An entity is something distinct and clearly defined that search engines can recognise and understand. That might be a person, a company, a place, a product, a brand or even an abstract concept.
Google describes entities as things or ideas that are clearly distinguishable and connected to one another. It lets the search engine understand what content is really about.
Examples of entities
An entity does not have to be physical. Terms, events and topics can be entities too.
Typical examples:
- people
- companies
- cities and countries
- products
- films
- colours
- brands
- events
”Apple”, for instance, is not just a word. Depending on context it is a fruit or a company. Entities are how Google works out which meaning applies.
Why entities matter
Entities are the basis of the Google Knowledge Graph and of many modern search features. They help search engines recognise the connections between terms and classify content properly.
That allows Google, AI Overviews and AI search engines such as ChatGPT or Perplexity to give more precise answers. For SEO and GEO it is therefore increasingly important to connect brands, people, places and topics clearly and consistently.