Keywords vs. entities: the real shift in logic between SEO and GEO
When discussing AI-driven SEO (GEO), the first reaction from marketing managers and executives is often, "Ah, we should probably just update our keywords."
That's a reasonable answer. And it's also the wrong answer. Because search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine optimization (SEA) are not based on the same principles. This article explains the difference between the two.
What's changing isn't the list of keywords you're targeting. It's the fundamental logic by which search engines, and now AI engines, understand what you do, who you are, and why you deserve to be cited.
The shift from keyword-based to entity-based search is not an algorithm update. It's a paradigm shift. And it's already happening!
This article is part of our series on AI-powered SEO. If you haven't yet read our article on the difference between SEO and GEO , start there; it lays the groundwork.
The previous logic: the keyword as the basic unit
For more than two decades, SEO relied on a simple mechanism: a user types words into a search engine, the engine compares these words with the content of indexed pages, and brings up those that match best.
Your job was to ensure your pages contained the right words, in the right places, with the right frequency. Density. Placement. Backlinks. Repetition.
This logic worked because it corresponded to what the engines were capable of doing: large-scale string comparison.
The problem is that words are ambiguous. "Apple" can refer to a technology company, a fruit, or a record label. "Paris" can be a city, a mythological figure, or a hotel chain. A search engine that only works with strings (textual character strings) cannot resolve this ambiguity.
Google itself theorized this problem in 2012 with a formula that has become famous: moving from "strings to things", from words to things.
Google has been making this shift since 2012. LLms have made it truly indispensable.
Today's logic: the entity as a unit of meaning
An entity is an identifiable and unique "thing" in the real world: a person, a brand, a place, a concept, a product. It possesses attributes (foundation date, sector, founder) and relationships with other entities.
Apple Inc. is an entity. Its attributes are: founded in 1976, sector = consumer technology, CEO = Tim Cook. It is linked to entities such as Steve Jobs, Cupertino, iOS, and Samsung (competitor).
When a user types "Apple" into Google today, Google doesn't compare the word itself. It identifies the most likely entity based on the context.
It's the Knowledge Graph: the database of entities and relationships built since 2012. It now contains 54 billion entities and 1,6 trillion facts.
To understand how this evolution transforms your content strategy → our article on AI engine optimization in 2026.
What this changes in practical terms: two ways of writing
| ❌ Keyword version "Our event solution is ideal for event professionals. Our event management software helps you organize your events." → The word 'event' appears 4 times. Google and ChatGPT still don't know who you are. |
| ✅ Entities version "Loc'Hall is a B2B platform that connects corporate event organizers — in the financial sector, private equity, and consulting firms — with French heritage sites listed as historical monuments." → Named entities, clear relationships, specific attributes. An LLM can construct an accurate representation. |
The golden rule: never write "the platform" or "our tool" when you can use the exact name . Ambiguity is detrimental to your entity.
Why do LLMs amplify this phenomenon?
Large language models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, etc.) do not function like search engines. They do not index pages in real time. They have been trained on billions of documents and have developed an internal representation of the world as a network of entities and relationships.
What this means for your brand:
if your company does not clearly appear as a distinct entity in the sources on which these models were trained (Wikipedia, major media, Reddit, LinkedIn, specialized publications), it will either be unknown or poorly represented in their responses.
Studies confirm it: sites that optimize for entities receive 40% more citations in AI responses compared to those that focus solely on keyword density (Authoritas, 2025, analysis of 100,000 AI responses).
The warning sign you need to know
| -58% CTR position #1 with AI Overview (Ahrefs, Dec. 2025) | -25% Traditional research volume by the end of 2026 (Gartner) | + 40 % AI quotes for optimized entity sites (Authoritas, 2025) | x4,4 Conversion AI visitors vs. traditional organic visitors (Semrush) |
HubSpot, long considered the gold standard of content marketing, lost between 70 and 80% of its organic traffic between 2024 and 2025. This is not a coincidence. It is the direct consequence of a strategy built on the volume of informational keywords, without sufficient entity authority.
To understand how to measure the impact of this development → our article on what companies need to change.
Three concrete things to do now
- Made the entity test Type your company name into ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude. Ask: 'What is [your brand]?'
What you get tells you exactly where you stand. - Audit your top 10 pages: Use Google's Natural Language API (free) to extract identified entities.
Are they accurate?
Focused on your brand?
With a high consistency and differentiation score? - Create your Entity Home: A page that precisely defines who you are, what you do, for whom, since when, and your relationships with other entities in your sector.
This is the reference document that LLMs need.
Conclusion keywords vs entities
The shift from keywords to entities is already underway, measurable, and its effects are documented. The good news: companies building true entity authority are not suffering from this transformation. They are benefiting from it.
Because LLMs are looking for exactly what you should have built from the start: a clear brand, reliable content, and recognizable expertise.
| Don't know where to start? Our GEO audit is designed exactly for that: to analyze your current entity authority, identify critical areas, and give you a concrete action plan. |
Key takeaways regarding the difference between keywords and entities in SEO in 2026
- AI engines don't search for your keywords; they search for understanding. what you areSector, relationships, attributes, verifiable expertise.
- Keyword-optimized content can rank well on Google and be completely invisible in a ChatGPT response. The two approaches coexist, but no longer automatically feed into each other.
- The entity is your brand as the machines understand it: accurate, consistent, verifiable, and connected to other entities in your sector.
- The golden rule: never write "our tool" or "the platform" when you can use the exact name. Ambiguity penalizes your organization.
- Sites optimized for entities receive 40% more AI citations compared to sites that focus solely on keyword density (Authoritas, 2025).
- Traffic doesn't disappear, it shifts. Brands with strong brand authority capture it. Others just see it pass by.
- Your starting point: type your company name into ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. What you see is your entity authority today.
FAQ
Is keyword-based SEO dead?
No, but that's no longer enough. Keywords remain useful indicators of intent, and Google continues to use them as a signal. What has changed is that they are no longer the central unit of optimization. The entity is. Good SEO today is SEO that structures information around specific entities rather than keyword repetition. The two approaches are not mutually exclusive; the second extends and requires the first.
What exactly is an "entity" in SEO?
An entity is a real and identifiable thing in the world: a brand, a person, a product, a concept, a place. It has attributes (founding date, sector, founder) and relationships with other entities (X's competitor, Y's partner, founded by Z). What distinguishes it from a keyword is that it exists independently of how it is written. "HubSpot," "HubSpot CRM," and "HubSpot's CRM software" all refer to the same entity, but only the entity itself is what Google and LLMs seek to recognize.
Do I need to completely redesign my website?
No. In most cases, it's a matter of precision work, not a complete overhaul. The first steps are often simple: replace vague descriptions ("our solution") with accurate names, structure a factual overview page, and add Schema.org markup to key pages. The high-quality content you already have can easily be adapted—it often just needs to be made more machine-readable.
What is the difference between optimizing for Google and optimizing for ChatGPT?
Google is a search engine: it crawls, indexes, and ranks pages in real time. Optimizing for Google involves working on domain authority, technical structure, and relevance signals. ChatGPT and other LLMs, on the other hand, have been trained on billions of documents—they don't crawl your site in real time. They "know" your brand based on how it appears in their training data: Wikipedia, major media outlets, Reddit, LinkedIn, and specialized publications. Therefore, optimizing for LLMs relies in part on channels external to your own website.
How can I tell if my company actually exists as an entity in LLMs?
Immediate, free, 10-minute test: Open ChatGPT (or your preferred AI) and type "What is [your brand]?". Do the same on Perplexity and Gemini. Compare the responses. Is the name correct? The industry accurate? The attributes precise? If the answers are vague, contradictory, or missing, your entity is either unknown or misrepresented. This is your baseline, and it's precisely what an entity authority audit measures and corrects.
How long does it take to see results?
It depends on your starting point and the scope of the project. The first effects on content structure and technical markup can be measured in 4 to 8 weeks with traditional SEO. Visibility in LLMs is slower because it depends in part on training data updates, which aren't real-time. However, some LLMs like Perplexity use real-time web search: content and third-party presence improvements can produce faster results there. Entity authority takes 6 to 18 months to build for a deep transformation, but the first measurable improvements appear much sooner.
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- Digital Marketing Strategies: The Complete Guide 2025February 3, 2025
