This document outlines a presentation about using entity-led growth as a competitive advantage. It discusses how content discovery is challenging without entities. A 5-step framework is proposed for entity-led growth involving strategy, deployment, measurement, enhancement and alignment. Case studies and opportunities for measuring entity performance are presented. The framework emphasizes continuous testing, measurement of results and automation to scale entity optimization.

1. MilestoneInternet.com | +1 408-200-2211
Be everywhere your
customers are
Why Entity-Led Growth
Can Be Your
Competitive Advantage
in 2021

2. @milestonemktg 2
Your Speakers
Erik Newton
VP of Marketing
Milestone Inc
Benu Aggarwal
President and Founder
Milestone Inc
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eriknewton/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/benua/
Bill Hunt
Global Strategy Consultant
Back Azimuth
https://www.linkedin.com/in/billhunt3/

3. Agenda
1. Why Content Discovery Is a Major Challenge
2. What and Why – Entity Search
3. 5-Step Framework for Entity-Led Growth
1. Strategy
2. Deployment & maintenance
3. Measure
4. Enhance content and expand results
5. Align, educate, and celebrate
4. Milestone Case Studies
5. Offer
6. Questions
Agenda

4. @milestonemktg 4
Content Discovery is a Major
Challenge for All Businesses
1. CMSs built for experience, not discovery
2. Without discoverability, content fades
into no audience zone
3. Each piece of viable content generates
predictable long-term value for business
in Search, Local, and Lifted Direct
90% of Digital
Content Has
No Audience
Content viability is the goal of
content marketing
Viable Zone
No Audience Zone

5. @milestonemktg 5
Why Entity-Led Growth in 2021
Keyword
Driven
2008 2021
Entity
Driven
KEYWORDS CONVERSATIONS
No duplicate
content
No spammy
content or links
Relevant &
precise results
Understand Intent
Longtail (FAQ)
Local
Mobile
SERP
Quality
Local
Results
Thin Content
FIGHT SPAM ENHANCE UX
Smith
(Entire Document)

6. @milestonemktg 6
What Are Entities?
Entity Type Keyword Synonym Corresponding Entity
Person Biden Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Location Paris Paris, France
Organization Google Alphabet Inc
Event Trade Show Search Marketing Expo
Concept / Thing SEO Search Engine Optimization
• Entities are things, people, places, or concepts defined by facts and connections
• Likely to have a Wikipedia entry
• Independent of language: Eiffel Tower and Tour Eiffel is the same entity
• Schemas are the vocabulary of entities

7. @milestonemktg 7
Google Advises to Strengthen Entities with Structured Data

8. @milestonemktg 8
Why Are Entities Used to Provide the Most Accurate Answer?
Search engines use entities to understand and categorize the world’s information
to provide most accurate answer regardless of the language or device

9. @milestonemktg 9
Schemas Strengthen Entities for Better Visibility and Results
https://www.milestoneinternet.com/resources/research-reports

10. @milestonemktg 10
Holistic Approach Is Needed for Robust Growth
INFRASTRUCTURE
ENGAGEMENT AUTHORITY
CONTENT
FOUNDATION
EXPERTISE
AUTHORITY
TRUSTWORTHINESS
Improving the site’s infrastructure:
1. Crawling and indexing
2. Schemas
3. Speed and Core Web Vitals
4. Canonical
5. Mobile optimization
6. Redirect management
7. Globalization
8. Site migration
Improving relevancy through:
1. On-page optimization
2. Optimizing existing content
for entity-based search
3. Intent-based content creation
across the buyer’s journey

11. @milestonemktg 11
Align – Entities, Intent, and Content to Improve Share of Visibility
Popularity
SEARCH ENGINE
PRIORITIES
SEARCH RESULTS
MARKETING NEEDS
• Blue text links
• Spammy content
• Blue text links
• Quality content
ALGORITHMS
• Links and
keywords
• Combating spam
• Universal results
• Semantic search
• Structured content
• 1,200 SERP Features
• In-search content
• Mobile & Voice
• Entities + intent
• Core Web Vitals
• Mobile only indexing
• Keyword density
• Link building
• Original quality
content
• Earning links
• Topical coverage
• Schemas
• Schemas + content
• Share of visibility
• Conversational content
• CWV compliance
2008
Quality
2012
Intent
2016
Experience
2021

12. 5-Step Process
Entity-Led Growth
Framework

13. @milestonemktg 13
5-Step Framework for Entity-Led Growth
Strategy &
Planning
Deployment &
Maintenance
Measure & Analyze
Enhance Content
and Expand
Results
Align, Educate, and
Celebrate

14. @milestonemktg 14
Step 1: Strategy and Planning
STRATEGY
1
2
3
4
5
1. Customer intent - who, what
2. Visibility footprint
3. Market potential
4. Current content & site analysis
5. Gaps - content and schema
6. Suggest ideal content and page structure

15. @milestonemktg 15
Step 2: Deployment and Maintenance
2
STRATEGY
1
DEPLOYMENT &
MAINTENANCE
3
4
1. Develop entities and nested schema
architectures
2. Validate and deploy
3. Automate opportunity, notification
4. Re-prioritize opportunities
5

16. @milestonemktg 16
Step 3: Measure and Analyze
3
4
STRATEGY
1
2
DEPLOYMENT &
MAINTENANCE
MEASURE
1. Share of visibility
2. SERP coverage
3. Potential cost saving
5

17. @milestonemktg 17
Step 4: Enhance & Expand
STRATEGY
1
2
DEPLOYMENT &
MAINTENANCE
3
MEASURE
4
ENHANCE
Create and deploy the ideal page structure
1. Content elements
2. Calls to action
3. Visual balance
5

18. @milestonemktg 18
Step 5: Amplify and Educate
STRATEGY
1
2
DEPLOYMENT &
MAINTENANCE
3
MEASURE
4
ENHANCE
AMPLIFY
Align, Educate, Communicate & Celebrate
1. Create case studies
2. Share success with various teams
3. Educate and align all teams
4. Create a robust plan to scale across teams
5

19. @milestonemktg 19
Deployment and Maintenance Steps
Strategy Deployment & Maintenance Amplify
Technical SEO (Engineering) + Entity Optimization + Automation for Deployment and Maintenance at scale
• Customer
Intent
• Visibility
Footprint
• Market
Potential
Customer &
Market
Potential
• Website
Content analysis
• CMS and
Website
Architecture
• Crawlability and
indexability of
customer
website
Website
Content &
Site Analysis
• Highlight Gaps
• Suggest
Content
Topics &
Schema
• Develop Ideal
Structure
Gaps and
Ideal
Structure
01 02 03
• Entities
Mapping based
on website
content and
industry
• Develop
nested Schema
architecture
and attribute
definition
• Ongoing R&D
to continue to
scale with
evolution of
algorithm
Entities and
Nested
Schema
Architecture
04
• Validate
Schemas and
Attributes
against
schema.org and
Google
guidelines
Schema
Validation &
Deployment
05
• Develop
crawlers to
monitor for new
content and
errors in
schemas
• Errors come in
because of
change in specs
from Google,
Schema.org,
and new
content
additions
Automate
Error
Handling &
notification
06
• Technical Severity
(Priority 1)
Script Issues
Site Level
notifications
Google Errors
• Schema & Content
Vocabulary Changes
• Opportunity
Content
Site Level
Notification
Types and
Reasons
07
• Share of
visibility &
Review Schema
Performance
• SERP Impact by
Page and
Content Type
• Impact by
Schema Type
• Knowledge
Graph Analysis
• Rich Results
Performance
Measure
08
• Deploy Ideal
Content &
Page
Structure
• Align and
Educate
• Celebrate the
success
Enhance,
Educate,
Align
09
Measure

20. Putting the Framework
into Practice

21. @milestonemktg 21
Identify Your Customers, Their Needs, and the Mechanism to Reach Them
TOPICS
(Content)
What people search for and what
content they expect in the results:
• It used to be about keywords
• Today it’s questions, topics, sub-
topics, conversations
• Eg: Meal Delivery in Bay Area
Step 1 - Visibility Footprint, Keyword
Research and Market Potential
INTENT
Why they are searching
(motivating factors)
• No time to cook
• Need a change
• Feeling lazy
• Trying a new cuisine
Step 2 - Intent Maps and Full
Funnel Optimization
ENTITIES
How your audience consumes content
• Pictures
• Videos
• Address
• Delivery/Dine-in/Take-out
Schemas help us show entities within
the content to search engines
Step 3 – Deliver Content the Way Your
Audience/ Search Engines Consumes It.

22. @milestonemktg 22
What Is Your Current Visibility Footprint?
• This multi-location retailer’s organic traffic has been largely stable over the past year
• The location pages have been the primary contributors of growth thanks to local SEO
M A I N S I T E L O C A T I O N P A G E S

23. @milestonemktg 23
Identifying Gaps in Topics, Entities and Intent
Current Location Page Identify Topic and Entity Gaps Schema Gaps
4

24. @milestonemktg 24
Market Potential - Opportunity Sizing
V I S I B I L I T Y
Out of 4.5k searches/month
Out of 23.5k searches/month
Out of 2.4k searches/month
Potential to gain
exposure for
additional
>28K+
keyword
searches
O P P O R T U N I T Y
INFORMATIONAL
(Non- Local)
NAVIGATIONAL
(Los Angeles)
TRANSACTIONAL
(Branded)

25. Deploy Using Schema Manager to Scale

26. @milestonemktg 26
Incremental - Enhancing the Page for Maximum Growth
9
Topic & Entity Gaps (Partial List)
1. Flavors
2. Bakery Products
3. Gluten/Sugar Free
4. Bakery Services
5. Retail party items
6. Catering
7. Events
8. DYO
2
5
4
6
7
8
10
11
12
1
13
15
16
3
8
14
17
17
Schema Gaps
9. Breadcrumbs
10. Opening hours
11. Special Hours
12. Delivery method
13. Related links
14. Location (map)
15. Products
16. FAQs
17. Site navigation (Header + Footer)

27. @milestonemktg 27
Your Ideal Entity Optimization Workflow
1
Schema
Vocabulary
We created a
master list of
all schemas
that are
applicable to
the industry
We identified
schemas that
could not be
deployed on
the current site
content
(Schema gaps)
We mapped
unused
schemas to the
most suitable
pages on the
site (Location)
We identified
gaps in the
content by
analyzing the
topics and
entities covered
by other sites
ranking in
search
We enhanced
the page
architecture to
include relevant
content
elements
(images,
headings, lists,
etc.)
We created the
mock-up of the
enhanced page
for you to
review before
implementing it
on the site
We drafted
enhanced
content for the
page by
incorporating
topics and
entities
currently
missing
2
Schema
Gaps
3
Schema
Mapping
5
Topical
Gaps
6
Content
Elements
8
Page
Mock-up
7
Content
Enhancement
We identified
the incremental
visibility
potential from
enhancing the
topics, entities
and schemas
on these pages
4
Potential
Sizing
2 days 1 day 3 days 1 day 1 day 2 days 2 days
Once implemented, we will be measuring the impact in terms of visibility coverage and inclusion in rich results

28. Measure

29. Dynamically Measure and Monitor
Errors in schema in
August resulting in 47%
decrease in rich results
clicks and 32.2%
decrease in rich results
impressions
Errors can happen due to changes in Google guidelines, schema attributes, technical issues, etc.
Extensive R&D and Trial and Error Testing can be necessary to correct errors as there are no published guidelines on
schemas.
Error identified and
corrected. Impressions
went up 95.9%, clicks
up 168%

30. @milestonemktg 30
Content Performance: Universal Search Results
Apr 2020 – Mar 2021, compared to previous year.

31. @milestonemktg 31
Content Performance by Schema Type
Schema Type # of Impressions Impressions YoY # of Clicks Clicks YoY
Article 2.9M 17.3% 72.9K 30.5%
BreadcrumbList 7.1M 19.2% 160.9K 46.4%
MedicalOrganization 4.5M 8% 96.4K 36%
MedicalProcedure 196.8K -14.5% 1,513 70.2%
MedicalWebPage 281.5K -9.2% 2,280 65.6%
Physician 84.5K 76.9% 1,392 87.9%
Which schemas have the most impact?

32. @milestonemktg 32
Content Performance: Clicks & Impressions

33. Enhance & Expand

34. @milestonemktg 34
Notification Types and Reasons /Opportunity
1.Script issues:
• Errors when schema loader script
blocked.
• Incorrect schema detected
2.Site-level notifications:
Errors on client’s site that MS
cannot fix. eg: Redirects (3xx, 4xx),
Domain errors (5xx)
3.Google Errors:
Schema errors in Structured Data
Testing Tool and RRTT
Priority 1
Technical Severity
Priority 2
Schema and Content
Priority 3
Opportunity
1. Vocabulary changes:
Due to change in Schema.org /
Google guidelines for required /
recommended fields.
e.g.: Price became a mandatory field
for Product schema
1. Missing Attributes/Google
Warnings:
Content not available on the site.
e.g.: Recipe Ingredient attribute missing
on Recipe schema

35. @milestonemktg 35
Opportunities
Content & Schema
Opportunities
• Add video duration so Schema
can be tagged for this attribute
• Add Rating, Reviews, or SKU
so Schema can be tagged for
these elements
Redirection Management
• 3xx, 4xx ,5xx pages cannot have
schema added. Resolve site level
issues
• Speed Issues
Site Slow
Site is slow and not meeting core web
vitals criteria. Review best practice
around core web vitals.
1 2 3
• https://blog.milestoneinternet.com/seo/understanding-the-core-vitals-update/
• https://blog.milestoneinternet.com/google-update/google-core-web-vitals-solution-ranking-factor/
• https://blog.milestoneinternet.com/seo/using-accelerated-mobile-pages-amp-increases-speed-core-vitals-rank-traffic-and-revenue/
More Information on Core Web Vitals

36. Amplify:
Communicate, Align,
Educate and Celebrate

37. @milestonemktg 37
Communicate Align Educate Celebrate
Communicate, Align, Educate and Celebrate

38. @milestonemktg 38
Amplify and Educate for additional Growth Opportunities
Content, markup, and layouts aligned with latest Google algorithm
Why
1. Increase visibility
2. Saturate SERP
3. Organic traffic
Location Schemas
Rich Topic Paragraphs
Maps
Lists & FAQs
Rich content snippets
• Paragraph
• Bullet list
• Schema
• Image or video

39. @milestonemktg 39
Share the Impact - Initial Results of Entity Optimization
Page went live
(impressions are up and average rank has improved)
IMPRESSIONS AVG. POSITION

40. @milestonemktg 40
Key Takeaways
1. Understanding entities verses keywords
2. Creating robust entity-led growth framework
3. Continuous testing
4. Measure results
5. Automate and scale
6. Amplify and educate on results

41. @milestonemktg 41
Sign Up for a 2021 Entity Audit
First 10 attendees*
to register will get a
complimentary
entity review
* Available to first 10 to respond, not available
to agencies, consultants, or individuals
https://www.milestoneinternet.com/resources/request-audit

42. +1 408-200-2211
MilestoneInternet.com
Silicon Valley | Bangalore | Ahmedabad
Thank You