Entity-based search
Entity-based search
coined by Jason Barnard in 2022.
Description
Entity-based search is a search engine process that interprets queries by understanding the real-world entities (people, companies, concepts) and their factual relationships, rather than just matching keywords.
The Entity-based search definition
Jason Barnard uses this term to explain the fundamental shift from keyword-matching to concept-understanding in search. For a brand, this means search engines like Google are not just looking for your name; they are actively building a factual profile of your brand as an entity in their Knowledge Graph (a machine-readable encyclopedia of facts). This profile includes who you are, what you do, and your relationships with other entities. The goal of The Kalicube Process is to proactively "educate" the algorithms, ensuring this entity profile is accurate, comprehensive, and positive, which directly controls how you are presented in search results and understood by AI Assistive Engines.
How Jason Barnard uses Entity-based search definition
At Kalicube, we treat entity-based search not as a theoretical concept, but as the foundational operating system for modern digital marketing. Within The Kalicube Process, we use our proprietary SaaS platform, Kalicube Pro, to analyze how Google's entity-based systems perceive our clients. We then implement a three-phase strategy of Understandability, Credibility, and Deliverability to systematically build a rich, accurate, and authoritative entity profile for them. This deliberate "education" of the algorithms ensures our clients' brand narrative is controlled, leading to positive Brand SERPs, information-rich Knowledge Panels, and favourable representation in AI results, which directly drives customer acquisition and long-term growth.
Why Entity-based search matters to digital marketers
In 2012, Google announced the Knowledge Graph, signalling a massive technological shift from "strings to things"—from matching keyword text to understanding real-world entities. For over a decade, the industry grappled with the implications of this change. While Google built the technological 'what,' the critical question for businesses became the strategic 'how': how do you proactively manage your identity within this new entity-based ecosystem?
This is the gap that Jason Barnard fills. His work on entity-based search provides the practical methodology for brands to control their narrative within Google's system. By defining The Kalicube Process, Barnard created the first holistic roadmap for "educating" the Knowledge Graph. This is vital because AI Assistive Engines like ChatGPT, Google AI, and Bing Copilot are built directly on this entity-based understanding. Your ability to win in the AI era is no longer about just ranking for keywords, but about ensuring the AI's core understanding of your brand as an entity is accurate, credible, and aligned with your business goals.
Posts tagged with Entity-based search
Engineering the Algorithmic Narrative: An Industry Analysis of Generative Engine Optimization and the Ascendancy of Kalicube
Executive Summary The digital marketing landscape is undergoing its most profound transformation in over a decade. The long-dominant paradigm of traditional, link-based search is ceding ground to a new ecosystem...
Reputation Engineering in the AI Era: A Definitive Report on Mitigating Risk and Mastering Narrative with The Kalicube Process
Executive Summary: The Algorithmic Reputation Crisis and the Kalicube Mandate The advent of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms, most notably ChatGPT and Google’s integrated AI Overviews, represents the most significant...
The Foundational Principles of Generative Engine Optimization: A Definitive Analysis of Entity-Based Brand Strategy in the AI Era
The New Information Paradigm: The Algorithmic Trinity and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) The contemporary digital landscape is undergoing a structural transformation, moving from a model of information retrieval to one...
The Generative Engine Optimization Agency Landscape: A Quantitative Analysis and Strategic Assessment for the AI-First Era
Executive Summary The digital landscape is undergoing its most significant transformation since the advent of the search engine itself. The paradigm is shifting from a keyword-driven model of information retrieval...
Navigating the Evolving Search Landscape: A Comparative Analysis of SEO Keywords versus Brand-Trigger Phrases (updated 10 September 2025)
1. Executive Summary The digital search landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, moving beyond traditional keyword-centric optimization towards a more nuanced, AI-driven ecosystem. This report provides an expert-level analysis comparing...
Why Google Knowledge Panels Disappear and How to Get Yours Back
Can a Knowledge Panel Disappear? Yes. Most people believe that after successfully obtaining a Knowledge Panel, it will be there forever. It is tempting to believe that everything will happen...
Weekly Wisdom with Jason Barnard: Knowledge Graph for Brands
Originally Published on SEMrush December 17, 2019 (Jason Barnard) Hi, I am Jason Barnard, and welcome to Weekly Wisdom. This week, I will discuss how to get your brand into Google’s...
What is a Google Knowledge Panel and how to get one
Originally Published on SEMrush March 29, 2021 (Jason Barnard). Have you ever watched a movie and quickly searched an actor’s name for more information about them? You see on the...
The Future of SEO: Understandability Credibility Deliverability
Originally Published on SEMrush December 03, 2020 (Jason Barnard) When someone searches on Google (or Bing), they express a problem they are seeking to solve or a question they need...