sameAs (Schema Property)

sameAs is a Schema.org property that says “this entity is the same as the one described at these URLs”. You add it to an Organization, Person, Product or other entity in your structured data and list the external profiles that unambiguously identify it, such as its Wikidata item, LinkedIn page, Crunchbase listing or official social accounts. It is one of the simplest ways to connect your own description of an entity to the wider web.

How it works

Schema.org defines sameAs as the URL of a reference web page that unambiguously indicates the item’s identity. In JSON-LD it is a list of URLs:

• “sameAs”: [“https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q…”, “https://www.linkedin.com/company/…”, “https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/…”]

Search engines and AI systems use these links as verification points. When several independent profiles agree on the same name, description and facts, the system can triangulate the entity’s identity with more confidence and attach it to the right node in its knowledge graph. Google’s Organization structured data documentation lists sameAs among its recommended properties.

sameAs works alongside @id. @id gives the entity a stable identifier inside your own markup; sameAs points outwards to identities on other sites.

How it’s used in SEO and marketing

• Entity disambiguation: when your brand shares a name with something else, sameAs links to authoritative profiles give the system an anchor that separates you from the other meaning.
• Knowledge Panel and entity recognition work, where consistent external profiles support the entity’s existence beyond your own site.
• Cross-platform consistency: the profiles you list should use the same canonical name and facts as your own schema.
• Person entities for authors and leadership, linking to their professional profiles.

Example

The AI Search and Agentic SEO course contrasts two Organization blocks. The weak one has a generic name, a vague description and no @id or sameAs. The strong one has a stable @id, a name that matches the Wikidata label and LinkedIn page character for character, a specific description and two sameAs links that both resolve to matching records. The second block has fewer fields, yet only it lets a system reconcile the entity across sources.

Limitations and things to watch

• Broken or redirected sameAs links are common because platforms change URLs and profiles get renamed. MLforSEO’s entity audit cadence includes spot-checking that every sameAs URL still resolves.
• Only list profiles that are about this exact entity. Linking to a general topic page, a competitor’s listing or a profile with a different name weakens confidence.
• sameAs supports recognition; it does not create notability. A Wikidata item still has to meet Wikidata’s own criteria.
• More links is not better if they contradict each other. Consistency matters more than volume.

Learn it on MLforSEO

• Entity Disambiguation in Practice: When Your Brand Shares a Name with Something Else
• How Structured Data Reinforces Entity Understanding in AI Search
• Consistency beats completeness: schema for machines, not results
• Entity Audit Cadence: What to Check Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly
• The AI-powered Entity Audit