Faced with three layers — knowledge base, evidence, and alignment — and the reality that most sites have none of them properly connected, it's easy to feel like the right approach is "do everything at once." In practice, there's a more useful starting point that applies almost regardless of where you're beginning.

Start by establishing what already exists

Before creating anything new, the highest-leverage first step is almost always an audit: does an entity record already exist for this entity, in any form? Does the site have any structured data, and if so, what does it actually describe? Is the entity described consistently across whatever sources already mention it?

This matters because the answer fundamentally changes what comes next. Creating a new entity record when one already exists (even an incomplete one) can create duplication and confusion. Building an elaborate evidence layer before a knowledge base record exists means there's nothing yet for that evidence to corroborate. Adding alignment schema before either exists means referencing nothing.

The order that tends to work

Once the audit is done, the typical sequence is: first, ensure a correct, well-categorised, properly connected entity record exists (creating one if needed, correcting one if it exists but is flawed). Second, ensure the evidence layer — existing content and descriptions — is consistent with that record, fixing discrepancies where they exist. Third, implement alignment schema on the site, referencing the entity record accurately.

Why this order matters: each layer depends on the one before it being correct. Evidence corroborates a knowledge base record — so the record needs to exist and be accurate first. Alignment references that record — so it needs to be correct before you point to it. Working in this order avoids building structure on top of gaps.

What "done" looks like — for now

Entity infrastructure isn't a one-time project with a fixed endpoint — knowledge bases get updated, new content gets published, and consistency needs occasional maintenance. But a reasonable initial milestone is: one correct, well-connected entity record; a consistent description of that entity across your existing content; and accurate alignment schema on your site referencing the record. From there, everything else — more content, more connections, more depth — builds on a foundation that's actually structurally sound.