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Entities and the knowledge graph

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An entity is a uniquely identifiable thing (a company, person, product or place). A knowledge graph stores entities and the relationships between them. Google launched its Knowledge Graph on May 16, 2012 to understand “things, not strings,” and says AI Mode can draw on it. Clear, consistent entity information helps search and AI systems recognize your brand and describe it correctly.

What is Google’s Knowledge Graph?

Google introduced the Knowledge Graph in 2012 as a shift from matching keyword strings to understanding real-world things.[1] Its public Knowledge Graph Search API returns entities using schema.org types in JSON-LD, with entity types including Organization, Person, LocalBusiness, Place and WebSite. Google notes the API returns individual entities, not the graph of connections, and is being migrated to Cloud Enterprise Knowledge Graph.[2]

Why do entities matter for AI answers?

When an answer engine names a brand, it must resolve the name to the right entity. Google’s AI Mode announcement says it can tap “fresh, real-time sources like the Knowledge Graph.”[3] Correlation research also points to brand-level signals: branded web mentions were the factor most associated with AI Overview brand visibility in Ahrefs’ 75,000-brand study.[4]

How do you check your entity?

How do you strengthen an entity?

  1. Use one consistent name, description and logo on your site and profiles.
  2. Publish an About page with verifiable facts.
  3. Add Organization structured data that matches visible content (Google says structured data should match visible text).[5]
  4. Link official profiles with sameAs.
  5. Earn coverage on independent sites that describe you accurately.

For a deeper treatment, see the related resource EntitySEO.wiki.

Frequently asked questions

Is schema markup required for the Knowledge Graph?

No. Structured data can help Google understand your site, but Google does not require it and says no special schema is needed for AI features.

What is a knowledge graph ID?

An identifier such as kg:/m/0dl567 returned by the Knowledge Graph Search API for an entity.

Is the Knowledge Graph Search API a way to edit my entity?

No. Google describes it as a read-only API that returns matching entities.

References

Sources accessed October 14, 2026 unless another date is given. See all sources.

  1. “Introducing the Knowledge Graph: things, not strings”. Google (The Keyword). May 16, 2012.
  2. “Google Knowledge Graph Search API”. Google for Developers. accessed October 14, 2026.
  3. “Expanding AI Overviews and introducing AI Mode”. Google (The Keyword). March 5, 2025.
  4. “An Analysis of AI Overview Brand Visibility Factors (75K Brands Studied)”. Ahrefs. May 26, 2025.
  5. “AI features and your website”. Google Search Central. accessed October 14, 2026.
Categories: Brand