SurfSense/.cursor/skills/entity-optimizer/references/entity-signal-checklist.md
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Entity Signal Checklist

Part of entity-optimizer. See also: knowledge-graph-guide.md

Complete checklist of entity signals organized by priority and verification method. Use this as a systematic audit guide — work through each signal, verify its status, and note actions needed.

Priority 1: Foundation Signals (Must-Have)

These signals form the minimum viable entity identity. Without them, search engines and AI systems cannot reliably identify the entity.

On-Site Structured Data

# Signal Verification Method Pass Criteria
1 Organization or Person schema on homepage Run Google Rich Results Test on homepage Schema present with name, url, logo, description
2 sameAs property links to all authoritative profiles Inspect schema markup Links to Wikipedia, Wikidata, LinkedIn, social profiles
3 Consistent @id used across all pages Inspect schema on 5+ pages Same @id (typically homepage URL + #organization) on every page
4 About page exists with entity-rich content Manual review First paragraph defines entity clearly; includes founding date, key people, mission
5 Contact page with verifiable information Manual review Physical address, phone, email — matches other directory listings

Key External Profiles

# Signal Verification Method Pass Criteria
6 Wikidata entry exists Search wikidata.org Entry with label, description, key properties, and references
7 Google Business Profile (if applicable) Search "[entity] Google Business" Claimed, verified, complete profile
8 LinkedIn company/person page Search LinkedIn Complete profile matching entity name and description
9 CrunchBase profile (for companies/products) Search crunchbase.com Entry with description, founding info, key people
10 Primary industry directory listing Search top 3 industry directories Listed with correct entity information

Branded Search Presence

# Signal Verification Method Pass Criteria
11 Branded search returns correct entity Google "[entity name]" Entity's website is #1; Knowledge Panel appears or SERP clearly identifies entity
12 No disambiguation confusion Google "[entity name]" No other prominent entity dominates results for the same name
13 Branded search volume exists Check ~~SEO tool Measurable branded search volume (any amount > 0)

Priority 2: Authority Signals (Should-Have)

These signals establish the entity as recognized and authoritative. They separate a "registered entity" from a "known entity."

Knowledge Graph Depth

# Signal Verification Method Pass Criteria
14 Google Knowledge Panel present Google "[entity name]" Knowledge Panel displayed with correct information
15 Knowledge Panel attributes complete Review Knowledge Panel Key attributes filled (founded, CEO, location, industry, etc.)
16 Knowledge Panel image correct Review Knowledge Panel Preferred image displayed
17 Wikipedia article (or strong notability path) Search Wikipedia Article exists, or entity has 3+ independent reliable sources for future article
18 Wikidata properties complete Review Wikidata entry 10+ properties with references

Third-Party Validation

# Signal Verification Method Pass Criteria
19 Authoritative media mentions Google News search for entity 3+ mentions in recognized publications
20 Industry awards or recognitions Search "[entity] award" At least 1 verifiable award or recognition
21 Co-citation with established entities Search for entity alongside competitors Appears in "X vs Y" comparisons, listicles, or industry roundups
22 Speaking engagements or publications Search event/conference sites Appears as speaker, author, or contributor
23 Reviews on third-party platforms Check G2, Trustpilot, Yelp, etc. Reviews exist with reasonable volume and rating

Content Authority

# Signal Verification Method Pass Criteria
24 Topical content depth in target areas Site search for target topics 10+ pages covering target topics in depth
25 Author pages with credentials Review author pages Author schema, credentials, sameAs to external profiles
26 Original research or data published Review content At least 1 piece of original data/research cited by others
27 Entity mentioned in own content naturally Search site for entity name Entity name appears contextually (not just in header/footer)

Priority 3: AI-Specific Signals (Must-Have for GEO)

These signals specifically help AI systems recognize, understand, and cite the entity.

AI Recognition

# Signal Verification Method Pass Criteria
28 ChatGPT recognizes entity Ask "What is [entity]?" Correct description returned
29 Perplexity recognizes entity Ask "What is [entity]?" Correct description with source citations
30 Google AI Overview mentions entity Search branded + topical queries Entity appears in AI-generated overview
31 AI description is accurate Compare AI output to entity's self-description No factual errors in AI's response
32 AI associates entity with correct topics Ask "[entity] expertise areas" Correct topic associations returned

AI Optimization

# Signal Verification Method Pass Criteria
33 Entity definition quotable in first paragraph Review About page and key pages Clear, factual, self-contained definition suitable for AI quotation
34 Factual claims are verifiable Cross-reference claims with external sources All claims about entity can be verified via third-party sources
35 Entity name used consistently Audit all platforms Identical name format everywhere (no abbreviations in some places, full name in others)
36 Content is crawlable by AI systems Check robots.txt for AI bot access Not blocking GPTBot, ClaudeBot, or other AI crawlers (unless intentional)
37 Fresh information available Check update dates Key entity pages updated within last 6 months

Priority 4: Advanced Signals (Nice-to-Have)

These signals provide marginal gains but demonstrate thoroughness and maturity.

Extended Knowledge Base Presence

# Signal Verification Method Pass Criteria
38 Multiple language entries in Wikidata Check Wikidata labels Labels and descriptions in languages matching target markets
39 DBpedia entry Search dbpedia.org Entry exists (auto-generated from Wikipedia)
40 Google Knowledge Graph ID known Search Google Knowledge Graph API Entity has a kg: identifier
41 ISNI or VIAF identifier (for persons) Search isni.org or viaf.org Identifier exists and links correctly

Social Entity Signals

# Signal Verification Method Pass Criteria
42 Social profiles bidirectionally linked Check website links to social AND social links to website Both directions verified on all platforms
43 Consistent entity description across social Compare bios on all platforms Same core description, adapted for platform length limits
44 Social engagement demonstrates real audience Review engagement metrics Engagement patterns consistent with genuine audience (not bot-like)

Technical Entity Signals

# Signal Verification Method Pass Criteria
45 Entity homepage has strong backlink profile Check ~~link database Homepage DR/DA above industry median
46 Branded anchor text in backlinks Analyze anchor text distribution Entity name appears naturally in inbound link anchor text
47 Entity subdomain consistency Check all subdomains Same entity schema and branding across all subdomains

How to Use This Checklist

Work through signals by priority tier. For each signal, mark status as (present and correct), ⚠️ (present but incomplete), or (absent). Focus on completing each priority tier before moving to the next.

Priority Action Matrix

Current State Focus Area Expected Timeline
Most Priority 1 signals Priority 1 foundation signals only 2-4 weeks
Priority 1 mostly , Priority 2 mixed Priority 2 authority signals 1-2 months
Priority 1-2 mostly Priority 3 AI-specific signals 2-3 months
Priority 1-3 mostly Selective Priority 4 for completeness Ongoing
All tiers mostly Maintenance + quarterly re-audit Quarterly review