Brand Entity Coherence

Extended definition

Brand Entity Coherence measures whether AI can recognize that different brand manifestations (corporate site, product sites, social profiles, media mentions, founder profiles, content properties) all represent the same unified entity. High coherence means clear entity linking: schema markup connecting properties, consistent NAP (name, address, phone), unified brand mentions, cross-property entity references, and explicit 'sameAs' declarations. Low coherence creates entity fragmentation: AI treats different properties as unrelated entities, fragmenting authority and creating confusion. Coherence requires intentional entity architecture across all owned and earned properties showing AI systems the unified entity structure.

Why this matters for AI search visibility

Fragmented entity presence means fragmented authority: citations and mentions don't consolidate to strengthen your overall brand entity. AI might cite your blog, product site, and founder separately without recognizing they represent one entity, preventing authority accumulation. Low coherence also causes accuracy problems: AI combines information from fragmented sources incorrectly, mixing facts about different perceived entities. For multi-brand companies or brands with complex digital presence, coherence is critical for AI to understand portfolio relationships. High coherence consolidates all entity signals into unified authority that makes every property more citeable.

Practical examples

• Coherence audit reveals AI treats corporate site, product sites, and founder profile as three separate entities, fragmenting authority and causing 68% citation loss
• Implementing unified entity architecture with sameAs markup and cross-property entity linking consolidates fragmented presence, increasing overall citation rate 4.1x
• Multi-brand portfolio achieves coherent entity structure where AI accurately understands parent-subsidiary relationships, enabling portfolio-level authority benefits