Comprehension problem
A comprehension problem is when AI platforms don't know something true about you, like a product you sell or a place you deliver.
A comprehension problem is when the AI platforms don't know something true about your business. You launched a product, opened in a new city or added a service, and the answers carry on as if you hadn't.
It's a different problem from being named too rarely, and from being described wrongly. The platforms may name you often and describe you correctly, as far as they go. They just leave out what you can do, so you miss every question where it matters.
How to spot one
Ask the platforms directly. "Does Fernhill do office coffee?" or "Does Kestrel deliver to Ireland?" If the answer says no, or isn't sure, and the true answer is yes, you have a comprehension problem.
For example, Fernhill started office subscriptions six months ago. It's named often for home subscriptions, and never for office ones. When asked directly, answers say Fernhill "focuses on home delivery." Nothing they say is false. It's just out of date.
How to fix it
Platforms learn about you from your own pages and from what others say about you. So:
- Say it plainly on your own site, on a page of its own, in words people use when they ask
- Add it to your structured data and your directory listings
- Get it mentioned where the platforms already read about you, such as review sites, partners' pages and the press
Then give it time. Answers change as platforms reread pages, which can take weeks.
In AnswerOrbit
Ask about your capabilities with branded prompts, and read the answers in Answers. Add each capability as a fact in Claims, so an answer that says you don't offer it shows up as contradicted. In Perception, you can mark an objection as untrue, which tells your recommendations it's a content and press problem you can fix.