How We Helped “My Refugee Claim” Become the Go-to Resource for Refugee Claimants in Canada (Non-Profit Marketing Case Study)
My Refugee Claim (MRC) is a critical online hub for newcomers navigating Canada’s complex refugee claimant process. Its mission: make the overwhelming manageable. But to truly serve its audience—especially first-time claimants—visibility, access, and clear digital pathways were essential.
That’s where we came in.
We Support Non-profits With Their Marketing
We kicked things off with My Refugee Claim in 2023 with a clear goal: help more people find critical information faster through SEO, Google Ads, and better social engagement. The first year laid the groundwork—improved visibility, solid campaign structure, and stronger analytics.
But 2024-2025? That’s when things really took off. Our second year together wasn’t just about refining tactics—it was about surpassing every benchmark we’d set.
We didn’t just build on progress. We scaled it.
What We Did As a Marketing Agency
1. SEO & Domain Authority Boosting
Full Google indexing, optimized on-page structure, and link-building outreach helped us push visibility. We supported this with SEMrush monitoring to track growth and improve authority. The results?
Search impressions exploded from 1.1M to 3.2M.
Google search clicks increased 152% YOY.
SEMrush authority score rose from 23 to a high of 31 (on par or greater than other similar non-profit resources).
2. Google Ads Management (Grant Program)
We managed and optimized tens of thousands of dollars in free ad spend, focusing on high-intent keywords like “list of questions at refugee hearing” and “eligibility interview refugee canada.” Our ads brought tens of thousands of new users to the site—up nearly 80% YoY.
3. Social Media Management
We transformed key sections of the site into bite-sized, digestible content for Instagram and Facebook, helping more people access vital information without needing to dig. From explainer reels to multi-slide carousel guides, we extended the reach of My Refugee Claim’s resources and made complex legal info feel more accessible, scroll after scroll.
4. Campaign Support
For 2024’s World Refugee Day, we brought in a publicity expert to train the My Refugee Claim team on the best message to express to the Canadian media. This training was valuable for a CTV interview with the Director of Engagement of Kinbrace (My Refugee Claim’s parent organization) as well as a former refugee claimant was able to speak to the about the power of the MRC platform.
The Results: Non-Profit Marketing that Lasts
Our two favourite improvements were:
A 51% increase in website users, i.e. hundreds of thousands of people using the MRC site.
95,000+ hours of engagement. Because the average user spent 1.5 hours per visit, the MRC website offered the equivalent of 6,300 full-length univeristy lectures or 63,000 Netflix documentaries.
And yet, this wasn’t just about the metrics. More people finding the site = more people getting real, life-changing help. Every additional visit represented someone closer to understanding their rights, their options, and their next step.
A&O Loves Working with Non-Profits
Marketing My Refugee Claim wasn’t about conversions or click-through rates—it was about making sure the right people could find life-changing information at the exact moment they needed it most.
Every search query answered, every carousel swipe, every extra minute someone spent on the site meant one more person felt less alone navigating an overwhelming system. This project reminded us that digital strategy can be more than performance—it can be a public service.
We’re proud to have played a small part in something much bigger.
Who is A&O?
A&O (Apples & Oranges) is a digital marketing agency built for nonprofits and purpose-driven organizations. We partner with changemakers like My Refugee Claim to turn complex missions into clear, discoverable, and actionable digital strategies.
Our goal? To help you grow your impact—not just your impressions. Whether it’s through search-optimized content, accessible social campaigns, Google Ad Grant management, or email flows that inform and inspire—we build digital ecosystems that meet people where they are and move them where they need to go.
From advocacy campaigns to educational hubs and donation funnels, we combine creative storytelling with sharp technical execution. We’re fluent in platforms like Google Ads, HubSpot, and Meta, and we bring deep experience in content strategy, SEO, and analytics to every project.
Whether you’re expanding your reach, improving engagement, or launching a new initiative, we help purpose-led orgs go beyond awareness—into action.
Ready to grow your mission online? Let’s talk.