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

seo traffic show | episode 2

august 6th, 3pm gmt, jason barnard and tristam jarman will pick your site apart and tell you what you need to do to turn it into an seo traffic magnet!...

BingBrandBrand SERP+31 more
Aug 6, 2020 Jason Barnard

Jason Barnard Defines the Future of Brand Understanding at Pubcon Las Vegas 2019

Las Vegas, October 8, 2019. At Pubcon Las Vegas 2019, Jason Barnard, founder and CEO of Kalicube, delivered a landmark presentation titled “Your Brand is a Thing, Not a String.”...

AIAI Assistive Engine OptimizationAI Assistive Engines+41 more
Oct 8, 2019 Bernadeth Brusola

Jason Barnard Delivers Insights on Featured Snippets and Structured Data at SMX London 2019

London, May 21-22, 2019 - At the prestigious SMX London 2019 conference, Jason Barnard, founder and CEO of Kalicube, delivered a talk that quietly reshaped how the industry understands visibility...

AIAI Assistive Engine OptimizationAI Assistive Engines+31 more
May 22, 2019 Bernadeth Brusola

Jason Barnard at Digital Olympus 2019: Helping Google Make Sense of a Chaotic, Unstructured Web

At the Digital Olympus Conference, held in Wrocław, Poland on April 5, 2019, Jason Barnard, CEO and founder of Kalicube, presented a visionary talk that quietly reshaped how we think...

AIAI Assistive EnginesAnnotations in Indexing+48 more
Apr 5, 2019 Bernadeth Brusola

Jason Barnard at YoastCon 2019: How the Knowledge Graph Sparked the Era of Algorithmic Understanding

In February 2019, Jason Barnard, CEO and founder of Kalicube, took the stage at YoastCon in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, to talk about something most marketers hadn’t yet considered: the Knowledge...

AIAI Assistive EnginesAI Overviews+33 more
Feb 8, 2019 Bernadeth Brusola

Jason Barnard Defines a Universal Strategy for Answer Engine Optimisation at BrightonSEO 2018 in UK

On April 27, 2018, at the prestigious BrightonSEO conference in Brighton, UK, Jason Barnard, founder and CEO of Kalicube® took the stage to deliver a presentation on the future of...

AIAI Assistive Engine OptimizationAI Assistive Engines+25 more
Apr 27, 2018 Bernadeth Brusola
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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...

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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...

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Dec 10, 2024 Jason Barnard

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,...

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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...

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Nov 3, 2023 Jason Barnard