# What is Entity resolution?

Entity resolution is the process by which a search or AI system decides which real-world thing a name refers to, linking a brand, person or product to a single, disambiguated identity rather than treating mentions as loose strings of text.

## How it works

When a model encounters your brand name, it has to determine which entity that is, and connect the scattered mentions of it across the web into one identity. Consistent naming, structured data and authoritative references all feed this.

Gemini, in particular, [resolves entities through Google's Knowledge Graph before it retrieves content](/blogs/why-engines-recommend-different-vendors), which means an unresolved or ambiguous brand can be skipped before the answer is even assembled.

## Entity resolution vs keyword matching

Keyword matching looks for the literal words on a page. Entity resolution identifies the thing those words refer to and links it to everything else known about it. The first is text; the second is identity, which is what modern engines reason over.

## Why it matters for B2B

If an engine cannot confidently resolve your brand as an entity, it is unlikely to recommend you, and may even confuse you with someone else. Clean, consistent entity signals are a precondition for being cited reliably.

**Common mistake**

Referring to the brand inconsistently across the web (`Acme`, `Acme Inc`, `Acme.io`, `Acme Software`). Each variant fragments the entity, so the system struggles to connect the mentions into one identity it can confidently resolve and recommend.

*Source: https://rawmktg.com/glossary/entity-resolution · rawmktg. by Vinayak Ravi*