Search has been getting more entity-led for years, but the shift is more obvious now that AI summaries and knowledge-style results are everywhere. In the UK, Google Search is used by around 82% of adults, and Ofcom reporting suggests AI overviews show up on roughly 30% of searches, with 53% of adults saying they see these summaries often.
That matters because entity-first SEO is how you stop relying on one page ranking for one phrase, and start building a content footprint that makes you the “obvious source” for a topic.
This guide shows you how to do that in a practical way: define your core entities, map the relationships, build supporting pages, and tie it all together with structure and internal links so search engines (and AI systems) can confidently use you as a reference.
Along the way, I’ll point you to relevant resources like Technical SEO,SEO Audit Agency andOrganic Marketing if you want support implementing this properly.
What “entity-first” actually means
An entity is a “thing” search engines can identify, store, and connect to other things. People, brands, products, services, places, organisations, regulations, job titles, processes, even specific tools can be entities.
Entity-first SEO means you plan and build content around:
- The entities that define your business and expertise
- The relationships between those entities
- The evidence that supports your authority (experience, specifics, proof, clarity)
So instead of treating every page as a standalone attempt to rank, you build a network of pages that reinforce each other and make your site easy to understand.
A quick example:
If you’re a UK brand selling payroll software, your topical authority is not just “payroll software”. It’s also:
- PAYE, National Insurance, pensions auto-enrolment, RTI submissions
- HMRC submissions, deadlines, common errors, compliance risks
- Employee onboarding, leavers, benefits, statutory pay
- Integrations (Xero, QuickBooks), data security, ISO standards
Those are all entities (or clusters of entities) that relate to your product. You don’t need to write encyclopaedias. You need enough clear, connected coverage that your brand is consistently associated with the right set.
Why entity-first SEO matters more in AI-shaped SERPs
AI systems are risk-averse by design. They prefer sources that look:
- Consistent (same answers repeated with the same meaning across your site)
- Specific (numbers, steps, constraints, UK details, definitions)
- Verifiable (named authors, case studies, policies, sources, structured data)
- Well-structured (clear headings, internal links, clean technical foundations)
And because AI overviews are appearing often for UK users, your content is increasingly being “read” and summarised before someone ever clicks. Entity-first SEO gives you a better chance of being:
- cited or linked in AI answers
- used as a trusted supporting source
- visible across a wider set of long-tail and comparative queries
Step 1: define your core entities (what you want to be known for)
Start with a simple entity list. Not keywords. Entities.
You want:
- Your brand entity
- Your primary services or products
- Your main audiences (industries, buyer roles)
- The UK-specific context that makes your advice “real” (regulation, standards, terminology, pricing norms)
If you already have a messy site, begin with an audit so you don’t build on a shaky foundation. The 15-Point SEO Audit Checklist is a good place to start, and if you want a proper technical and content review, that’s where a structured SEO audit earns its keep.
Step 2: map relationships (the “connected tissue” that builds authority)
Once you have your core entities, map the relationships. This is where most brands miss the mark.
Ask:
- What does this entity depend on?
- What problems does it solve?
- What are common misconceptions?
- What alternatives does a buyer compare it to?
- What’s the process, start to finish?
- What are UK constraints (legal, operational, cost, timelines)?
You’re basically building a topical graph: entity nodes connected by real-world relationships.
Practical approach:
- Create a spreadsheet with columns: Entity, Related entity, Relationship type, Supporting page URL, Priority
- Keep it simple: 50–150 relationships is plenty for most brands
If you’re doing this at scale, your analytics setup matters, because you’ll want to measure impact by theme. The GA4 + Search Console SEO audit guide is useful if your reporting currently feels like guesswork.
Step 3: build the “supporting pages” that prove you deserve trust
This is where you turn the map into content.
Think in layers:
1) A hub page for the primary entity
This is your “pillar” page. It should:
- define the topic clearly
- cover the main sub-areas at a high level
- link out to deeper pages (your supporting pages)
- reflect real UK context (examples, terminology, prices in £)
2) Supporting pages that answer specific, connected questions
Each supporting page should:
- focus on one entity or relationship
- match a real intent (how, why, compare, cost, process, mistakes)
- include evidence (steps, checklists, screenshots, examples, templates)
- link back to the hub and across to related pages
3) Proof pages that strengthen your brand entity
These are often overlooked, but they matter:
- case studies
- process pages (how you work)
- team pages with real expertise
- FAQs
- policies that build trust
If you want a solid structure for this, the approach in the Content SEO audit guide maps nicely onto entity-first planning.
Step 4: use internal linking to make the entity graph obvious
Entity-first SEO falls apart if your internal linking is weak.
You can have brilliant content, but if it’s buried, orphaned, or poorly connected, search engines won’t treat it as a coherent topic cluster.
Your job is to:
- keep key pages within ~3 clicks where possible
- link from high-authority pages to the pages you want to push
- use descriptive anchors that reflect the entity and intent (not “click here”)
- create predictable hub → supporting page patterns
If you want a practical playbook, the Internal Linking Audit guide is basically made for this.
Also, don’t ignore crawl efficiency. If Googlebot is wasting time on parameters, duplicates, or dead ends, it slows everything down. The Crawl Budget Optimisation guide and Log File Analysis are the fastest way to get real clarity on what search engines are actually doing on your site.
Step 5: add structured data to reinforce entity meaning
Structured data does not “make you rank”, but it can make you clearer and more machine-readable, which matters when AI systems and SERP features are trying to interpret your content quickly.
At minimum, most UK brands should consider:
- Organisation schema
- Website schema
- Article schema (where relevant)
- FAQ schema (when it genuinely fits the page)
- Product or Service schema depending on what you sell
Then validate and monitor it, because schema breaks all the time with CMS updates and templates.
If you need a process, use the Schema Markup Audit guide and treat it as ongoing governance, not a one-off task.
Step 6: don’t let technical issues sabotage your authority
Entity-first content is still SEO. If your site is slow, unstable, or messy, your authority “signals” get diluted.
At a minimum, keep an eye on:
- Core Web Vitals and real performance
- indexation quality (not just indexation volume)
- canonical and duplication issues
- JavaScript rendering risks (depending on stack)
A simple starting point is the Page Speed Audit guide and a refresher on how crawling, indexing and ranking work.
Step 7: measure topical authority like a grown-up
Rank tracking alone won’t tell you if you’re winning as an entity.
Instead, measure:
- Search Console impressions and clicks by topic cluster
- number of queries where you appear across a cluster (breadth)
- pages per session and assisted conversions (internal link performance)
- branded search growth (brand entity strength)
- visibility for comparison and “best” queries (trust and authority proxies)
And be realistic about investment. For most UK brands, a focused entity-first sprint (audit, content plan, 6–12 supporting pages, internal linking and schema cleanup) often lands somewhere in the £3,000–£15,000 range depending on scale, stakeholders and how much needs fixing first. That’s not a universal number, but it’s a useful sanity check when scoping the work.
FAQs
What’s the difference between entity-first SEO and topical authority?
Topical authority is the outcome. Entity-first SEO is the method. You’re deliberately building content around identifiable entities and relationships so search engines can connect your site to a topic in a consistent, trustworthy way.
Do I need loads of content to make this work?
No. You need the right content, connected properly. A tight cluster of 10–30 excellent pages with strong internal linking can outperform 200 thin posts that overlap and compete.
Can entity-first SEO help me show up in AI overviews and AI answers?
It improves your chances because your site becomes easier to interpret and trust. In the UK, AI overviews are appearing frequently for users, so being clear, structured and evidence-led is increasingly important.
What’s the biggest mistake UK brands make with entity-first SEO?
They treat it like a content project only. It’s content plus structure plus technical hygiene. If internal linking is weak, schema is messy, and crawl paths are inefficient, your “entity graph” never really forms.
How long does it take to see results?
You’ll often see early movement within weeks (better crawl and internal discovery), but authority gains usually show over months. If your baseline is poor, fixing technical and internal linking issues can create faster lifts than publishing new pages alone.
Ready to build topical authority the right way?
If you want entity-first SEO that actually moves the needle (not just another content calendar), start with a proper plan and clean foundations.
Take a look at Insight and Strategy for planning, Organic Marketing for execution, and SEO audits if you suspect your site has hidden technical or structural issues holding everything back. When you’re ready, get in touch and we’ll help you map the entities, build the supporting pages, and turn your site into the obvious source in your space.
If you’re tired of traffic that doesn’t convert, Totally Digital is here to help. Start with technical seo and a detailed seo audit to fix performance issues, indexing problems, and lost visibility. Next, scale sustainably with organic marketing and accelerate results with targeted paid ads. Get in touch today and we’ll show you where the quickest wins are.