Frequently asked questions
Short answers about the framework, the Canvas, and how companies use them.
Is this just SEO?
No.
Search is where the gap becomes visible, because it shows which version of you the internet can retrieve.
The gap itself is wider: positioning, public proof, third-party signals, and how AI represents you.
Is this the same as GEO or AI visibility?
No.
AI visibility asks whether you appear in AI answers.
The Digital Reality Gap asks whether the company being described is accurate.
Who should use it?
Founders, CEOs, CMOs, product marketers, communications teams, and the agencies and consultants who work with them.
It is most useful during positioning work, rebrands, category shifts, and migrations.
When should a company use the Canvas?
When the company has changed faster than the internet has.
Common moments:
- Repositioning
- Rebrand
- Website migration
- Category shift
- AI product launch
- Upmarket move
- Sales correcting the same misunderstanding
- AI describing the company incorrectly
- Buyers comparing you to the wrong competitors
What is the Digital Reality Check?
The open method for using the Canvas against live AI and search output.
You ask the questions your buyers ask, read your own public evidence, and compare both to your Canvas.
It produces a Canvas Readout, not a score. Free to run, no tools.
Can agencies, consultants, or companies use the framework?
Yes.
The framework and Canvas are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0: use, adapt, and share, including commercially, with attribution and ShareAlike.
How is this different from the Business Model Canvas?
The Digital Reality Canvas belongs to the same tradition of practical strategy tools, alongside the Business Model Canvas, SWOT, Wardley Maps, and Jobs to Be Done. Each shows a different part of the business.
This one answers a single question: is the company the internet describes the company you actually are?