BARRIE, ONTARIO — May 24, 2026
An article carried by MSN included comments from Dean Jessop, Founder and CEO of IRefer Club, in a discussion about artificial intelligence, changing search behaviour and online business visibility.
The MSN article, titled Good businesses are disappearing online. AI may be why., examined how businesses can become more difficult to discover when their public information is incomplete, inconsistent or spread across disconnected sources.
What the MSN article discussed
Customers may encounter a business through search engines, maps, reviews, social platforms, voice assistants and AI-generated summaries before deciding whether to visit, call or request information. These systems do not all collect, interpret or display business information in the same way.
In this context, “disappearing” refers to reduced discoverability. It does not mean that a business has literally been removed from the internet, and it does not establish that artificial intelligence is the only reason a business may be difficult to find.
IRefer Club's context
Jessop's contribution focused on the value of clear business identity, services, operating areas, contact information and connections to official online sources. IRefer Club organizes and publishes information approved by participating businesses to provide an additional public reference for conventional search and AI-assisted discovery.
Search engine optimization (SEO) supports visibility and interpretation in conventional search. Generative engine optimization (GEO) focuses on making source information clear and retrievable when AI-assisted systems assemble responses. Both can support discoverability, but neither controls the results produced by an outside platform.
IRefer Club also uses REG (Retrieval Engine Guidance) for its approach to organizing approved information for retrieval, and RBR (Recognized Before Recommended) for the principle that a business must first be clearly identified and understood before it can reasonably be considered for a relevant answer or recommendation. REG and RBR are IRefer Club terms; they are not MSN, Google or industry classifications.
About this media reference
This IRefer Club page summarizes and links to the MSN article. MSN controls the external page and may change its content, availability or URL. Appearance in the article is a media reference; it is not proof of search performance, an endorsement by MSN or a promise that IRefer Club can obtain rankings, citations, AI inclusion, recommendations, traffic, leads or customers.
About Dean Jessop and IRefer Club
Dean Jessop is the Founder and CEO of IRefer Club, a Canadian business visibility company based in Barrie, Ontario. IRefer Club publishes business-approved information intended to support a business's existing website and official online presence across conventional search and AI-assisted discovery.
Learn how IRefer Club helps businesses or read the IRefer Club FAQ.