Entity SEO Playbook Skill for Claude

Entity SEO Playbook

> Build entity authority so AI search surfaces your people, brand, and expertise — not just your pages. Based on Lily Ray's entity-first framework.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Establish an expert or brand as a recognized entity in AI search results
• Audit entity presence across platforms (Google Knowledge Panel, Wikidata, LinkedIn, etc.)
• Optimize for AI search where entities outperform keyword-optimized pages
• Build cross-platform authority for a person, product, or organization
• Improve citation probability across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews
• Develop a digital PR strategy centered on entity recognition

This skill is particularly valuable for:

• Consultants and experts building personal brand visibility
• B2B companies where thought leaders drive trust
• Publishers optimizing for AI-era traffic
• Anyone whose Google Knowledge Panel is missing or incomplete

Methodology Foundation

Source Expert: Lily Ray (VP of SEO Strategy, Amsive Digital; columnist, Search Engine Land)

Core Thesis: Entity-first replaces website-first. AI search models surface entities — people, organizations, concepts — not URLs. Individual experts with cross-platform digital footprints get disproportionately cited by AI.

> "The shift isn't from SEO to GEO. It's from page-first to entity-first. AI models don't rank pages — they recognize entities and assess their authority across the entire web." — Lily Ray, The Search Session (Advanced Web Ranking)

Supporting Research:

• Google Search ranking code leak (2024) — site quality score correlates with brand search volume
• Mark Williams-Cook's signal decay thesis — link graphs and click data are eroding, entity signals are strengthening
• Metehan Yeşilyurt's AI bot analysis — different AI products retrieve entity information differently

What Claude Does vs What You Decide

| Claude Does | You Decide |

|-------------|------------|

| Audits entity presence across platforms | Which entities to prioritize |

| Identifies gaps in entity establishment | Content and PR strategy budget |

| Generates structured data recommendations | Which platforms to invest in |

| Creates entity-building content plans | Expert credentials and experience to highlight |

| Maps entity relationships | Strategic positioning decisions |

What This Skill Does

When invoked, I will guide you through:

• Entity Audit — Assess current entity recognition across AI and search
• Entity Establishment — Create or strengthen entity signals
• Cross-Platform Authority — Build consistent entity presence
• Content Strategy — Create entity-reinforcing content
• Measurement — Track entity visibility in AI search

Instructions

Phase 1: Entity Audit

Before building, assess where you stand.

Entity Recognition Checklist

GOOGLE KNOWLEDGE PANEL
[ ] Does the entity have a Knowledge Panel?
[ ] Is the information accurate and complete?
[ ] Are notable works/credentials listed?
[ ] Is the entity connected to related entities?

WIKIDATA / WIKIPEDIA
[ ] Does a Wikidata entry exist? (Q-number)
[ ] Is the entity described with proper claims and references?
[ ] Does a Wikipedia article exist? (if notable enough)

SCHEMA MARKUP
[ ] Is Person/Organization schema present on owned sites?
[ ] Does schema include sameAs links to official profiles?
[ ] Is author markup on all published content?

AI SEARCH TEST
[ ] Ask ChatGPT: "Who is [entity]?" — does it know them?
[ ] Ask Perplexity: "[entity] expertise" — what sources cited?
[ ] Ask Google AI Overview: "[entity] + topic" — are they mentioned?

CROSS-PLATFORM PRESENCE
[ ] LinkedIn profile complete and active?
[ ] Guest appearances on podcasts/webinars?
[ ] Published articles on third-party sites?
[ ] Conference speaking engagements listed?
[ ] Professional directory listings?

Entity Authority Score (Informal)

| Level | Description | Signals |

|-------|-------------|---------|

| 0 — Unknown | AI doesn't recognize the entity | No Knowledge Panel, no AI mentions |

| 1 — Emerging | AI has partial information | Some mentions, no consistent identity |

| 2 — Established | AI recognizes and can describe | Knowledge Panel exists, AI answers are accurate |

| 3 — Authoritative | AI cites as a source | Consistently referenced in AI responses on topic |

| 4 — Definitive | AI uses as primary reference | Top-of-mind entity for the topic domain |

Phase 2: Entity Establishment

For People (Experts, Consultants, Authors)

Minimum viable entity:

• Consistent name across all platforms (exact same format)
• One authoritative bio page on your own site with Person schema
• LinkedIn profile matching the bio exactly
• Wikidata entry with claims and references (if notable)
• Google Knowledge Panel claimed via Google Search verification
• Author bylines on published content with author schema

Entity-reinforcing actions:

• Publish on recognized third-party platforms (not just your blog)
• Get quoted as an expert in news articles (digital PR)
• Appear on podcasts — AI models digest audio transcripts
• Speak at conferences listed on structured event sites
• Create a consistent "About" statement used everywhere

For Organizations (Companies, Brands)

Minimum viable entity:

• Google Business Profile complete and verified
• Organization schema on website with sameAs to all official profiles
• Wikidata entry with proper organizational claims
• Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across directories
• Brand search volume — actively build brand awareness outside search

For Products

Minimum viable entity:

• Product schema on product pages
• Reviews on authoritative sites — AI search heavily weights product reviews from trusted publishers
• Comparison content mentioning the product alongside known competitors
• Third-party validation — awards, certifications, expert reviews

> "Product review pages on authoritative publishers are MORE valuable now than before AI search. AI Overviews synthesize reviews — if you're not in the review set, you don't exist." — Lily Ray

Phase 3: Cross-Platform Authority

AI models don't just crawl your website. They learn from the entire web. Cross-platform content is structural, not optional.

Platform Priority Matrix

| Platform | Entity Signal Strength | Why |

|----------|----------------------|-----|

| LinkedIn | High | Professional identity, endorsements, content |

| Podcast appearances | High | AI transcription creates entity co-occurrence |

| Guest articles | High | Third-party validation of expertise |

| Conference talks | Medium-High | Listed on event sites, referenced in recaps |

| YouTube | Medium | Transcripts + visual identity |

| Twitter/X | Medium | Real-time expertise signals |

| Reddit (as expert) | Medium | Cited by Perplexity frequently |

| Professional directories | Low-Medium | Structured entity data |

The Cross-Platform Consistency Rule

Every platform should reinforce the same entity identity:

• Same name format (don't be "John Smith" on LinkedIn and "J. Smith PhD" on your site)
• Same expertise description (consistent topic association)
• Same profile photo (visual entity recognition)
• Cross-linking — every profile links to the canonical entity page

Phase 4: Content Strategy for Entity Authority

Entity-Reinforcing Content Types

| Content Type | Entity Signal | Example |

|-------------|--------------|---------|

| Original research | Strongest — unique data creates citation necessity | "Our analysis of 10,000 campaigns shows..." |

| Expert interviews | Strong — entity co-occurrence with recognized experts | "I spoke with [Expert] about..." |

| Case studies | Strong — first-hand experience signal | "Here's how we achieved X for [Client]..." |

| Conference recaps | Medium — positions entity in professional context | "At [Conference], the key insight was..." |

| Contrarian analysis | Medium — differentiation from consensus | "The conventional wisdom is wrong because..." |

| How-to guides | Low-Medium — helpful but interchangeable | Commodity content unless paired with unique data |

Favicon & Visual Identity in AI Results

Google AI Mode, AI Overviews, and Google Discover all display favicons prominently. Your favicon is the new meta description — it's the visual identifier in AI-generated results.

Actions:

• Ensure favicon is distinctive at 16x16px and 32x32px
• Use your brand mark, not a generic icon
• Test favicon visibility against competitors in search results
• Consider favicon as brand recognition driver (users scan visually)

Phase 5: Measurement

Entity Visibility Tracking

| Metric | How to Track | Frequency |

|--------|-------------|-----------|

| Brand search volume | Google Search Console, Google Trends | Monthly |

| Knowledge Panel accuracy | Manual check | Quarterly |

| AI mention test | Ask ChatGPT/Perplexity/Claude about entity | Monthly |

| Citation in AI Overviews | Search "[topic]" and check AI Overview sources | Weekly |

| Cross-platform consistency | Manual audit of all profiles | Quarterly |

| Branded traffic | Analytics — filter for brand terms | Monthly |

Leading Indicators

• Increasing brand search volume = entity recognition growing
• More Knowledge Panel attributes appearing = entity understanding deepening
• AI responses becoming more accurate about entity = training data inclusion
• Third-party mentions increasing = entity authority compounding

Examples

Example 1: Consultant Building Personal Entity

Context: SEO consultant wants AI search to recognize them as an expert on GEO.

Entity Audit Results:

• No Knowledge Panel
• LinkedIn complete but not active
• 3 blog posts on own site
• ChatGPT doesn't know them

Action Plan:

• Create Person schema on About page with sameAs to LinkedIn, Twitter
• Publish 2 guest articles on Search Engine Land or Search Engine Journal
• Appear on 3 SEO podcasts as guest expert
• Create Wikidata entry with references to published work
• Write original research: "Analysis of 500 AI Overview citations in [niche]"
• Post weekly LinkedIn analysis (build content entity co-occurrence)

Expected Timeline: 3-6 months to reach Level 2 (Established)

Example 2: B2B SaaS Building Product Entity

Context: Marketing analytics tool wants AI to recommend them when users ask about marketing attribution.

Entity Audit Results:

• Organization schema exists but incomplete
• No product reviews on authoritative sites
• ChatGPT mentions 3 competitors but not them
• Brand search volume: 200/month (competitors: 5,000+)

Action Plan:

• Complete Organization schema with sameAs, foundingDate, founders
• Pitch product review to G2, Capterra + 2 industry publications
• Create comparison content: "[Product] vs [Competitor A] vs [Competitor B]"
• Launch original research: "State of Marketing Attribution 2026"
• Get CEO on 5 industry podcasts discussing attribution methodology
• Build brand awareness: sponsor 2 niche conferences, run LinkedIn ads

Expected Timeline: 6-12 months to appear in AI recommendations

Checklists & Templates

Entity Establishment Checklist

PHASE 1: FOUNDATION (Week 1-2)
[ ] Canonical entity page created on owned site
[ ] Person/Organization schema deployed
[ ] All platform profiles consistent (name, photo, description)
[ ] sameAs links connecting all profiles
[ ] Wikidata entry created (if applicable)

PHASE 2: THIRD-PARTY SIGNALS (Month 1-3)
[ ] 2+ guest articles published on authoritative sites
[ ] 3+ podcast appearances completed
[ ] Professional directory listings updated
[ ] Expert quotes obtained in news/industry articles

PHASE 3: CONTENT AUTHORITY (Month 2-6)
[ ] Original research published
[ ] 5+ entity-reinforcing content pieces live
[ ] Cross-platform content calendar running
[ ] Case studies with named clients published

PHASE 4: MEASUREMENT (Ongoing)
[ ] Monthly AI mention test
[ ] Brand search volume tracked
[ ] Knowledge Panel monitored
[ ] Citation tracking in AI Overviews

Skill Boundaries

What This Skill Does Well

• Auditing entity presence across platforms and AI search
• Creating structured plans for entity establishment
• Identifying gaps in cross-platform authority
• Recommending content strategies that build entity signals

What This Skill Cannot Do

• Create Wikipedia articles (notability requirements are external)
• Guarantee Knowledge Panel creation (Google's decision)
• Access live AI search results to test citations
• Replace genuine expertise (entity signals must reflect real authority)

References

Primary Sources:

• Lily Ray — "How Publishers Can Survive in the Age of AI Search" (The Search Session, Advanced Web Ranking)
• Mark Williams-Cook — "From People Also Ask to AI Search" (The Search Session)
• Google Search ranking code leak analysis (2024) — site quality score

Related Concepts:

• E-E-A-T (Google Search Quality Rater Guidelines)
• Knowledge Graph Optimization
• Digital PR for entity authority
• Schema.org structured data (Person, Organization, Product)

Related Skills

• llm-optimized-content — Content optimization for AI citations
• schema-markup — Implementing JSON-LD structured data
• seo-content-writer — SEO content with E-E-A-T compliance
• brand-voice-learner — Establishing consistent brand identity
• skyscraper-technique — Building linkable authority content

Skill Metadata

name: entity-seo-playbook
category: seo-tools
subcategory: geo
version: 1.0.0
author: GUIA
source_expert: Lily Ray (VP SEO Strategy, Amsive Digital) — The Search Session podcast
difficulty: intermediate
mode: centaur
tags: [entity-seo, geo, ai-search, knowledge-graph, cross-platform, digital-pr, e-e-a-t, lily-ray]
created: 2026-02-10
updated: 2026-02-10