Case Study: How Entity Linking Can Support Local Search Success via @sejournal, @marthavanberkel
How Entity Linking Enhances Local Search Success: A Case Study with Brightview Senior Living
Local search optimization remains a crucial focus for multi-location brands aiming to improve their online visibility and attract nearby customers. A recent case study shared by marketing experts highlights how entity linking can profoundly impact local search results, taking Brightview Senior Living’s SEO strategy as a compelling example.
Introduction
Brightview Senior Living faced a common challenge many multi-location businesses encounter: search engines often misinterpret their locations and services, leading to reduced visibility and missed opportunities for non-branded traffic. To address this, Brightview embraced an entity-focused SEO strategy designed to clearly define and link their location and service information to trusted external sources. This approach illustrates an advanced SEO tactic that is shaping the future of local search and AI-driven search mechanisms.
Understanding Entity Linking in Local SEO
Entity linking is a method where a website explicitly defines its key subjects (entities) such as business locations and services and connects them to authoritative, external references. This technique enhances semantic clarity, enabling search engines to better understand the relationships and attributes of these entities.
By implementing schema markup—a structured data format—Brightview explicitly indicated details about its various communities and services. This not only helped search engines accurately interpret their offerings but also improved the site’s relevance and authority in local search results.
Tangible Outcomes and Metrics
The shift to an entity-focused SEO strategy yielded impressive results for Brightview Senior Living. According to the data:
- There was a 25% increase in clicks for non-branded queries, demonstrating enhanced organic visibility.
- Community page clicks rose by 16%, indicating improved engagement with location-specific content.
These metrics underscore how clarifying entities and linking them appropriately can directly improve local search performance.
Key Insights
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What makes entity linking critical for multi-location brands? Entity linking provides semantic clarity, which helps search engines accurately distinguish between locations and services, reducing misinterpretation common in multi-location setups.
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How does schema markup support this process? Schema markup structures data in a machine-readable format, enabling search engines to link entities on the website to verified external sources, thus enhancing local SEO credibility.
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What benefits can businesses expect from adopting entity linking strategies? Businesses can see improvements in non-branded search visibility, higher engagement on location pages, and better preparation for future AI-driven search algorithms.
Conclusion
The Brightview Senior Living case study demonstrates that entity linking is more than an advanced SEO technique—it’s a necessary strategy for businesses with multiple locations aiming to thrive in local search environments. By implementing entity-focused strategies using schema markup and authoritative linking, brands can expect to experience improved search engine interpretation, increased non-branded traffic, and more targeted user engagement. As AI and semantic search evolve, entity linking will become even more vital in crafting an effective local SEO strategy.