Define before comparing
Every reported metric needs a source, period and operating definition. If the definition changes materially, the comparison is marked rather than silently restated.
Research standard / 01
Method before magnitude.
Our public framework for producing useful operating research without overstating what the evidence can support.
Purpose
A repeatable way to turn field evidence into accountable decisions.
Boost Commerce Research exists to make the group’s operating logic inspectable. It is not academic research, an audit or professional advice. It combines dated observations, internal operating measures and primary external sources to develop frameworks that can be tested against the portfolio.
Keep measures separate
Search impressions, visitors, useful actions, qualified leads and partner outcomes describe different stages. We do not combine them into a single rate unless the populations and periods reconcile.
Prefer primary evidence
Official registries, public agencies, product source systems and direct first-party records take priority. Secondary sources may provide context but do not replace authoritative verification.
Date observations
Websites, regulations, records and product behaviour change. Reviews state when an observation was made so readers can judge its freshness.
Label inference
Operating interpretation is separated from sourced fact. A recommendation or thesis is presented as analysis, not as an externally verified conclusion.
Publish the boundary
We state when figures are rounded, management-reported, unaudited, group-wide or not attributable to an individual property.
Working definitions
What the portfolio measures mean.
- Search impressions
- Search-result appearances reported by the relevant search platform during the stated monthly period. They describe discoverability, not visits.
- Monthly users
- A group-wide monthly audience measure drawn from portfolio analytics. It is not a deduplicated count of individual Canadians and should not be read as cross-platform unique active users.
- Qualified inquiries
- Recorded inquiries or structured high-intent actions that meet the definition set for each property. Definitions may differ by workflow and are not equivalent to completed transactions.
- Partner revenue facilitated
- A management estimate of cumulative downstream revenue associated with portfolio sites for partners. It is not Boost Commerce revenue, an audited figure or automatic proof of causation.
Search impressions follow the counting rules documented by Google Search Console ↗. Group figures follow the periods and limitations published with each Boost Commerce report.
Limitations & corrections
Uncertainty stays visible.
Aggregate metrics can show scale but cannot prove user satisfaction, service quality, market share or the outcome of any individual introduction. External facts are only current as of their stated review date.
Material factual errors are corrected in place. The updated date is changed when a correction or substantive revision affects the paper’s meaning. Readers can report an issue at hello@boostcommerce.ca.
Read the editorial standard