The Ultimate Guide to Entity-Based SEO: Boost Your 2025 Rankings by Leveraging Knowledge Graphs

As an SEO professional working in holistic symphony with the other cogs of your brand/business’s marketing team, you’ve spent months perfecting your content strategy, carefully selecting keywords, crafting high-quality articles, and securing backlinks.

Yet somehow, you’re still not seeing the rankings you expected. Rings a bell?

Source

Here’s the thing: in 2025, Google isn’t ranking just keywords anymore.

It’s ranking entities, and if you’re not optimizing for them, you’re playing catch-up.

But what does that actually mean?

And most importantly, how can you leverage entity-based SEO and the Knowledge Graph to break through the noise, finally?

At Mavlers, with over 13 years of experience in the field of search and organic rankings, we will help you find the answers you seek.

Let’s walk through this together, so by the end, you’ll not only understand entity-based SEO but also know exactly how to apply it for better rankings.

The evolution of search: From keywords to entities

Before we dive into strategy, it’s important to understand why the shift to entities happened.

In traditional SEO, search engines matched queries to keywords. Well, that worked… until it didn’t.

As search queries became more conversational (think voice search, AI assistants), Google needed a smarter way to understand meaning, not just words.

That’s where entities come in.

An entity is anything distinctly recognizable, such as a person, a place, a brand, or a concept, that has a unique existence.

For instance, instead of just seeing “Apple” as a word, Google now knows whether you mean the fruit or the tech company based on context.

This shift powers more accurate results, richer user experiences, and smarter AI responses.

In short, entity-based SEO is the foundation of modern search.

Introducing Google’s Knowledge Graph: The web of entities

To manage this new world of meaning, Google developed the Knowledge Graph, a massive database that maps relationships between entities.

It’s why, when you search “Barack Obama,” you don’t just get websites mentioning his name.

You get a rich information panel showing who he is, when he was president, his family, his achievements, all neatly interconnected.

The Knowledge Graph helps Google understand relationships (e.g., Obama → President → USA), predict user intent, and deliver more comprehensive answers without requiring a click.

In 2025, the Knowledge Graph isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s at the heart of SEO.

If your website isn’t properly tied into this web of entities, you’re missing out on a massive trust signal.

Why entity-based SEO is critical for your success in 2025

Now that you see how Google thinks, let’s talk about why you must adapt.

Here’s a quick snapshot:

Did you notice a pattern?

The future of search isn’t about chasing the next algorithm tweak; it’s about becoming a recognized, connected, and trusted entity.

Entity-based SEO offers more visibility, more trust, and better future-proofing against whatever new updates 2025 throws at us.

So, how do you make this shift in practice?

Let’s break it down.

How to leverage entities and knowledge graphs for better rankings

Transitioning to an entity-driven SEO strategy isn’t about abandoning everything you know; it’s about layering a smarter, more structured approach on top of your content efforts.

Here’s your game plan:

1. Define and optimize your core entities

First, identify the main entities related to your brand, such as your business name, products or services, industry-specific terms, and key topics you cover.

Your goal is to make these entities crystal clear across your site.

For example, if you own a vegan bakery in Austin, your primary entities include:

~ Vegan bakery

~ Austin, Texas

~ Vegan cupcakes, gluten-free desserts (products)

~ Sustainability and veganism (concepts)

Explicitly connecting these entities helps Google place your site properly in its Knowledge Graph web.

2. Speak Google’s language with structured data markup

Once your key entities are defined, it’s time to help search engines read them better using structured data (specifically, Schema.org markup).

Structured data is like putting neon signs on your content that say:

“Hey Google, this is a Product!”

“This is an Event happening in Austin!”

“This is a Person who’s a certified nutritionist!“

Using the right schema types, like Organization, Product, LocalBusiness, or FAQPage, you reinforce your entity signals.

We recommend using JSON-LD format (Google’s preferred method) and testing your markup with Google’s Rich Results Test to ensure everything is clean.

3. Build strong contextual connections

In the Knowledge Graph, entities are never isolated, they’re deeply interconnected.

You can strengthen your position by:

~ Linking internally between related topics and pages

~ Referencing and linking out to authoritative, well-recognized entities

~ Earning mentions and citations from trustworthy sources

One can think of it like social networking; the more trusted connections you have, the stronger your authority becomes.

When Google sees your site embedded within a reliable network of entities, your credibility and rankings naturally rise.

4. Create content that builds a full entity profile

Today’s SEO winners don’t just mention keywords; they build topic depth.

To rank in an entity-based world:

~ Cover not just the what, but the why, how, when, and future trends

~ Answer related questions users might have

~ Address multiple dimensions of your entity

For example, instead of simply selling eco-friendly furniture, you could publish articles on the science of sustainable materials, certifications customers should look for, how eco-conscious furniture supports wellness trends, etc. The more complete your entity profile, the more authority and relevance you command.

5. Claim your spot in Google’s knowledge graph

Finally, the ultimate prize is becoming a recognized entity in Google’s Knowledge Graph itself.

Here are some steps to boost your chances:

~ Secure a Wikipedia page (if notable)

~ Get listed consistently across business directories (GMB, Crunchbase, LinkedIn, Wikidata)

~ Earn mentions in reputable news outlets

~ Use consistent brand signals (name, address, categories) across the web

~ Fully leverage schema markup

It’s a long play, but once achieved, it’s one of the most powerful SEO assets you can own.

Wrapping Up!

If your site is ranking high on SERPs but the traffic is low, we recommend reading ~ High Rankings, But Low Traffic? The SEO Puzzle No One Talks About.