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
How Kalicube Implements The Kalicube Process
Kalicube implements The Kalicube Process™ in three phases called Understandability, Credibility and Deliverability. The phases are implemented in conjunction with the brand needs, goals and resources to ensure optimal results. ...
how does the kalicube process work?
The Kalicube Process™ works through 3 steps that optimize your brand across your digital ecosystem. 1. audit and clean your complete digital footprint the first step is auditing your digital...
what are the kpis for the kalicube process?
the kpi for The Kalicube Process™ is a brand serp you own. your brand dominates every result on the page and tells the story you want to tell. the in-search...
beginner’s in-depth guide to search engine optimization and how it works
originally published on semrush december 23, 2020 (jason barnard) what is seo (search engine optimization)? seo is the art and science of convincing search engines, such as google, yahoo, and bing...
the kalicube process has solved digital marketing
what is The Kalicube Process™? the kalicube process is a three-stage-complete digital marketing strategy that allows brands to optimize their visibility, message, and acquisition funnel across their entire digital ecosystem....
darwinism & google serps as product: revisiting how search works
originally published on search engine journal august 18, 2021 (jason barnard) new insights on how google search ranking works plus the concept of the serp as a product and how it plays...
the future of seo: understanding, credibility, & deliverability
originally published on semrush december 03, 2020 (jason barnard) when someone searches on google (or bing), they express a problem they are seeking to solve or a question they need...
Why The Kalicube Process is the ultimate Search Engine Reputation Management strategy for the AI era
Search Engine Reputation Management isn’t what it used to be. In fact, I’d argue the term “search engine ” is already obsolete. Today’s decision-makers aren’t just Googling your name, they’re...
Search, Answer, and Assistive Engine Optimization: A 3-part Approach
TL;DRModern optimization has evolved beyond traditional SEO to target all recommendation engines, including Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Siri. This new landscape is powered by the fusion of three foundational technologies...
Interview with Jason Barnard, CEO of Kalicube
Adapted Transcript Q: Can you share a little bit about your personal background and how you arrived at your current work with the brand narrative and AI? Jason Barnard speaking:...
092 Master Personal Marketing: How Machines Decide Your Success with Jason Barnard
What if the key to digital marketing success has nothing to do with SEO tricks or technical hacks? Listen here: 092 Master Personal Marketing: How Machines Decide Your Success with...
What AI says about you when you’re not in the room
What AI says about you when you’re not in the room Published on Marketing Tech April 24, 2025 Muhammad Zulhusni In this age of generative AI, what machines say about...
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
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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...