SEO in 2025: 106 of the world’s leading SEOs share their number 1, actionable tip for 2025 by David Bain (Author)

Summary of: Turn your attention to entity optimisation

Based on the interview with Jason Barnard (CEO of Kalicube), here is a summary of the shift from traditional SEO to Entity Optimization.

The Core Concept: From EEAT to NEEATT

Jason argues that traditional EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is insufficient without a foundational understanding of the Entity (the person or company behind the content). He expands the acronym to NEEATT by adding two critical elements:

• N (Notability): This does not mean general celebrity (like a Wikipedia page). It refers to “Niche Notability” - being recognized and “famous” specifically within your industry or area of expertise.
• T (Transparency): You must clearly identify who is behind the website. If you are not transparent about who you are, neither Google nor users will trust you.

Key Insight: “Without entity understanding, there is no basis for EEAT.”

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The 3 Tiers of Modern SEO

To stay ahead in 2025, SEOs must move beyond just optimizing content (Tier 1) and address the creator and publisher (Tiers 2 & 3).

• Tier 1: Traditional SEO (Content Level)
  • Focus: Content quality, site speed, internal linking, and technical structure.
  • Status: Essential baseline, but no longer sufficient on its own.
• Tier 2: The Content Creator (Author Entity)
  • Focus: Convincing Google the author is credible.
  • Goal: Google must understand who created the content to measure credibility accurately.
• Tier 3: The Publisher (Website Owner Entity)
  • Focus: Convincing Google the publisher is credible.
  • Goal: The platform (person or company) publishing the content is “vouching” for it. Google needs to trust the voucher.

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The Kalicube Process™: How to Optimize Entities

Jason outlines a specific strategy to create an “Infinite Loop of Self-Corroboration” that educates Google, AI engines, and LLMs.

1. Create an “Entity Home” (The Hub)

This is a single page you control (e.g., an “About” page) that serves as the source of truth. It must clearly state who you are, what you do, and who you serve.

2. Identify Corroborative Sources (The Wheel)

Identify external platforms that confirm your authority. This mix is unique to every entity but generally includes:

• First Party: Other websites you own.
• Second Party: Social media profiles (you control the content, but not the platform).
• Third Party: Independent industry sources (e.g., Search Engine Land for SEOs, Crunchbase for companies).
  • Warning: Avoid relying on Wikipedia/Wikidata as they are unstable and often delete marketing-related content.

3. Connect the Hub and Spoke

• Link from your Entity Home to these powerful external sources.
• Link from those external sources back to your Entity Home.
• Result: A consistent loop of information that builds confidence in Google’s Knowledge Graph.

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Why This Matters for AI (LLMs & Search)

Entity optimization is not just for Google Search; it is essential for Generative AI (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity).

• The Problem: LLMs are probabilistic text generators; they cannot “fact-check.”
• The Solution: AI engines rely on Knowledge Graphs to verify facts.
• The Strategy: By optimizing your entity, you feed the Knowledge Graph the correct facts, ensuring AI tools output accurate answers about your brand.

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Strategic Shift for 2025

If you are time-poor, Jason suggests shifting resources:

Increase effort on: Tiers 2 and 3 (Author and Publisher optimization) and maintaining your Entity Home (monthly updates are required to reflect changes in the entity and the market).

Reduce effort on: Obsessive page speed optimization, keyword counting, and generic link building.