Guide · Entities
Structured data and entities: Recognised the same, and correctly, everywhere
When an AI writes an answer about your brand, it reads your site, maps, directories and news together. If your name, address or services differ across those sources, the answer gets muddled too. This guide covers how to define your brand as one correct entity.
Entity information means facts such as your brand’s name, address, founding, services and official profiles being identical everywhere. On your site you define this with Organization or LocalBusiness structured data and sameAs links. According to Google, this data is not required to appear in AI search, but it helps the brand be recognised correctly.
What is an entity and why does it matter?
Search engines and AI systems treat organisations not as text but as entities with properties: name, address, founder, services, official profiles. When the same brand appears under different names or addresses in different sources, systems may struggle to tell they are the same organisation. The result is a wrong address, an old phone number or an answer that mixes you up with another company.
How is Organization data set up?
- Google says Organization data can influence the logo shown in Search and some details in the knowledge panelSource 1: Organization structured data.
- Place it on the home page or a single page describing the organisation, such as the About pageSource 1: Organization structured data.
- There are no required properties; add those that fit: name, legal name, address, logo, contact details, tax ID, founding date and official profilesSource 1: Organization structured data.
- Every fact in the code must also be visible and correct on the page.
LocalBusiness for local businesses
- Name and address are requiredSource 2: Local business (LocalBusiness) structured data.
- Choose the most specific subtype possible, such as MedicalClinic for a clinic or Dentist for a dentistSource 2: Local business (LocalBusiness) structured data.
- Coordinates need at least 5 decimal places; opening hours are given in hours and minutesSource 2: Local business (LocalBusiness) structured data.
Instead of writing the code by hand, you can use the schema generator; it checks required properties and these rules as you type.
sameAs: connect your official profiles
sameAs states that the organisation on your site is the same entity as an official page on another siteSource 3: sameAs (Schema.org property). A LinkedIn company page, Google Business Profile, a chamber or association record and official social media accounts are good examples. Do not add pages you do not own or that are not official.
What to watch for on Wikidata and Wikipedia
- Wikidata accepts an item if it meets one of three criteria: it links to a Wikimedia page, it can be described with serious, publicly available sources, or it fulfils a structural need for other itemsSource 4: Wikidata:Notability. For a new brand, the second criterion requires mentions in independent sources.
- On Wikipedia, employees or paid editors are strongly discouraged from editing articles about their organisation directly; paid editing must be disclosed and changes proposed on the talk pageSource 5: Wikipedia:Conflict of interest.
Consistency checklist
| Fact | Where it must match |
|---|---|
| Brand and legal name | Site, Google Business Profile, Apple and Yandex Maps, LinkedIn, chamber record |
| Address | Site footer, contact page, maps, directories |
| Phone and email | Site, maps, social profiles |
| Services | Service pages, business profile categories, directory listings |
| Founding year and founder | About page, Organization data, press kit |
Frequently asked questions
01Does Organization data produce a knowledge panel?
No, nobody can guarantee that. Google builds the knowledge panel with its own systems; Organization data can influence the logo and some detailsSource 1: Organization structured data.
02Is structured data required to appear in AI?
No. Google says structured data is not required to appear in generative AI search and no special markup is neededSource 6: Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search. Set it up so the brand is recognised correctly.
03Should we create a Wikidata item for our brand?
Only if it meets one of Wikidata’s criteriaSource 4: Wikidata:Notability. For a new brand, mentions in independent, reliable sources come first.
Sources
- [1]Organization structured dataGoogle Search Central · accessed: 26 September 2026
- [2]Local business (LocalBusiness) structured dataGoogle Search Central · accessed: 26 September 2026
- [3]sameAs (Schema.org property)Schema.org · accessed: 26 September 2026
- [4]Wikidata:NotabilityWikidata · accessed: 26 September 2026
- [5]Wikipedia:Conflict of interestWikipedia · accessed: 26 September 2026
- [6]Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google SearchGoogle Search Central · accessed: 26 September 2026
How to cite this page
Kaynaq. (26 September 2026). Structured data and entities: Recognised the same, and correctly, everywhere. https://kaynaq.pages.dev/en/guides/structured-data-and-entities
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