Voices of Search Podcast

Episode: Are content clusters built around entity relationships rather than keywords?
Date: September 20, 2025
Host: Tyson Stockton
Guest: Daniel Hurwitz, Informatica

Episode Overview

In this succinct yet insightful episode, Tyson Stockton explores a key emerging question in SEO strategy:
Should content clusters be structured around entity relationships rather than traditional keyword groupings?
Guest Daniel Hurwitz (Informatica) joins to discuss the current state of entity-based SEO, how it's being adopted, and what the future may hold as search evolves.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trend or Trash: Entity-Based Content Clusters

• [00:43] The central question:
  "Are content clusters built around entity relationships rather than related keywords a trend or a trash?"

• Daniel Hurwitz opens with skepticism about today's environment, but notes the direction of change.

  • Daniel’s Perspective:

    • In traditional Google Search, keyword clustering is still king.
    • Entity-based results aren't consistently reflected in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) yet.
    • Example: The queries “best coffee shops in Denver” vs. “top coffee shops in Denver” still yield different results currently, even though they target the same concept.
    • “That entity is not really created today.” – Daniel Hurwitz [00:59]

  • Caveat: While Google isn’t fully leveraging entity clustering now, it’s likely to become more important as technology evolves.

2. The Role of Structured Data & AI in Entity Relationships

• Daniel discusses the practical push toward integrated structured data, aligning with broader AI trends.
  • Company Example: Informatica’s move from on-premises to cloud demanded careful control of content clusters to help users find updated solutions, not legacy ones.
  • “We have to create this new relationship. So it requires work … But to long and shorten of it. I don't think that traditional Google search has. I think the entities are a factor like author, pages, schema, all that. But … as AI crawlers get smarter and can build those semantic relationships better then yeah, I think entities will matter more in the future.” – Daniel Hurwitz [01:54-02:22]

3. Evolution of Search Intent Mapping

• Tyson Stockton agrees:

  • “Definitely more trend than trash… For me it's not going to be as far as like running shoes, best running shoes, anything that just uses the same exact words. And really … we've been there for a while where it's what is the relationships between these…” – Tyson Stockton [02:29]

  • Entities are increasingly used to understand the user intent matrix and broader topical mapping, even though keywords remain foundational.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Daniel Hurwitz:

  • “In traditional Google search it's still a little trash … but I do think entities will become more important.” [00:54]
  • “That's something we've actually implemented even at the product level. … We don't want people to be finding our on premises solution and thinking that that's us. But we have to create this new relationship.” [01:24]
  • “…entities are a factor like author, pages, schema, all that. But I just think as AI crawlers get smarter and can build those semantic relationships better then yeah, I think entities will matter more in the future.” [01:54]

• Tyson Stockton:

  • “…it's what is the relationships between these which is also something that's driving into query, fan out and those other kind of components that we've even touched on...” [02:29]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:43 – Introduction of the core discussion: Trend or trash for entity-based clusters
• 00:54-02:22 – Daniel Hurwitz’s nuanced take on current Google search and the future with AI/structured data
• 02:29 – Tyson’s agreement and input on evolving content strategy
• 02:56 – Episode wrap-up

Summary Assessment

• Entity relationships are on the rise in SEO theory, but keywords still dominate most practical implementations today.
• Future-facing SEOs should prepare for a landscape in which AI and structured data amplify the power of entities for content clustering and search intent mapping.
• The episode closes with a consensus: “More trend than trash”—entity approaches aren’t fully there yet, but they’re certainly coming.