Search is not just about strings of words anymore. Search engines are learning to understand people, places, products, and ideas as connected concepts. Marketers who grasp this shift, including leaders like Thomas Maletta, are rethinking SEO in terms of entities rather than just keywords.
From Keywords To Entities: What Changed
For years, SEO revolved around matching exact phrases. Brands chased specific keyword combinations and repeated them across pages. That approach still matters, but it is no longer enough.
Today’s search engines build maps of the real world. They connect a company to its founders, locations, products, reviews, and content. Each of these becomes an entity with its own relationships.
When a brand is understood as an entity, it can appear for many related searches. The algorithm does not just see a phrase on a page. It sees a business with history, expertise, and relevance in a topic area.
What Is An Entity In SEO Terms?
In simple terms, an entity is a “thing” that can be clearly defined. It might be a brand, a person, a product line, a service type, or even a concept. If search engines can identify it and link it to other facts, it is treated as an entity.
This understanding shows up in knowledge panels, carousels, and rich results. You can see it when a search for a brand name pulls in social links, reviews, and key facts. The engine is not guessing; it is drawing from a connected graph.
For marketers, the key is to help search engines see these connections. That means going beyond stuffing pages with variants of the same keyword. It involves carefully shaping how the brand is represented across the web.
Why Entity SEO Matters More In 2026
In 2026, AI‑driven search experiences are front and center. Users ask complex questions and expect clear, multi‑step answers. Search engines respond by leaning heavily on entity graphs to assemble those responses.
Brands that exist as strong entities get cited more often in these answers. They are seen as reputable sources on a topic. Even when users do not click through in the old way, brand visibility can increase.
At the same time, purely keyword‑based tricks are easier to spot and discount. Thin content and awkward keyword stuffing stand out against richer, entity‑aware pages. Investing in entity SEO helps future‑proof visibility as algorithms continue to evolve.
Building A Clear Brand Entity Online
The initial stage is simple yet is most often ignored. Consistent and accurate data must be provided by brands everywhere they are present. Company names, physical addresses, descriptions, and their respective categories should be consistent throughout websites, social media profiles, and online directories.
Structured data is crucial to this process. Various markup formats, such as schema.org, make it easier for machines to read web pages accurately. It indicates the part of the page that focuses on an organization, product, person, or event.
In addition, well-written “About” pages and author bios are necessary. They clarify who the author is and what their expertise is. This will eventually result in the creation of a stable, reliable entity in the search graph.
Connecting Content To Topics, Not Just Phrases
An entity-focused content strategy looks at topics and relationships. Instead of writing dozens of near‑duplicate pages, brands build clusters around core ideas. Each article answers a different angle of the same wider subject.
For example, a B2B software brand might become associated with “sales enablement platforms” as an entity. Around that, they publish deeper guides on integrations, onboarding, analytics, and governance. Internally, these pages are linked in a way that mirrors real user journeys.
This approach helps search engines see topical authority. The brand is not just ranking for a phrase. It is emerging as a central node in a subject area.
Leveraging People As Entities Too
Leaders, subject-matter experts, and frequent writers are also recognized as entities. Search engines get it when their names are consistently associated with specific topics. Eventually, they can be acknowledged as the authorities on those subjects.
This is where SEO connects with PR and thought leadership. Interviews, speaking at conferences, and writing expert articles all contribute to building an expert’s entity profile. When those experts are clearly associated with a brand, the benefits go both ways.
The brand gets trustworthiness because its people are reliable. TPeoplegain visibility because the brand already has a presence. Clever marketers see this as a long-term and cooperative investment.
The Role Of Off‑site Signals And Brand Mentions
Entity SEO is not limited to your own website. Search engines are monitoring your brand’s mentions and links across the internet. The entity’s power is determined by its quality, context, and consistency.
Being mentioned in reliable news outlets, industry magazines, and partner blogs is a way of telling who you are. References in encyclopedias and listing services give additional validation. Even non-link mentions have their importance depending on the context.
Social media accounts and interactions also play a role. They provide evidence that an entity is alive, genuine, and part of a community. Such a large presence across different areas of the internet improves visibility during relevant searches.
Conclusion
Leaders like Thomas Maletta see entity SEO as a bridge between branding, content, and technical strategy. As search becomes more conversational and AI‑driven, these foundations will matter even more. Brands that exist as strong entities will be easier for systems to trust and surface. In that landscape, visibility comes not from shouting the loudest keyword, but from being clearly known.
