{"id":14408,"date":"2025-10-15T16:51:41","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T16:51:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T16:51:41","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T16:51:41","slug":"entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search\/","title":{"rendered":"Entity SEO in the Age of AI Search"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Websites have been the foundation of SEO strategy for 20-odd years.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s changing with <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/ai-search-strategy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AI search<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>When someone asks ChatGPT for a product in your category, it doesn\u2019t always crawl websites in real-time.<\/p>\n<p>Its first move is to pull from what it already knows about you and your competitors from its existing knowledge.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Entity SEO in the Age of AI Search\" alt=\"Entity SEO in the Age of AI Search\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.69\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Clear and recognizable entities in AI training data<\/strong> are just as important as having the most authoritative and optimized website.<\/p>\n<p>This shift means your webpage might rank #1 in classic search, but if your brand isn\u2019t well-structured for entities, AI might overlook you entirely in the answer.<\/p>\n<p>The rules we\u2019ve relied on for decades don\u2019t fully apply when machines create answers. They draw on their own knowledge and real-time data from sites, including yours.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re about to learn what this means, why it matters, and what you can do about it.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search\/#What_Are_Entities_in_AI_Search\" >What Are Entities in AI Search?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search\/#Why_Entities_Matter_More_Than_Websites\" >Why Entities Matter More Than Websites<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search\/#How_Entities_Get_Recognized\" >How Entities Get Recognized<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search\/#Entity_Databases_and_Product_Catalogs\" >Entity Databases and Product Catalogs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search\/#Human_Conversation_as_Training_Data\" >Human Conversation as Training Data<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search\/#Multimodal_Recognition\" >Multimodal Recognition<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search\/#The_New_SEO_Power_Dynamic\" >The New SEO Power Dynamic<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search\/#5_Ways_to_Optimize_Your_Brand_for_Entities_Not_Just_a_Website\" >5 Ways to Optimize Your Brand for Entities (Not Just a Website)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search\/#1_Assess_Your_Entity_Foundation\" >1. Assess Your Entity Foundation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search\/#2_Test_Query_Decomposition\" >2. Test Query Decomposition<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search\/#3_Map_Competitive_Entity_Relationships\" >3. Map Competitive Entity Relationships<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search\/#4_Optimize_For_Entities_in_Your_Content\" >4. Optimize For Entities in Your Content<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search\/#5_Build_Strategic_Co-Citations\" >5. Build Strategic Co-Citations<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search\/#Moving_Forward_with_Entity_SEO\" >Moving Forward with Entity SEO<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_Entities_in_AI_Search\"><\/span>What Are Entities in AI Search?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>An entity is a \u201cthing\u201d that search engines and AI models can recognize, understand, and connect to other things.<\/p>\n<p>Think of entities as the building blocks that AI uses to construct answers. In other words, gigantic relational databases.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s use email marketing company Omnisend as an example.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Omnisend \u2013 Homepage\" alt=\"Omnisend \u2013 Homepage\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.99857142857143\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/omnisend-homepage.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Through the lens of a database, Omnisend isn\u2019t just a website with pages about email marketing. It\u2019s a network of connected entities:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The brand itself:<\/strong> Omnisend<\/li>\n<li><strong>Products:<\/strong> Omnisend Email &amp; SMS Marketing Platform<\/li>\n<li><strong>People:<\/strong> Rytis Lauris (co-founder)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Features:<\/strong> automation workflows, Shopify integration, SMS campaigns<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use cases:<\/strong> \u201cwelcome series,\u201d \u201cabandoned cart recovery\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here\u2019s what the entities look (hypothetically ) like to a large language model (LLM):<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Entities in AI Search\" alt=\"Entities in AI Search\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.0314285714286\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/entities-in-ai-search.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>These records become the foundation for AI answers.<\/p>\n<p>LLMs do more than just find keywords on your page. They also retrieve entities, place them in vector space, and choose the ones that best answer your question.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-quote alert blue-box font-georgia type-normal transparent-img-bg\">\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-sm-down\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-note.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">        <\/figure>\n<div class=\"media-body\">\n<blockquote class=\"sc-quote\">\n<p><strong>Vector space explained:<\/strong> It\u2019s a mathematical method that AI models use to understand relationships between concepts. Imagine a 3D map where similar items group together. For example, \u201cApple,\u201d the company, is close to \u201ciPhone\u201d and \u201cTim Cook.\u201d Meanwhile, \u201capple,\u201d the fruit, is near \u201cbanana\u201d and \u201corchard.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"How Vector Space Determines Relationships\" alt=\"How Vector Space Determines Relationships\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.62571428571429\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/how-vector-space-determines-relationships.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-md-up\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-note.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">                <\/figure>\n<p>                                <cite class=\"sc-name media-body media-middle\"><br \/>\n                                    <\/cite>\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>For example, ask Google: \u201cWhat\u2019s the best email marketing tool for my Shopify store?\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Google SERP \u2013 Best email marketing tool\" alt=\"Google SERP \u2013 Best email marketing tool\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.4614285714286\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/google-serp-best-email-marketing-tool.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>You\u2019ll see brand entities like Klaviyo, Omnisend, Brevo, Mailchimp, Privy, and MailerLite mentioned. This makes sense because the entities are closely related in the AI\u2019s understanding.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-quote alert blue-box font-georgia type-normal transparent-img-bg\">\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-sm-down\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-note.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">        <\/figure>\n<div class=\"media-body\">\n<blockquote class=\"sc-quote\">\n<p><strong>Notice:<\/strong> the brand mentions aren\u2019t linked to the websites. It\u2019s just building the answer and then linking to the brand SERP on Google.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-md-up\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-note.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">                <\/figure>\n<p>                                <cite class=\"sc-name media-body media-middle\"><br \/>\n                                    <\/cite>\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Entities_Matter_More_Than_Websites\"><\/span>Why Entities Matter More Than Websites<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>AI models are constantly mapping relationships between entities when serving up answers.<\/p>\n<p>When someone types \u201cbest email marketing tool for Shopify,\u201d LLMs spread out the query. They turn that one question into multiple related searches.<\/p>\n<p>Think of AI doing lots of Google searches at the same time.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"How AI Expands Your Query\" alt=\"How AI Expands Your Query\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.57571428571429\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/how-ai-expands-your-query.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>The system simultaneously explores \u201cWhat integrates with Shopify?\u201d, \u201cWhich tools handle abandoned carts?\u201d and \u201cWhat do ecommerce stores actually use?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Your brand can appear through any of these paths, even if you didn\u2019t optimize for the original query.<\/p>\n<p>Classic SEO relied a lot on <a title=\"What is Keyword Stuffing? How to Avoid Doing SEO Like It&#039;s 2005\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/keyword-stuffing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">keyword density<\/a> and page authority.<\/p>\n<p>But AI uses dense retrieval, where it\u2019s looking for semantic meaning across the web, not just word matches on your page.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-quote alert blue-box font-georgia type-normal transparent-img-bg\">\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-sm-down\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-note.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">        <\/figure>\n<div class=\"media-body\">\n<blockquote class=\"sc-quote\">\n<p><strong>Dense retrieval explained:<\/strong> AI systems focus on meaning, not just exact keywords. They find related content, even if different words are used.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Keyword Matching vs. Dense Retrieval\" alt=\"Keyword Matching vs. Dense Retrieval\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.68285714285714\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/keyword-matching-vs-dense-retrieval.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-md-up\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-note.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">                <\/figure>\n<p>                                <cite class=\"sc-name media-body media-middle\"><br \/>\n                                    <\/cite>\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>A Reddit comment that clearly explains \u201cWe switched from Klaviyo to Omnisend because the Shopify integration actually works\u201d carries more signal (assuming the model prioritizes authentic discussions) than a page stuffed with \u201cbest email marketing Shopify\u201d keywords.<\/p>\n<p>The AI understands the relationship between the entities (Klaviyo, Omnisend, Shopify) and the context (switching, integration quality).<\/p>\n<p>PR folks have been fighting for this moment: mentions without links still count.<\/p>\n<p>For the longest time, we\u2019ve obsessed over backlinks as the currency of SEO.<\/p>\n<p>But AI systems recognize when brands get mentioned alongside relevant topics, using these as relationship signals.<\/p>\n<p>So when Patagonia appears in climate articles without a hyperlink, when Notion shows up in productivity discussions on Reddit, when your brand gets name-dropped in a podcast transcript \u2014 these all strengthen your entity in AI\u2019s understanding.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"AI Understanding of OMNISEND\" alt=\"AI Understanding of OMNISEND\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.57571428571429\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ai-understanding-of-omnisend.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Here\u2019s a real example that clarified this for me:<\/p>\n<p>Microsoft OneNote often shows up high in AI recommendations for \u201cnote-taking tools.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In ChatGPT:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"ChatGPT \u2013  Note-taking tools\" alt=\"ChatGPT \u2013 Note-taking tools\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.85428571428571\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chatgpt-note-taking-tools.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>In Perplexity:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Perplexity \u2013 Note-taking tools\" alt=\"Perplexity \u2013 Note-taking tools\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.2328571428571\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/perplexity-note-taking-tools.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>And in Google AI Overviews:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Google SERP \u2013 Note-taking tools\" alt=\"Google SERP \u2013 Note-taking tools\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.7757142857143\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/google-serp-note-taking-tools.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>But EverNote dominates Google\u2019s number one ranking spot for \u201cnote taking tools\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n<p>OneNote\u2019s integration with the Microsoft ecosystem means it gets mentioned constantly in productivity discussions, enterprise software comparisons, and Office tutorials. This creates dense entity relationships in AI training data.<\/p>\n<p>Evernote, by contrast, has focused on SEO and earned strong backlinks that dominate traditional search rankings.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Entities_Get_Recognized\"><\/span>How Entities Get Recognized<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>So how does Google (and other AI systems) actually know that Omnisend is an email marketing platform and not, say, a meditation app?<\/p>\n<p>The answer sits at the intersection of structured data, human conversation, and pattern recognition\u2026at massive scale.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Entity_Databases_and_Product_Catalogs\"><\/span>Entity Databases and Product Catalogs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Google maintains what they call Knowledge Graphs and Shopping Graphs.<\/p>\n<p>Other AI systems have similar entity databases, just with different names.<\/p>\n<p>The idea is the same: huge databases that map every product, company, and person along with their attributes and relationships.<\/p>\n<p>When Nike releases the Pegasus 41, it doesn\u2019t just become a new product page on Nike.com. It becomes an entity in Google\u2019s Shopping Graph, connected to \u201crunning shoes,\u201d \u201cNike,\u201d \u201cmarathon training,\u201d and hundreds of other nodes.<\/p>\n<p>The system knows it\u2019s a shoe before anyone optimizes a single keyword.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Nike Pegasus 41 in Google\u2019s Knowledge Graph\" alt=\"Nike Pegasus 41 in Google's Knowledge Graph\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.67857142857143\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/nike-pegasus-41-in-googles-knowledge-graph.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Human_Conversation_as_Training_Data\"><\/span>Human Conversation as Training Data<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>AI systems learn just as much from informal mentions as they do from structured markup.<\/p>\n<p>When an Outdoor Gear Lab review casually mentions testing Patagonia\u2019s Torrentshell 3L against the expensive Arc\u2019teryx Beta SL, that relationship gets encoded.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Outdoor Gear Lab \u2013 Best Overall Rain Jacket\" alt=\"Outdoor Gear Lab \u2013 Best Overall Rain Jacket\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.48\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/outdoorgearlab-best-overall-rain-jacket.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>When a podcast guest says, \u201cI moved from Asana to Notion for task and project management,\u201d this competitive link adds to the training data.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Free Time \u2013 Podcast guest\" alt=\"Free Time \u2013 Podcast guest\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.92857142857143\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/free-time-podcast-guest.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Reddit and Quora have become unexpectedly powerful for entity recognition. (Google explicitly stated they\u2019re prioritizing \u201cauthentic discussion forums\u201d in their ranking systems.)<\/p>\n<p>A single comment on why someone picked Obsidian over Notion for knowledge management matters more than you might realize.<\/p>\n<p>These platforms capture what websites struggle to do: real people sharing real decisions with real context.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Google SERP \u2013 Obsidian or Notion\" alt=\"Google SERP \u2013 Obsidian or Notion\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.6842857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/google-serp-obsidian-or-notion.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Multimodal_Recognition\"><\/span>Multimodal Recognition<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>AI systems extract entities from audio and video. They do this by turning speech into text through transcription.<\/p>\n<p>Every mention in a transcript, every product on screen, and every comparison in a talking-head segment is processed.<\/p>\n<p>A 10-minute YouTube review of project management tools turns into structured data that compares ClickUp, Notion, and Asana. It includes feature comparisons and maps out use cases.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"YouTube \u2013 Best project management software\" alt=\"YouTube \u2013 Best project management software\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.83\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/youtube-best-project-management-software.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_New_SEO_Power_Dynamic\"><\/span>The New SEO Power Dynamic<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You can\u2019t game entity recognition the way you could game PageRank.<\/p>\n<p>You can\u2019t manufacture authentic Reddit discussions. You can\u2019t fake your way into natural podcast mentions. The system rewards genuine presence in genuine conversations, not optimized anchor text.<\/p>\n<p>Think about what this means:<\/p>\n<p>Your engineering team\u2019s conference talk that mentions your product\u2019s architecture? That\u2019s entity building.<\/p>\n<p>Your customer\u2019s YouTube walkthrough of their workflow? Entity building.<\/p>\n<p>That heated Hacker News thread where someone defends your approach to data privacy? Entity building.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve spent the longest time optimizing for robots. Now the robots are optimized to recognize authentic human discussion. (Ironic.)<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Ways_to_Optimize_Your_Brand_for_Entities_Not_Just_a_Website\"><\/span>5 Ways to Optimize Your Brand for Entities (Not Just a Website)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Using Omnisend as an example, here are five approaches for evaluating and optimizing entity presence in AI-powered search results.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Assess_Your_Entity_Foundation\"><\/span>1. Assess Your Entity Foundation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>To start, you need a baseline understanding of your current entity relationships.<\/p>\n<p>For Omnisend, this means mapping how AI systems currently categorize them relative to competitors.<\/p>\n<p>Begin by verifying schema markup across key pages.<\/p>\n<p>Testing Omnisend\u2019s homepage with the <a title=\"Schema Markup Validator\" href=\"https:\/\/validator.schema.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Schema Markup Validator<\/a> shows they use Organization and VideoObject schema.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Schema Markup Validator \u2013 Omnisend\u2019s homepage\" alt=\"Schema Markup Validator \u2013 Omnisend's homepage\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.0014285714286\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/schema-markup-validator-omnisends-homepage.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>And the Organization schema is relatively basic.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Schema Markup Validator \u2013 Omnisend \u2013 Organization\" alt=\"Schema Markup Validator \u2013 Omnisend \u2013 Organization\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.2442857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/schema-markup-validator-omnisend-organization.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Omnisends competitor, Klaviyo, uses Organization schema as a container for multiple software offerings.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Schema Markup Validator \u2013 Klaviyo \u2013 Organization\" alt=\"Schema Markup Validator \u2013 Klaviyo \u2013 Organization\" data-aspect-ratio=\"2.3957142857143\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/schema-markup-validator-klaviyo-organization.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Klaviyo\u2019s approach maintains brand-level authority while declaring specific software categories and capabilities. This potentially gives them stronger entity associations for queries about email marketing, SMS marketing, and marketing automation.<\/p>\n<p>Next, check your entity presence in major knowledge sources like Wikidata and Crunchbase.<\/p>\n<p>On Wikidata, Omnisend\u2019s records are OKAY.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s basic info, like what Omnisend does, the industry, inception date, URL, and social media profiles.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Wikidata \u2013 Omnisend\" alt=\"Wikidata \u2013 Omnisend\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.8657142857143\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wikidata-omnisend.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>But Klaviyo, again, is all over it. They have multiple properties for industry, entity type, URLs, offerings, and even partnerships.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"wikidata-klaviyo\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.8942857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wikidata-klaviyo.png\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>There\u2019s a clear opportunity for Omnisend to update its Wikidata with more details.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Test_Query_Decomposition\"><\/span>2. Test Query Decomposition<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>AI systems break down queries into entities and relationships. Then, they may try multiple retrievals.<\/p>\n<p>For example, in Google Chrome, I prompted ChatGPT:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s the best email marketing tool for ecommerce in 2025? My priority is deliverability.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the chat URL, copy the alphanumeric sequence after the \/c\/ directory. For me, it was 68d4e99e-4818-8332-adbd-efab286f4007.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-quote alert blue-box font-georgia type-normal transparent-img-bg\">\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-sm-down\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-note.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">        <\/figure>\n<div class=\"media-body\">\n<blockquote class=\"sc-quote\">\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> You need to be logged into ChatGPT to get this sequence<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-md-up\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-note.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">                <\/figure>\n<p>                                <cite class=\"sc-name media-body media-middle\"><br \/>\n                                    <\/cite>\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"ChatGPT \u2013 URL\" alt=\"ChatGPT \u2013 URL\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.49571428571429\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chatgpt-url.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Right-click on the page and click \u201c<strong>Inspect<\/strong>\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"ChatGPT \u2013  Best email marketing tool for ecommerce \u2013 Inspect\" alt=\"ChatGPT \u2013 Best email marketing tool for ecommerce \u2013 Inspect\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.80142857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chatgpt-best-email-marketing-tool-for-ecommerce-inspect.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Choose the \u201c<strong>Network<\/strong>\u201d tab, paste the alphanumeric sequence in the filter field, and reload the page.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"ChatGPT \u2013  Inspect alphanumeric sequence\" alt=\"ChatGPT \u2013 Inspect alphanumeric sequence\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.47714285714286\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chatgpt-inspect-alphanumeric-sequence.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>In the \u201c<strong>Find<\/strong>\u201d section, search for \u201c<strong>search_model_queries<\/strong>\u201c. Then, click on the search results.<\/p>\n<p>The first decomposed queries are:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\u201c2025 email deliverability test ecommerce ESP Klaviyo Omnisend Drip 2024 2025\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cEmailToolTester deliverability test 2024 results Klaviyo Omnisend\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cKlaviyo deliverability benchmark 2024 ecommerce\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"ChatGPT \u2013  Search model queries\" alt=\"ChatGPT \u2013 Search model queries\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.58\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chatgpt-search-model-queries.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>And the second set is:<\/p>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li>\u201cValidity crisis of deliverability 2025 benchmark report inbox placement\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cBenchmark inbox placement 2025 ESP comparison seed tests\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"ChatGPT \u2013  Decomposed queries\" alt=\"ChatGPT \u2013 Decomposed queries\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.59142857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chatgpt-decomposed-queries.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Each decomposed query represents a different competitive pathway.<\/p>\n<p>Omnisend might surface through deliverability discussions, but miss general tool comparisons.<\/p>\n<p>Mailchimp could dominate broad searches while competitors own specialized angles.<\/p>\n<p>This explains why you appear in AI answers for searches you never optimized for. The semantic understanding creates visibility through unexpected entity relationships rather than keyword matching.<\/p>\n<p>You can check this yourself. Run the extracted queries in separate chats and note which brands appear where.<\/p>\n<p>But maybe don\u2019t build a strategy around exploiting this technique.<\/p>\n<p>The methodology depends on undocumented functionality that OpenAI could change without notice.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-quote alert blue-box font-georgia type-normal transparent-img-bg\">\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-sm-down\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-note.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">        <\/figure>\n<div class=\"media-body\">\n<blockquote class=\"sc-quote\">\n<p><strong>Important finding:<\/strong> Simple queries produce simple results. When I prompted \u201cBest email marketing tool for ecommerce,\u201d it triggered exactly one internal search with basically the same language. No decomposition.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"ChatGPT \u2013  Simple queries produce simple results\" alt=\"ChatGPT \u2013 Simple queries produce simple results\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.84571428571429\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chatgpt-simple-queries-produce-simple-results.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-md-up\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-note.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">                <\/figure>\n<p>                                <cite class=\"sc-name media-body media-middle\"><br \/>\n                                    <\/cite>\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Map_Competitive_Entity_Relationships\"><\/span>3. Map Competitive Entity Relationships<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Traditional SEO competitive analysis asks \u201cWho ranks for our keywords?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Entity analysis asks \u201cWhen do AI systems group us together?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I tested this with Omnisend to understand when they appear alongside different competitors.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Co-Citation Testing Tracker\" alt=\"Co-Citation Testing Tracker\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.7642857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/co-citation-testing-tracker.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>I ran 15 variations of email marketing queries through Google AI Mode to see which brands consistently appear together.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-quote alert blue-box font-georgia type-normal transparent-img-bg\">\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-sm-down\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-note.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">        <\/figure>\n<div class=\"media-body\">\n<blockquote class=\"sc-quote\">\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> I tested logged out, using a VPN set to San Francisco, in private browsing mode to minimize personalization bias.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-md-up\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-note.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">                <\/figure>\n<p>                                <cite class=\"sc-name media-body media-middle\"><br \/>\n                                    <\/cite>\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>I began with simple terms like \u201cbest email marketing for ecommerce\u201d and \u201cabandoned cart recovery tools.\u201d Then, I tried different angles like \u201cemail automation for Shopify stores.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what I found:<\/p>\n<div class=\"table-responsive\">\n<table class=\"table table-primary table-striped table-hover\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"col\">Query Context<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Omnisend Present<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Most Co-Mentioned<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Klaviyo Present<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"Query Context\">Ecommerce email<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Omnisend Present\">5\/5 queries<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Most Co-Mentioned\">Klaviyo, Mailchimp<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Klaviyo Present\">4\/5 queries<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"Query Context\">General email<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Omnisend Present\">5\/5 queries<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Most Co-Mentioned\">Mailchimp, Brevo<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Klaviyo Present\">2\/5 queries<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"Query Context\">Deliverability focus<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Omnisend Present\">2\/5 queries<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Most Co-Mentioned\">Brevo, Mailchimp<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Klaviyo Present\">0\/5 queries<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>Omnisend appeared in 12 of 15 total queries \u2014 stronger entity presence than I expected.<\/p>\n<p>But mentions shifted dramatically by context.<\/p>\n<p>In ecommerce discussions, Klaviyo dominated as the top tool.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"ChatGPT \u2013  Best email automation for ecommerce businesses\" alt=\"ChatGPT \u2013 Best email automation for ecommerce businesses\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.4614285714286\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chatgpt-best-email-automation-for-ecommerce-businesses.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>In general email marketing, Mailchimp took over as the main reference point.<\/p>\n<p>The mention order revealed something important. Klaviyo appeared first in 5 of 5 ecommerce queries, with more positive language around their positioning.<\/p>\n<p>Omnisend routinely ranked second or third. This suggests they\u2019re part of the discussion but not at the forefront.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what\u2019s interesting:<\/p>\n<p>Klaviyo completely disappeared from deliverability-focused queries while Omnisend maintained some presence.<\/p>\n<p>This shows entity relationships are radically contextual.<\/p>\n<p>Being the leader in ecommerce email doesn\u2019t mean presence in deliverability conversations.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Optimize_For_Entities_in_Your_Content\"><\/span>4. Optimize For Entities in Your Content<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Entity recognition works best when it has context-rich passages. This helps AI systems extract and understand information more easily.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-embed-youtube embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 w-75-md-up\"><\/div>\n<p>Take generic descriptions like \u201c<em>Our automation features help ecommerce businesses increase revenue through targeted campaigns<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>An AI system may struggle to identify which product you mean, its automation features, or how it compares to others.<\/p>\n<p>Compare that to: \u201c<em>Omnisend\u2019s SMS automation integrates with Shopify\u2019s abandoned cart data to trigger personalized recovery messages within 2 hours of cart abandonment, without requiring manual workflow setup<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This version establishes multiple entity relationships (Omnisend \u2192 SMS automation \u2192 Shopify integration \u2192 abandoned cart recovery) within a single extractable passage.<\/p>\n<p>LLMs prefer to use their training data for answers. But when they pull info from the web, strong entity connections help a lot.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re reducing friction for both bots and human readers.<\/p>\n<p>As a test, run key passages from your most important pages through Google\u2019s <a title=\"Cloud Natural Language\" href=\"https:\/\/cloud.google.com\/natural-language\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Natural Language API<\/a> to see what entities get recognized. This can also be video scripts.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Google \u2013 Natural Language API\" alt=\"Google \u2013 Natural Language API\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.89142857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/google-natural-language-api.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Content with strong entity density tends to get cited more often than content requiring additional context.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Build_Strategic_Co-Citations\"><\/span>5. Build Strategic Co-Citations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Entity authority builds through consistent mention alongside relevant entities in trusted sources. This moves the focus from link building to building relationships where natural comparisons happen.<\/p>\n<p>For Omnisend, this means being present in authentic discussions. It\u2019s about genuine comparisons, not forced mentions, that strengthen specific relationships.<\/p>\n<p>A Reddit thread comparing \u201cKlaviyo vs Omnisend for Shopify stores\u201d carries a different entity weight than appearing in generic \u201cemail marketing tools\u201d content.<\/p>\n<p>The specific context (Shopify integration) strengthens both brands\u2019 association with ecommerce email marketing.<\/p>\n<p>The most valuable co-citations happen in:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Reddit discussions comparing tools for specific use cases<\/li>\n<li>YouTube reviews demonstrating multiple platforms<\/li>\n<li>Industry roundups grouping tools by specialization<\/li>\n<li>Podcast discussions of marketing technology stacks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Reddit thread \u2013 Strategic co-citation\" alt=\"Reddit thread \u2013 Strategic co-citation\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.5542857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/reddit-thread-strategic-co-citation.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>This Reddit thread shows strategic co-citation in action. The original post creates dense entity relationships (Klaviyo \u2192 Omnisend \u2192 pricing \u2192 Shopify store). While the comment adds even more context (pricing concerns \u2192 business scaling \u2192 \u201cpretty good\u201d user experience).<\/p>\n<p>The discussion goes way beyond optimized content. It\u2019s genuine decision-making that strengthens both brands\u2019 entity associations with ecommerce email marketing.<\/p>\n<p>This approach emphasizes genuine participation. Your category is discussed and evaluated by actual users who make real decisions. This is better than having artificial mentions in content made mainly for search engines.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Moving_Forward_with_Entity_SEO\"><\/span>Moving Forward with Entity SEO<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019ve built a strong brand across various channels, you\u2019ve laid the foundation.<\/p>\n<p>Quality SEO is still crucial.<\/p>\n<p>Genuine mentions in industry talks, real customer chats, and multi-channel distribution matter too.<\/p>\n<p>Begin with your key product line. Organize it well, track its appearances in AI responses, and then expand to other entities.<\/p>\n<p>For more on succeeding in AI-powered search, check out our complete <a title=\"AI Search Strategy: The Seen &amp; Trusted Brand Framework\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/ai-search-strategy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AI search strategy guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/entity-seo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Entity SEO in the Age of AI Search<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Backlinko<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Websites have been the foundation of SEO strategy for 20-odd years. That\u2019s changing with AI search. When someone asks ChatGPT for a product in your category, it doesn\u2019t always crawl websites in real-time. Its first move is to pull from what it already knows about you and your competitors from its existing knowledge. Clear and recognizable entities in AI training data are just as important as having the most authoritative and optimized website. This shift means your webpage might rank #1 in classic search, but if [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14409,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-backlinko"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search-eQ2mLC-600x400.png","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/entity-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-search-eQ2mLC-600x600.png","author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/craig\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14408"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14408\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}