5 Must-Know Strategies for Mastering Entity Optimization

When it comes to SEO, ranking isn’t about keywords anymore - it’s about entities: unique, defined, and connected concepts that search engines catalog in their knowledge systems. But how do you turn your site into a resource worth recognizing, citing, and retrieving?

In this session, Grant Simmons uses a team of unexpected superheroes - DC’s the Justice League - as metaphors to break down the essential pillars of entity-driven SEO. Just as each member brings their unique skills to the fight, each optimization tactic plays a role in building topical authority and visibility.

After this session, you’ll be able to:

Define and target entities with precision.

Leverage schema and structured data.

Strengthen internal linking.

Create content that sparks recognition.

Ensure your site is crawlable and accessible

Whether you’re an SEO looking to sharpen your entity strategy or a marketer aiming to future-proof your visibility in AI-driven search, this session will help you transform your site into a force strong enough to take on Lex Luthor himself.

Transcript

1. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague 5 Must-Know Tactics for Mastering Entity Optimization Bringing a Little Justice to SEO in the Age of AI
2. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Why Entities Matter Now.
3. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Beyond Keywords. (Since 2012)
4. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague (Today) Search Has Three Audiences Traditional Search Engines AI Overviews/LLMs Dual Optimization. Humans
5. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Mostly Google J Traditional Search Engines
6. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague But Every CEO / CMO is Talking About AI.
7. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague So We Should give Some Context.
8. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Google (and SEO) shifted from strings to things in 2012 • Google leverages entities to understand queries / content • AI Overviews use entity graphs to retrieve facts, not complete page content. • Relevance & context are king Google Understands Entities Brand Topics Connections Context Relevance Relationships Reputation
9. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Crawlability is important • Indexation is important • Content is important • Structure is important • Page layout is important • Links are important • Performance is important • Ahem… SEO is important So, if Google is (Still) Important
10. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague And THAT’S Why Entities Are Important.
11. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Entity SEO Mastery: What We’ll Learn.
12. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague 1. Batman – Clarify 2. Wonder Woman – Define 3. Aquaman – Context 4. Flash – Coverage 5. Cyborg – Data Our SEO Superheroes CLARIFY DATA COVERAGE DEFINE CONTEXT
13. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Lots to Download. We’ll Need to be Quick.
14. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Batman (Clarity + Crawlability)
15. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Bat: One Word, Many Meanings CLARITY
16. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Search engines face the same confusion when your content lacks clarity • Always define context early: page titles, headings, and schema (next hero) • Moot if you can’t be crawled Bat: What Do You Mean?
17. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague If search engines & LLMs can’t crawl it or understand it, it can’t know what kind of Bat you are. (Bat person?) • SEO best practices • *Better* practices for LLMs • Check for LLM blockers (Cloudflare / robots.txt) • Server-side render for JavaScript • Noindex etc. Crime Fighting
18. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Thing: Animal “Bat species in caves” vs. Thing: Sports Equipment “Best baseball bats for power hitters.” Clarify the Entity, Not Keyword
19. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • LLMs and Knowledge Graphs may still misinterpret • Test your pages in: • Google NLP API • Ask an LLM (grounded search) • InLinks Entity Analysis J • Confirm the entities extracted match intent Add a Human (Bat) in the Loop
20. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Descriptive headings (i.e. “Baseball Bat Size Guide”) • Define clearly (i.e. “species of microchiroptera”) • State the obvious. No really. • Use sameAs to relevant entity URLs (e.g. Wikipedia) • Cross-link related pages for context Batman’s Utility Belt
21. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague But… Batman is Batman, doh
22. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague sameAs “Bat” + “Batman” Learn about sameAs >
23. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Audit with Screaming Frog / Sitebulb • Check robots.txt, canonicals, and hreflang tags • Ensure key content is HTML-rendered • Use structured data, on-page cues • Include consistent co-occurrences Bat-Checklist
24. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Scan It! Learn about sameAs >
25. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Wonder Woman (Define & Refine)
26. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague I Cannot Lie (Lasso of Truth)
27. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Not Just sameAs Define & Refine Using Schema & Structured Data
28. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Not Just Wiki sameAs!
29. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Don’t have a Wikipedia page (for you or your products / services / key differentiators?) Link to trusted sources • Business: LinkedIn, Crunchbase, etc. profiles • Medical: Link to CDC definitions • Financial: Link to FTC definitions • Your vertical: Unique and cataloged entities sameAs Schema Defines You
30. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Schema = your lasso of truth. It defines (and refines) the meaning of you and your content, so machines know exactly who, what, where you are • Organization, Product, Person, Place - start there before (more complex) nested markup • It can get *really* complex. Start small Truth Through Transparency
31. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Schema = Helps define and refine associated images, videos etc. • Can potentially improve display (and CTR) in rich results (should LLMs and Google choose to display) Visual Improvement
32. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Schema builders • technicalseo.com | classyschema.org • Ask LLMs – verify and validate • I interrogate the crap* out of different models • Platform (WordPress/Shopify) plugins • I prefer JSON-LD blocks (easier to troubleshoot) • Validate with Schema.org Tester How / What to Implement *Very technical term
33. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Target Most Important Schema Based on Business
34. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Google Rich-results • Schema.org • Google Search Console > Validate/Monitor Your Schema
35. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Definitively YES (though feel free to debate!) • Remember… Google uses schema • Most LLMs use Google for grounded searches • Not all retrieval (training data) “sees” schema • Your schema should be in place & crawlable • LLMs use schema when they can “see” it Do LLMs Use Schema?
36. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Audit existing markup • Add missing connections (sameAs) • Add simplest schema first • Research “best” schema for your vertical • Add incrementally. Test. • Track in GSC Enhancements Wonder Woman Checklist
37. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Entities: Show Up “Better” & For More Relevant Queries
38. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Aquaman (Context)
39. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Connect the Dots (for Search Engines)
40. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Knowledge Graphs • “Purposeful expertise” • Covering relevant attributes of topics • Including contextual entities • “Topical Coverage” Context & Connections - Graphs Graph Visual by InLinks
41. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Internal links with contextual anchors channel relevance through your site. • Clusters around “nodes” for topics / entities Authority Flows Like Water Site Visualization by Sitebulb
42. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Cluster pages around primary entities Justice League [sub-entity] Build Topic Clusters Clustering by InLinks
43. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Create Connections (Link Graph) CONTEXT
44. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague This may seem obvious, but the following are not good internal anchor text examples: “Click Here” “Read More” “Download Now” Use Relevant (Obvious) Anchor Text
45. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Anchor texts provides real context of the relationships i.e. • Father • Atlantic • Justice League Use Relevant (Obvious) Anchor Text
46. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Dragging out the aquatic references? J Model states (simply) all links are not created equal. Links more likely to get clicked have more weight. Holds for LLMs too… “earlier” links in content would be recognized as more likely to be valuable, therefore (extrapolating) more likely to surface in LLM results. (Plus, LLMs don’t look at the whole page) Reasonable Surfer Model (Patent)
47. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Same holds true for inbound links: • Relevance – Aligned topics • Relationships - Contextual / entity connection • Reputation - Trusted / authoritative sources • Repetition – Be consistent in cadence and topics Briefly on External Links
48. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Connect Entities & Concepts
49. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Most Importantly
50. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Try to Look Cool Doing It!
51. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Build topic maps / Knowledge Graphs • Identify key concepts / topics / entities • Use logical connections • Demonstrate expertise through coverage • Structure logically Aquaman Takeaways
52. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague The Flash (Coverage)
54. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague We have our entities mapped, our topics connected BUT We need to make sure all relevant topics are included Missing = weakness (and opportunity) Coverage is King
55. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Coverage is King
56. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Be strategic (that’s why it’s call a content strategy) • Include relevant topics • Information gain (in the content sphere) Add differentiation to add value • Consensus vs Contrarianism Coverage
57. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • The safe bet • Harder to differentiate (fuller coverage?) • Leverage and interpret (your) data • Additive to the conversation • Subtle spins while overall agreement • Own your agreement Consensus
58. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Don’t be a flat-earther (be convincing not crazy) • Support contrarian views with data (> opinion) • Information gain • Value in convictions Contrarianism
59. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Feelings vs Facts. Entities are Factual.
60. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Use entity tools (InLinks, Surfer, Ahrefs) to find sub- entities and fill gaps. • Competition • Data-driven • Logical • Human-in-loop Cover the Topic Universe Entity Gaps by InLinks
61. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Look for Meaning Not Keywords Table by QueryDrift.com
62. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Editorial Velocity. LLM Popularity Effect.
63. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague If you’ve covered bases (especially citations): • Pickup by LLMs can be rapid • Publish consistently • Follow (or lead) trends • AI/Entity drafts can help with GTM Editorial Velocity
64. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Generate first drafts via LLMs Human edit for accuracy & EEAT Entity *inclusion* AI-Assisted Drafting Content Outlines by InLinks
65. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Speed is useless without direction (strategy) • Cover entities, intents, associations, synonyms, connections, completely and purposefully. • Tip: Review Query Fan Out (Gemini) for suggestions The Flash Takeaways
66. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Cyborg (Data)
67. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Cyborg represents continuous feedback between humans and algorithms. Half Human, Half Machine SOME LEARNING TIME FOR
68. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Technical Fixes Can Boost Visibility
69. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Price of Entry • HTTPS • Mobile-friendly • Site speed • Robots.txt • XML Sitemaps • Usability Be a Little Technical
70. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Google Search Console • Google Analytics Be a Lot Data-Driven • Log files • Small log file analysis > Be a Little Data-Driven
71. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Blocking LLM Bots
72. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Cloudflare
73. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague And Maybe Your Dev Team (by Mistake)
74. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Lots of Caveats • Caveat • Caveat • Caveat • Caveat • Caveat Use Tools to Understand Visibility
75. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Everywhere all at Once (None the Same!) • Personalization • Context windows • “Infinite” prompts Understand the Limitations
76. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Track Via APIs API Prompt Tracking by Waikay
77. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague “Synthetic Queries” created by Google Gemini to explore the topic further (ahem “Coverage”) Track Fan Out Queries Fan Out by Waikay
78. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Use Waikay, Google NLP to graph connections. Measure Entity Connections
79. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Use Waikay, Google NLP to measure coverage. LLM coverage of key topics against competitors Measure Entity Coverage
80. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Look for areas where you can add value or reinforce expertise and authority. Identify Entity / Topic Gaps
81. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Leverage the data you have (log files) • Review site / platform as machine • Ensure crawl is possible • Keep a human in the loop • Change measurement metrics • Share of voice / prompt visibility Cyborg Takeaway
82. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Wrap Up. The Entity League.
83. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Batman – Clarify • Wonder Woman – Define • Aquaman – Context • Flash – Coverage • Cyborg – Data
84. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Audit with Screaming Frog / Sitebulb • Check robots.txt, canonicals, and hreflang tags • Ensure key content is HTML-rendered • Use structured data, on-page cues • Include consistent co-occurrences Bat-Checklist
85. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Audit existing markup • Add missing connections (sameAs) • Add simplest schema first • Research “best” schema for your vertical • Add incrementally. Test. • Track in GSC Enhancements Wonder Woman Checklist
86. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Build topic maps / Knowledge Graphs • Identify key concepts / topics / entities • Use logical connections to demonstrate expertise • Structure logically Aquaman Checklist
87. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Speed is useless without direction (strategy) • Cover entities, intents, associations, synonyms, connections, completely and purposefully. • Tip: Review Query Fan Out (Gemini) for suggestions The Flash Checklist
88. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague • Leverage the data you have (log files) • Review site / platform as machine • Ensure crawl is possible • Keep a human in the loop • Change measurement metrics • Share of voice / prompt Cyborg Checklist
89. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Thank You.
90. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague The End
91. @simmonet #SEOJusticeLeague Character names and visual references are the property of DC Comics / Warner Bros. Used here under fair use for educational and commentary purposes. No affiliation or endorsement is claimed or implied.