SEO in 2023: 101 of the world’s leading SEOs share their number 1, actionable tip for 2023 by David Bain (Author)

Summary of here is a summary of Jason Barnard’s interview on SEO in 2023, focusing on Entity Optimization and the Knowledge Graph.

The Core Analogy: Google is a Child

Jason Barnard’s primary tip is to treat Google like a child. It is “thirsty for knowledge” via its Knowledge Graph (a massive encyclopedia), but it relies on SEOs to educate it. You must explicitly teach this “child”:

1. Who you are.
2. What you do.
3. Who your audience is.

The Foundation: Entity Identity > E-A-T

While E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is fashionable, Barnard argues that Entity Identity is the foundation.

• If Google knows who you are (the Entity), it applies E-A-T signals fully.
• If Google has to guess who you are, it applies E-A-T signals in a “dampened” manner.
• Key Insight: Being in the Knowledge Graph signifies that Google explicitly understands your identity.

The Strategy: The “Entity Home”

To educate Google, you must establish a “Point of Reconciliation” - a single source of truth that you control.

1. Establish an Entity Home: Ideally, this is your About Us page (though Google often defaults to the Homepage). This page should contain your version of the facts.
2. Write for the Machine: Write a clear description of the entity using Semantic Triples (Subject-Verb-Object, e.g., “Jason Barnard founded Kalicube®”).
   • Avoid: Irony, poetry, or starting with history (e.g., “Founded in 1966…”). Start with what you do today to solve the user’s problem.
3. Corroborate: Spread this exact description across relevant, authoritative sources on the web.
4. Connect the Dots: Use Schema Markup to point from your Entity Home to those corroborating sources.

Measuring Success: The Knowledge Panel

You can measure Google’s understanding by monitoring your Brand SERP (the search results for your brand name).

• The Goal: A Knowledge Panel. This appears only when Google is confident in its understanding of the entity.
• Why Confidence Matters: A high confidence score acts as “insurance” against future algorithm updates.

The “Do Not Do” List: Avoid Wikipedia

Barnard explicitly warns against using Wikipedia or Wikidata to trigger a Knowledge Panel.

The Deletion Risk: If a Wiki page is deleted, rebuilding a Knowledge Panel is 10x more difficult than building one from scratch without Wikipedia.

Loss of Control: You hand your brand message over to anonymous editors.