Why I'm Investing in Structured Data (And Why You Should Care About Schema Markup)
This week, I took a hard look at the structured data on my website. Not because I'm chasing some technical SEO checklist, but because I realized something important: if I don't tell search engines who I am, they'll figure it out on their own. And when there are two other people with my exact name competing for the same search results, I can't afford to leave that interpretation up to chance.
Structured data, specifically schema markup, is how you give search engines the context they need to understand your identity. It's not about gaming the system. It's about clarity. When someone searches for Kenny Kane, I want Google to know exactly which one I am. The CEO and author in Austin, not the comedian in Los Angeles or the rapper in Memphis.
The Problem with Ambiguity
Search engines are good at making educated guesses, but they're not perfect. When you share a name with other public figures, those guesses can go sideways fast. Without structured data, Google has to infer who you are based on scattered signals across the web. Sometimes it gets it right. Sometimes it mixes you up with someone else. And sometimes it just shrugs and shows a little bit of everyone.
That's what was happening to me. My site had basic schema markup, which is better than nothing, but it wasn't doing enough to differentiate me. It listed my roles and my books, but it didn't emphasize the things that make me distinct. My location. My career timeline. My specific affiliations with organizations that have their own authority and recognition.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that structured data isn't just a technical nicety. It's a strategic asset. It's how you control the narrative before someone even clicks on your site.
What Structured Data Actually Does
Schema markup is a language that search engines understand natively. It's a way of saying, "Here's who I am, here's what I do, here's where I'm based, and here's how I'm connected to these other entities you already recognize." When you implement it properly, you're not just optimizing for search. You're building a knowledge graph that connects you to the rest of the web in a structured, verifiable way.
For me, that means connecting my name to Firmspace, the Testicular Cancer Foundation, and Gryt Health. It means linking my author profile to my books on Amazon and Goodreads. It means specifying that I'm based in Austin, Texas, which immediately sets me apart from the other Kenny Kanes. And eventually, when I have a Wikipedia page, it means linking that page directly into my schema so Google knows it's the authoritative source.
This isn't about vanity. It's about precision. When someone searches for me, I want the results to reflect the work I've actually done, not a blended average of three different people.
Why Location Matters More Than You Think
One of the simplest but most powerful additions I'm making to my schema is geographic information. Adding Austin, Texas as my home location seems almost too obvious, but it's one of the strongest differentiators I have. The comedian is in Los Angeles. The musician is in Memphis. I'm in Austin. That single data point cuts through a lot of confusion.
Location isn't just a detail. It's context. It tells search engines where I operate, what markets I'm connected to, and what communities I'm part of. It also helps with local search, which matters more than people realize. When someone searches for "Kenny Kane Austin" or "Austin CEO," I want to show up. And I want to show up as the definitive result, not as one of several possibilities.
Geographic data also supports other parts of my digital strategy. If I'm speaking at an event in Austin, writing about the Austin tech scene, or getting covered by local media, that location context reinforces the connection. It's one more signal that tells search engines, "This is the Kenny Kane who's based here, who works in these industries, and who's connected to these organizations."
The Role of Disambiguation
There's a specific schema property called "disambiguating description" that I'm adding to my markup. It's exactly what it sounds like: a short statement that clarifies who you are when your name might be confused with someone else's. For me, that description is simple. "American business executive, CEO of Firmspace and Testicular Cancer Foundation, author of The Accidental Nonprofiteer."
That one sentence does a lot of work. It immediately distinguishes me from the comedian and the musician. It highlights my primary roles and my most recognizable credential. And it gives search engines a clear, structured way to categorize me when they're building knowledge panels or answering queries.
Disambiguation isn't just for people with common names. It's for anyone whose identity might overlap with someone else's in search results. If you're in a crowded field, or if your work spans multiple industries, disambiguation helps search engines understand which version of you to show in which context.
Connecting to Authority
One of the most valuable things structured data does is connect you to entities that already have authority in Google's knowledge graph. For me, that means linking to Firmspace, which has its own Wikipedia page. It means linking to the Testicular Cancer Foundation and Gryt Health, both of which have established digital footprints. And it means linking to my books on Amazon, my articles on Forbes, and my profiles on LinkedIn and Crunchbase.
Each of those connections is a signal. It tells search engines that I'm not just claiming to be a CEO or an author. I'm verifiably connected to organizations and platforms that validate those claims. The more of those connections you can establish in your schema, the stronger your knowledge graph becomes.
This is also why pursuing a Wikipedia page is so important. Wikipedia is one of the most authoritative sources in Google's ecosystem. When you have a Wikipedia page, and when that page is linked into your schema, it becomes the anchor for your entire digital identity. It's the single source of truth that everything else connects back to.
Why This Matters for AI Search
There's another reason I'm prioritizing structured data right now, and it has to do with the future of search. AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity are becoming more prominent, and they rely heavily on structured data to generate answers. When someone asks an AI, "Who is Kenny Kane?" I want the response to be clear and accurate. Not a guess. Not a blend of multiple people. Just me.
Structured data is how you ensure that AI systems have the right information to work with. It's how you make sure that when these tools pull information about you, they're pulling from authoritative, verified sources rather than making inferences based on incomplete data.
The Long Game
Implementing structured data isn't a one-time project. It's an ongoing process. As my career evolves, as I take on new roles or publish new work, my schema needs to be updated to reflect that. It's part of maintaining your digital presence, just like updating your LinkedIn profile or refreshing your website copy.
But the payoff is worth it. Structured data is one of the few things in SEO that you can control directly. You can't control how other sites link to you, and you can't control how search engines rank your content. But you can control the information you provide about yourself. You can make sure that when search engines are trying to figure out who you are, they have all the context they need to get it right.
For me, that means being deliberate about the details. Adding my location. Clarifying my roles. Connecting my work to the organizations I lead. Linking to authoritative sources that validate my credentials. And eventually, once I have a Wikipedia page, making sure that page is woven into my schema so it becomes the definitive reference point.
If you're in a similar situation, whether it's name confusion or just a lack of clarity in how you show up in search results, structured data is one of the most effective tools you have. It's not flashy, and it's not something most people will ever see directly. But it's foundational. It's how you take control of your digital identity and make sure that when people search for you, they find the right version of your story.
And in a world where your online presence is often the first impression you make, that clarity matters more than ever.
