Understandability
Understandability
Description
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.
The Understandability definition
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 definition
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 Understandability matters to digital marketers
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
Top of mind for the machine: how to win every funnel moment in the age of AI
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 want the algorithm to: Not just...
Navigating the New Search Paradigm: Kalicube’s Foundational Leadership in Generative Engine Optimization
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 pages for keywords and chasing clicks....
How to train the AI Algorithm to recommend your Brand
Article written by Jason Barnard published on Forbes Here’s something no one tells you when you’re building a personal brand: The biggest opportunities don’t come from people searching for your...
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...
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...
Entity Home Website: definition and strategic role in the kalicube process
An Entity Home Website is the full, dedicated website that serves as the primary digital embodiment of a brand or person online. unlike an individual entity home page (typically the...
what is the kalicube flywheel?
at kalicube, we didn’t invent physics - but we did apply it to digital strategy. the kalicube flywheel is a simple but powerful framework that drives consistent, compounding growth for...
Kalicube Online Reputation Management Spectrum
In the age of Google and generative AI, your online reputation is no longer just about what people say about you – it’s about what machines understand and repeat. And...
Optimizing your personal brand for AI agents, assistive engines, and search – today, tomorrow, and the decade ahead
In 2025, most entrepreneurs still think their personal brand is something search and AI engines “just pick up.” They’re wrong. Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Bing Copilot aren’t passively listing your...
Which LLM Chatbots Should You Optimize For (SEO)
Over the last two years, clients and colleagues have been panicking: “Is ChatGPT killing Google?” It’s a fair question – but the wrong one. Here’s what’s actually happening: chatbots like...
Personal Branding: A Guide from Kalicube
What is Personal Branding? Personal branding is how a person markets and presents themself in the world, particularly in professional circles and across digital platforms. Your personal brand defines who...
Related Pages:
search marketing in the age of ai: understanding the marketing implications of search, assistive, and answer engines
journal of digital & social media marketing published by henry stuart publications jason barnard co-authored search marketing in the age of ai: understanding the marketing implications of search, assistive, and answer engines with matt artz. this academic paper explores how search engines and artificial intelligence are reshaping digital marketing strategies. it emphasizes the importance of...
Jason Barnard’s Entrepreneurial Journey: A Cornerstone of Success
Jason Barnard, entrepreneur, author, keynote speaker and CEO of Kalicube has carved a unique path in the entrepreneurial world. His journey from a musician to a digital marketing expert and now a recognized entrepreneur tells a compelling story of adaptability and strategic repositioning. This article explores Jason’s entrepreneurial ventures, his strategic shift in personal branding,...
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...