The questions Canadian business owners ask us most often, with honest answers. If you can't find what you need, send us a request and we'll get back to you by email.
What is CanadianInternetMarketingAssociation.com?
An independently operated Canadian marketing resource and referral website. We publish plain-language guidance on SEO, Google Ads, websites, and content marketing, and we run a free website review tool. We are not an association, regulator, or certification body.
Is this the same as internetmarketingassociation.ca?
No. We are not affiliated with internetmarketingassociation.ca and do not represent that organisation.
Do you charge for help?
No. The website review, the topic guides, and the request-help form are free. When we refer a business to a Canadian agency, that agency may pay us a referral fee — the business owner is never charged.
How does the agency referral process work?
You submit the request-help form describing your situation. We respond by email with either a direct answer or one or two Canadian agency names that handle work like yours. There's no obligation to hire any of them.
What does SEO cost in Canada?
For small businesses, a realistic range is $1,500–$3,500/month for an ongoing SEO retainer, or $1,500–$5,000 for a one-time technical audit. Competitive verticals like legal, dental, or real estate run higher. Anyone offering "guaranteed page-one rankings" for $200/month is not selling real SEO. More detail on the SEO Help page.
How long until SEO works?
For most Canadian SMBs, 3–6 months before meaningful movement, and 9–12 months before year-over-year traffic comparisons are useful. SEO is slow and compounding. Google Ads is the right tool if you need leads immediately.
How much should I spend on Google Ads?
Minimum useful ad spend is typically $1,500–$3,000/month. Below that, you can't gather enough data to optimise. Competitive verticals run $3,000–$10,000+/month. Management fees are typically $500–$1,500/month or 10–20% of spend on larger accounts. See the Google Ads Help page for a deeper breakdown.
What does a small business website cost in Canada?
Template-based 5–10 page sites: $2,500–$7,500. Custom-designed small-business sites: $7,500–$20,000. Mid-market or e-commerce: $15,000–$60,000+ depending on integrations and complexity. The Website Design Help page covers scoping in detail.
How do I tell if my current agency is actually doing work?
Ask for specifics: which pages did they edit this month, which keywords moved in Google Search Console, what changed in your Google Ads account. If they can't answer the question, or they refuse to share read-only access to your analytics and ad accounts, that's a problem worth investigating.
What is GEO and do I need it?
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is the emerging practice of optimising for visibility inside AI assistants like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews. In practice, sites that rank well in traditional Google search are usually the ones cited in AI answers. Doing real SEO well is still the foundation; paying separately for a distinct "GEO service" isn't yet proven worth it for most businesses. See the glossary for related terms.
Are you a regulator or certification body?
No. We are a privately operated website. We don't issue certifications, license practitioners, or enforce any code. If you need to file a complaint about an agency, your provincial consumer-protection office or the Competition Bureau is the right place.
How can I trust an agency you refer?
"Refer" doesn't equal "vouch." We only suggest agencies we've followed and think can plausibly help, but you should still do your own diligence — ask for case studies, talk to past clients, read the proposal carefully, and don't sign long contracts before you've seen any work.
CanadianInternetMarketingAssociation.com is an independently operated marketing resource and referral website. It is not a government body, regulator, certification organisation, or the operator of internetmarketingassociation.ca.