“Made in Canada” has become one of the most searched terms in the past two months.

Some economic environments significantly impact customer behaviour, and we are seeing that on display now. People want to be able to show support for their neighbours and local companies and this trend is expected to continue into the near future and beyond. Consumer choices, once made, become very sticky so the companies that can provide this choice have the potential to access a brand-new segment for their business.

EXPONENTIAL IMPRESSION INCREASE

Consumers are searching for locally made and produced products more than ever as can see in this chart which shows the results for “Made in Canada”.

At Search Engine People, we analyze thousands of keywords on a monthly basis. We decided to check our in-house custom data warehouse software for all keywords that include 'Made in Canada.' The results were beyond imagination; the magnitude of this movement is very significant.

Google Trends confirms that “Made in Canada” increased exponentially over the past few months compared to the prior months.

Running additional search terms in Google Trends such as “buy Canadian” (see the chart below). From the chart below Google will also include additional related topics and we can see from the chart below that there are many related topics showing normally unheard of interest.

Given the current economic environment, it is vital companies look to reach new markets to protect their businesses and employees.

Adjusting Your Marketing Activities to Align with the 'Buy Canadian' Movement:

• Reviewing Your Targeting and Bidding Strategies for Paid Search

Many Canadian businesses, including Search Engine People, operate on both sides of the border, but their identity is clearly Canadian. With little research, even having a few virtual offices in the USA, a potential US customer can tell we are Canadians.

Monitor your conversion rate from US traffic; if the conversion rate remains the same, there is no need for change. However, if it drops, you might need to reduce the budget on US campaigns, or give more weight to conversions from Canada if you do not have a separate campaign for the USA.

• Creating Content for “Made in Canada”, “Buy Canadian”

This should start by identifying keywords related to your business and the Buy Canadian movement, then produce content to target them. This content could take the form of listicles, pillar pages, or product pages.

• Creating Marketing Creatives for “Made in Canada”, “Buy Canadian”

You can be humorous about it, like with this reverse tariffs ad by Pizza Pizza. You can also adjust existing ads to promote the Canadian identity or add a Canadian flag.

• Providing Affordable Solutions at Reduced Prices

Customers may have less purchasing power in a weak economy, but it will not drop to zero. Repurpose what you offer to make it more affordable. At Search Engine People, we have created essential SEO packages that start at $999/month to keep our services accessible for customers with less purchasing power during this uncertain time.

• Adjust Your Website Messaging to Emphasize Your Canadian Brand and Product Identity

Add text or image signals (as simple as a Canadian flag) to your website and landing pages to clearly indicate that you are a Canadian operation. Pay attention to Canadian word spellings; for example, keep the 'u' in 'colour,' 'neighbour,' etc. You can read more here about Canadian vs. American spellings.

Final Thoughts: Do Everything Better—Good Marketing Always Yields Great Returns

At Search Engine People, we've taken a few extra steps (which aren't really extra—they are items we had been delaying for a while due to being busy with day-to-day work).

• We have redesigned our website, which is now just two months old, and this change has led to a significant improvement in our conversion rate, helping to offset any slowdown in our leads.
• We've upgraded our server, doubling our RAM and CPU, and have seen great improvements in Core Web Vitals (most of our URLs are now in the green in Google Search Console).
• We have started a blogging program where every member of our team produces content, like what I am doing now. This initiative has been a great success, attracting a lot of traffic and attention.
• We have increased our spending with Google Ads and are aggressively running numerous experiments with A/B testing on landing pages, bidding strategies, and ad copies. The outcome has been very rewarding in terms of improved conversion rates.

By implementing the above, we ended up with a great quarter! The sentiment at Search Engine People is very positive. We have confidence in our ability to navigate and succeed during this period of change!

If you are unsure of your next steps or do not have time to implement the changes that your business needs, we can help. Visit our website Leading SEO Agency, Toronto and North America Wide | SEP or contact us directly @ 1-877-530-8885. Search Engine People can guide you and your digital marketing efforts through this tumultuous time of change and uncertainty.