JD Sports has appointed Verde Digital to help strengthen the brand’s Google and AI search visibility across its operations in Canada.

Focusing on SEO and AI Search Optimisation, including Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO), the move will boost digital discoverability as the retailer continues to scale its presence within the market.

JD Sports expanded into Canada in 2021 with its first store in Toronto and now has more than 30 locations across the country, and will now focus on growing its digital footprint further.

Competing for online visibility against established and homegrown retailers, Verde Digital’s work will initially focus heavily on footwear, an area for which JD Sports is renowned. This will target opportunities around high-demand brands and product categories, including Nike, Jordan and Adidas, before expanding further into apparel.

“JD Sports has established a strong physical presence in Canada, and our work will help the brand build a similarly strong online presence,” Joe Hale, founder of Verde Digital, said.

“There’s a huge amount of competition for search demand across footwear in Canada, and we’re setting out to place JD Sports among the established brands. There is an opportunity to capture more of the demand at an earlier stage in the search cycle by improving visibility at the category level. We’re looking forward to helping JD Sports build visibility across both traditional and AI search as it enters its next stage of growth in Canada.”

Alongside traditional SEO, Verde Digital will optimise JD Sports Canada’s presence across emerging AI search platforms, reflecting the growing role of generative search in how consumers discover products, compare brands and make purchasing decisions.

Ryan Clarke, Senior Growth and Measurement Manager at JD Sports, said: “We’re excited to partner with Verde to ramp up our AI search positioning through GEO and AEO here in Canada. It’s a much-anticipated project kickoff for our team, and we are looking forward to acquiring some new skills in SEO too.”