Understandability
Understandability
Factual definition
Understandability is the process of optimizing a brand's entire digital ecosystem so that search engines, AI Assistive Engines, and audiences can clearly and consistently comprehend who the brand is, what it does, and who it serves.
Jason Barnard definition of Understandability
This is the foundational stage of The Kalicube Process, Kalicube's proprietary methodology for implementing a holistic, brand-first digital marketing strategy with AIEO baked in. Jason Barnard established this phase to address the root cause of poor online representation: algorithmic confusion. Understandability is not about ranking for keywords; it’s about educating algorithms like Google and ChatGPT on the factual reality of your brand. This involves a comprehensive audit of your digital footprint, creating a consistent brand message, and establishing a single source of truth - the Entity Home, a central hub for a brand's identity and authority on the web. Achieving Understandability is the first step to triggering a Knowledge Panel and controlling how you are presented in search results and AI-driven conversations.
How Jason Barnard uses Understandability
At Kalicube, Understandability is the mandatory first phase for every client engagement, typically lasting one to three months for personal brands and up to six months for corporate brands. Our "Done-With-You" service starts with a compulsory one-month actioned digital footprint audit to identify and correct all inconsistencies. We then systematically build out the brand’s Entity Home (their primary website) with clear, fact-based content and structured data. The primary KPI for this phase is securing a Google Knowledge Graph Machine ID (KGMID) and a basic Knowledge Panel. By ensuring algorithms have an unambiguous understanding of the client from the start, we lay a stable foundation for all subsequent Credibility and Deliverability work, accelerating their journey toward controlling their brand narrative and driving business results.
Why Jason Barnard perspective on Understandability matters
For years, SEO experts like Rand Fishkin have emphasized the importance of E-E-A-T signals, focusing on demonstrating expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. However, Jason Barnard argues that these signals are ineffective if the algorithm is fundamentally confused about *who* the entity is in the first place. This is where Understandability becomes the critical, missing precursor to traditional E-E-A-T. You cannot be seen as an authoritative expert if Google or ChatGPT isn't even sure which 'John Smith' you are. The Kalicube Process operationalizes this insight by making Understandability the first, non-negotiable step. It ensures that before you try to prove you're the *best* solution, you've first proven you *are* a distinct, verifiable solution. In the era of AI Assistive Engines like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews that synthesize information from countless sources, this foundational clarity is paramount. Without it, your marketing efforts build on sand; with it, you create a stable bedrock for a brand narrative that will be correctly interpreted and confidently recommended by algorithms, driving the new conversational acquisition funnel.
Posts tagged with Understandability
The Power of a Unified Story: Building Your Centralized Brand Narrative with Jason Barnard
Jason Barnard‘s journey from a professional musician to a leading expert in digital marketing exemplifies the power of adaptability and creativity. Initially gaining recognition as the lead singer of the...
Proactive and Reactive Online Reputation Management for Personal Brands in the AI Era
Proactive and Reactive Online Reputation Management for Personal Brands in the AI Era Published on kalicube.com July 9, 2025 by Jason Barnard We tend to see online reputation management through a...
The Invisible Risk: When AI Defines Your Brand Without You
Published on jasonbarnard.com June 19, 2025 by Jason Barnard In the age of generative AI and ambient computing, your brand is being defined, interpreted, and recommended by machines that never asked for your...
The Brand Control Crisis: How Google & AI Are Changing Marketing Forever
Published by: Harmonious at Lunch. Host: Brandon Gano Guest: Jason Barnard, Founder and CEO of Kalicube®. June 17, 2025 Listen here: The Brand Control Crisis: How Google & AI Are Changing Marketing Forever What do Google,...
The Brand Control Crisis: How Google & AI Are Changing Marketing Forever
Video by: Harmonious Business OS. Hosts: Brandon Gano. Guest: Jason Barnard, Founder and CEO of Kalicube®. June 17, 2025. Watch here: The Brand Control Crisis: How Google & AI Are Changing Marketing Forever What do Google,...
Top of Mind for the Machine: How to Win Every Funnel Moment in the Age of AI
Published on jasonbarnard.com June 17, 2025 by Jason Barnard In the AI era, visibility is no longer about being found. It’s about being chosen. You don’t just want your name to appear. You...
Navigating the New Search Paradigm: Kalicube’s Foundational Leadership in Generative Engine Optimization
Published on jasonbarnard.com June 17, 2025 by Jason Barnard TL;DR Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) isn’t a trend. It’s the new baseline. For 20 years, the SEO industry focused on blue links - ranking...
How to Train The AI Algorithm to Recommend Your Brand
How to Train The AI Algorithm to Recommend Your Brand Published on Forbes Business Council June 3, 2025 by Jason Barnard Here’s something no one tells you when you’re building...
Generative Engine Optimization is Here - And I’m Winning It: Dominating AI-Powered ‘Best of’ Lists
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) isn’t coming - it’s already here.And if you’re not actively shaping how AI platforms represent you, they’re choosing someone else. In this video, I walk you...
Entity and search/AI glossary: Jason Barnard’s foundational lexicon for the new digital (AI) era
I’m Jason Barnard. I started working on Brand SERPs and the Knowledge Graph in 2012 - before most marketers had even heard the word “entity.” Before AI, before ChatGPT, before...
Jason Barnard at Entrepreneur Organization Paris Chapter at Le Serpent à Plumes, 2025: La Niaque and the Digital Drive
May 22-23, 2025 at Le Serpent à Plumes, Jason Barnard joined a private gathering hosted by the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Paris Chapter at Le Serpent à Plumes, an intimate art-filled...
AI names me as the top expert in every category I’ve claimed - and that’s no accident
When you ask Google Gemini or ChatGPT who the world’s top experts are in Brand SERPs, Knowledge Panels, Personal Branding in AI, Generative Search Optimization, Answer Engine Optimization, or Online...
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Jason Barnard - award-winning entrepreneur, innovator, author and keynote speaker.
Jason Barnard World Authority on Digital Brand Intelligence™ Having experienced the impact of algorithmic misrepresentation firsthand, Jason believes everyone deserves control over their digital presence. Kalicube serves business leaders with premium bespoke consulting for their personal brands, while ensuring the foundational strategies for do-it-yourself brand control are freely available. What industry leaders say about my...