A free AI entity scan measures how well your brand, products, and key personnel are established as distinct entities in the knowledge systems AI engines use — and identifies the specific gaps that cause ghost citations instead of named mentions. Entity clarity is the upstream cause of the most frustrating AI visibility problem: being used as a source without getting credit for it.
You've done the content work. You're being cited. But your brand name doesn't appear in the answer. That's an entity problem, and it has a direct solution.
The Entity Scan Checklist
An AI entity scan covers four dimensions of entity clarity:
- Wikidata presence: Does a Wikidata item exist for your organization with accurate attributes?
- Wikipedia mentions: Is your brand named in any Wikipedia articles relevant to your category?
- Google Knowledge Graph: Does searching your brand name trigger a Knowledge Panel?
- Source graph density: How many times is your brand name mentioned (not just linked) across Reddit, G2, industry publications, and YouTube?
Entity Clarity Score Components
| Component | Points Available | Average Unoptimized Score |
|---|---|---|
| Wikidata item exists | 25 | 5 (most brands absent) |
| Wikipedia mention | 20 | 8 |
| Google Knowledge Panel | 20 | 10 |
| Reddit brand name mentions | 15 | 7 |
| G2/Capterra review brand mentions | 10 | 6 |
| YouTube named mentions | 10 | 4 |
The average unoptimized entity clarity score is approximately 40/100. Brands with scores above 70 see ghost citation rates significantly below the 61.7% average.
Source-Jacking for Entity Clarity
Source-jacking — getting mentioned in the sources AI engines already trust — serves double duty: it builds source graph density and entity clarity simultaneously. When your brand name appears in a Reddit thread that Perplexity already cites, Perplexity associates your brand name with that content cluster. Repeated appearances across trusted sources train AI models to recognize your brand as a distinct, nameable entity.
Best For: Brands in Crowded Categories
AI entity scanning is best for brands in categories with many similar-sounding competitors — SaaS tools, marketing agencies, consulting firms. The more similar your name to competitors, the more entity disambiguation matters for getting accurate citations.
Six-Play Entity Clarity Program
- Citation map for ghost rate: Check what percentage of your current AI citations include your brand name vs. just your URL.
- Wikidata entity creation: Create your Wikidata item with full attributes. This is 1–2 hours of work with significant long-term ROI.
- Source-jacking with named mentions: In every Reddit reply, G2 review, or publication contribution, include your brand name — not just your URL.
- Original data attribution: When publishing research, headline it with your brand: "[Brand] Study Finds 61.7% of AI Citations Are Ghost Citations."
- Knowledge graph cross-linking: Link your Wikidata item from your website's footer, your Wikipedia mentions, and your LinkedIn company page.
- AI attribution tracking: Monitor branded vs. non-branded traffic from AI referrers. A rising branded share indicates improving entity clarity.
Run a free AI visibility scan on your site to see exactly where you stand.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I create a Wikidata item for my company?
Go to wikidata.org and sign in (or create a free account). Click 'Create a new item.' Add: label (your brand name), description (what your company does), instance of (company or organization), founding date, official website, and industry. Save, and the item is live.
Why does my brand appear in Google but AI engines don't name it?
Google can rank your pages based on relevance and authority. AI engines need entity clarity — confirmation that your brand is a distinct, nameable organization — before they include your name in generated answers. These are separate requirements.
How long until Wikidata entry improves my AI entity recognition?
Typically 2–6 weeks. AI systems that reference Wikidata update their entity knowledge on varying schedules. Perplexity's live source pull may show improvement faster than ChatGPT, which relies on training data updates.