLP)

Entity Extraction from Key Pages

For each key page (homepage + top 3 service pages), paste content into Google Cloud NLP API or InLinks:

# Google Cloud NLP API (free usage)
# Go to: console.cloud.google.com/natural-language
# Analyze Entities → paste page content → view salience scores

For each page, document:

• Key entities found: [entity name | type | salience score 0–1]
• Missing entities: what should be on the page based on topic but isn't?
• Entity sentiment: are key service terms associated with positive sentiment?

Entity Coverage vs. Top Competitors

For each service page, compare entity presence:

Entity	Client Page	Comp 1	Comp 2	Gap?
[Service term]	Present/Missing	✅/❌	✅/❌	Yes/No
[Local area]	Present/Missing	✅/❌	✅/❌	Yes/No
[Key industry term]	Present/Missing	✅/❌	✅/❌	Yes/No
[Regulatory body/certification]	Present/Missing	✅/❌	✅/❌	Yes/No

---

Step 6: E-E-A-T Entity Signals

Google's E-E-A-T assessment is entity-driven — these are measurable signals per page/domain:

Experience & Expertise Signals

Signal	Present?	Location	Quality
Owner/founder named (full name)	✅/❌
Credentials/certifications (specific — not generic)	✅/❌
Team bios with professional backgrounds	✅/❌
Case studies with real project specifics	✅/❌
Years in business prominently stated	✅/❌
License/permit numbers displayed	✅/❌
Person schema with worksFor attribute	✅/❌

Authority Signals

Signal	Present?	Source
Named in local news articles	✅/❌	[Publication names]
Cited as expert on other websites	✅/❌	[Sites]
Industry association memberships (specific orgs)	✅/❌	[Org names]
Awards and recognitions (named, verifiable)	✅/❌
Chamber of Commerce, BBB membership	✅/❌

Trustworthiness

Signal	Present?
Physical address prominently displayed	✅/❌
Multiple contact methods (phone + form + email)	✅/❌
Privacy policy, terms, refund policy	✅/❌
SSL certificate + HSTS	✅/❌
Verified reviews on third-party platforms (Yelp, Google, BBB)	✅/❌

---

Step 7: People Entities (Owner + Team)

For service businesses, key people should be recognized entities — increases E-E-A-T and author trust:

Person	Role	Author Page?	Schema?	LinkedIn Linked?	AI-Searchable?
[Owner name]	Founder/Owner	✅/❌	✅/❌	✅/❌	Yes/No
[Key team member]	[Role]	✅/❌	✅/❌	✅/❌	Yes/No

Person entity schema (add to author pages):

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Person",
  "name": "[Full Name]",
  "jobTitle": "[Title — be specific: 'Master Plumber' not 'Staff']",
  "description": "[Brief bio with credentials, years of experience, specialty]",
  "knowsAbout": ["Drain Cleaning", "Water Heater Installation", "Emergency Plumbing"],
  "worksFor": {
    "@type": "LocalBusiness",
    "@id": "https://domain.com/#business"
  },
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.linkedin.com/in/[handle]/",
    "https://domain.com/team/[name]/"
  ]
}

---

Step 7b: Speakable Schema for AI Assistants

The speakable property (Schema.org) marks content sections that are especially suitable for text-to-speech and AI assistant extraction. Google supports speakable for news articles, and AI assistants (Siri, Gemini, Alexa) use it as a signal for which content to read aloud or extract as voice answers.

When to Use Speakable

• Service pages with clear answer paragraphs
• FAQ pages with concise Q&A pairs
• About page with business description
• Any page with a "definition block" answering "What is [service]?"

Speakable Implementation

Add to Article, WebPage, or FAQPage schema:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "WebPage",
  "name": "[Page Title]",
  "speakable": {
    "@type": "SpeakableSpecification",
    "cssSelector": [".service-intro", ".faq-answer", "#business-description"]
  }
}

Rules for speakable content:

• Keep speakable sections to 2–3 short sentences each
• Use clear, conversational language (avoid jargon without definitions)
• Ensure the section makes sense when read aloud without visual context
• Point CSS selectors at the most citable, answer-rich paragraphs
• Do NOT mark the entire page as speakable — only the best answer blocks

Speakable Audit Checklist

Page	Has Speakable?	CSS Selectors Valid?	Content Voice-Ready?	Priority
Homepage	✅/❌	✅/❌	✅/❌	High
Top service pages (3–5)	✅/❌	✅/❌	✅/❌	High
FAQ page	✅/❌	✅/❌	✅/❌	High
About page	✅/❌	✅/❌	✅/❌	Medium

Effort: 15 min/page. Impact: Improved voice search + AI assistant citation likelihood.

---

Step 8: Topical Entity Associations

Which topics does Google associate this business with? Test:

• Search [Business Name] [service term] → does client appear for this association?
• Search [service term] [city] → does Knowledge Panel reference client?
• Ask ChatGPT: "What is [Business Name] known for?" → does answer match target services?

Target Association	Current Strength	Action
[Business Name] + [primary service]	Strong/Weak/None
[Business Name] + [city]	Strong/Weak/None
[Business Name] + [expertise topic]	Strong/Weak/None

Building topical associations:

1. Publish minimum 25 articles on the target topic cluster (entity co-occurrence accumulates)
2. Add knowsAbout to Organization schema with core topic entities
3. Get mentioned alongside industry terms in authoritative publications (entity co-citation)
4. Use about and mentions schema properties on key pages

---

Priority Matrix

Action	Impact (1–5)	Feasibility (1–5)	Priority	Effort
Add sameAs links to website schema (7+ properties)	5	5	25	30 min
Create Wikidata entity with all attributes	4	4	16	2–4 hrs
Fix inconsistent business name across platforms	4	4	16	2–3 hrs
Add most-specific @type to LocalBusiness schema	3	5	15	15 min
Add Person schema for owner + link LinkedIn	4	4	16	1–2 hrs
Add knowsAbout to Organization schema	4	5	20	30 min
Create author pages for key team members	3	4	12	2–4 hrs
Earn mentions on authoritative local sites	5	3	15	4–8 hrs/mention
Add speakable schema to key answer sections	3	5	15	15 min/page
Create YouTube channel + 3 educational videos	5	3	15	8–16 hrs
Build Reddit presence in relevant subreddits	4	4	16	2 hrs/week ongoing

---

Scoring

Category	Weight	Score
Knowledge Panel / entity recognition	25%	/25
sameAs completeness (7+ = ✅, 10+ = ✅✅)	20%	/20
Attribute consistency across platforms	20%	/20
E-E-A-T entity signals (experience, authority, trust)	20%	/20
Content entity coverage vs. competitors (NLP gap)	15%	/15

---

Output

Write to {AUDIT_DIR}/entity-findings.md with YAML frontmatter:

---
skill: local/entity-audit
phase: 9
date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
business: [Business Name]
url: [URL]
score: [X/100]
knowledge_panel: [present|partial|missing]
same_as_count: [X]
wikidata_entity: [yes|no|Q-number]
---

Include:

• Score X/100 with per-category breakdown
• Entity recognition status (Knowledge Panel + AI assistant tests)
• sameAs connection inventory (present vs. missing, priority-ranked)
• Attribute consistency gaps table (all platforms)
• NLP entity analysis (salience gaps vs. top competitors)
• E-E-A-T entity signals checklist (all 3 dimensions)
• People entity status (owner, team schema)
• Topical entity association strength per target topic
• Priority matrix (all actions, Impact × Feasibility scored)
• 30/90/180-day entity optimization roadmap

Output files:

• {AUDIT_DIR}/entity-findings.md — entity audit with score and schema gap list
• {REPORTS_DIR}/phase-9-entity-audit.pdf — auto-generated PDF after phase completes

Key consumers:

• local/brand-serp — Knowledge Panel and sameAs directly feed brand SERP
• local/local-seo — entity signals strengthen GBP and local pack
• output/report-generation — entity score in master report section 9

---

Entity Optimization Quick Reference

sameAs Source Priority Table (AI Visibility Ranked)

Brand mentions correlate 3× more strongly with AI visibility than backlinks (Ahrefs Dec 2025, 75K brands). The sameAs priority order below is ranked by AI citation impact, not just traditional SEO value:

Source	Entity Signal	AI Citation Impact	Effort	Priority
Google Business Profile (verified)	Critical (primary entity)	High — feeds AIO + Gemini directly	30 min	25 (5×5)
Wikidata Q-ID	High (KG direct pathway)	Critical — ChatGPT cites Wikidata entities 3× more	1–2 hrs	25 (5×5)
YouTube Channel	High (AI citation signal)	Highest correlation (0.737) with AI citations	1–2 hrs	20 (5×4)
Wikipedia article	High (if business qualifies)	Highest — 47.9% of ChatGPT citations from Wikipedia	4–8 hrs	20 (5×4)
LinkedIn Company Page	High (E-E-A-T, B2B)	Moderate — weighted by Copilot (Bing/Microsoft ecosystem)	30 min	16 (4×4)
Facebook Business Page	High (local trust)	Low–Moderate — Meta AI integration growing	30 min	16 (4×4)
Yelp Business Listing	High (local NAP citation)	Medium — cited by ChatGPT/Perplexity for reviews	15 min	16 (4×4)
Reddit presence	Medium (community signal)	High — Perplexity sources 46.7% from Reddit	Ongoing	16 (4×4)
BBB Accreditation	Medium (trust signal)	Low–Medium	1–2 hrs	12 (4×3)
Industry association directory	Medium (topical entity)	Low	30 min	12 (4×3)
Chamber of Commerce	Medium (local trust)	Low	30 min	12 (3×4)

GBP 2025 Entity Signals

GBP is the #1 entity signal for local businesses (Whitespark 2024). For maximum entity recognition:

• Primary category must match your core service (plumber → "Plumber", not "Contractor")
• Add all relevant secondary categories (5+ where applicable)
• Enable Q&A — unanswered questions weaken entity completeness
• Add service menu with prices — Google uses service data for Knowledge Panel display
• Enable Google Reserve/Booking if applicable — feeds into entity completeness score

INP + Entity Note

Entity strength affects Knowledge Panel display which appears for branded searches. Better entity recognition → stronger branded SERP → higher branded CTR. INP <200ms is required for all pages with entity schema to be fully crawled and processed.