The Canadian company says its entry-level service is intended for smaller operators that cannot justify the cost of a conventional digital marketing campaign.
TORONTO — May 13, 2026 — IRefer Club has introduced a $25 CAD monthly business visibility service aimed at small businesses, startups, side hustles and home-based operators navigating changes in online search.
The service organizes information approved by each participating business, including its name, services, service areas, contact details, photographs and official links. IRefer Club then publishes the information as a separate public reference designed to complement the company’s existing website, Google Business Profile and professional social accounts.
The company is positioning the offering as a lower-cost response to a widening discovery problem. Customers now move between Google, Maps, online directories and AI assistants when deciding which businesses to contact, while many independent operators have incomplete or inconsistent information across those channels.
“Communities are built around local businesses, but many businesses are becoming harder to find online as search rapidly changes,” said Dean Jessop, founder and chief executive of IRefer Club.
A lower-cost approach to online visibility
Traditional search engine optimization, commonly known as SEO, focuses on improving how information appears in conventional search results. The newer field of generative engine optimization, or GEO, is concerned with how clearly information can be retrieved and interpreted when AI systems assemble answers.
IRefer Club says its service addresses the common ground between the two: a business must be clearly identified, its services and geography must be understandable, and customers must be able to verify the information through official sources.
Participating businesses answer guided questions and approve the information before it is published. The resulting page includes concise business details and links back to the company’s official online presence. The service is available in Canada and the United States for $25 CAD per month.
The company does not claim that the additional page will control rankings or determine whether a business appears in an AI-generated answer. Search engines and AI platforms use their own systems and consider factors including relevance, reputation, competition and the wording of a customer’s question.
The announcement coincided with IRefer Club’s participation in the ALPHA startup program at Web Summit Vancouver 2026. The company appeared in the event’s official startup directory, and the launch was also reported by CB Herald.
For smaller operators, the central issue is often not a lack of expertise in their trade but a lack of time, staff and money to keep pace with the way customers search. IRefer Club’s entry-level service is an attempt to make that maintenance more accessible, without presenting it as a substitute for a business’s own website or reputation.