Privacy Policy
Rankwise is committed to handling personal information responsibly and in compliance with applicable privacy law. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights.
Rankwise is a sole proprietorship registered in British Columbia, Canada, operated by Zack Shefrin. This policy applies to rankwise.ca and Rankwise's related services. It is governed by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) (federal) and British Columbia's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).
1. Introduction
We collect only the personal information we need to provide our services and operate our website. We do not sell personal information to third parties. We store information securely and keep it only as long as necessary.
2. What we collect
a) Instant audit widget
When you use the free instant audit tool on rankwise.ca, we collect:
- The name or address of the business you search (entered by you).
- If you submit your email address to receive audit results, we collect that email address.
- Publicly available data from the business's Google Business Profile, retrieved via the Google Places API. This includes the business's name, address, phone number, category, rating, review count, and hours — all of which are already public on Google.
We do not collect your email unless you voluntarily provide it. Providing your email is optional.
b) Booking via Cal.com
When you book a discovery call or audit through Cal.com, Cal.com collects your name, email address, company name, and website. This information is used to schedule and conduct the call. Cal.com's own privacy policy applies to data collected through their platform.
c) Analytics — Google Analytics 4
We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand how visitors use rankwise.ca. GA4 collects anonymized usage data including pages visited, time on site, referral source, and general geographic region. GA4 uses cookies to identify sessions. It does not collect personally identifiable information unless you submit a form.
d) Outreach
If Rankwise contacts your business directly as a prospective client, we may have collected your business name, phone number, and publicly listed email address from public sources such as Google Business Profile, industry directories, or business registries. This information is used solely for the purpose of reaching out about Rankwise's services.
3. How we use personal information
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide and improve the instant audit tool and other site features.
- Respond to inquiries and schedule calls.
- Deliver SEO and Google Business Profile services to clients.
- Understand site usage and improve rankwise.ca.
- Contact prospective HVAC contractor clients in the Lower Mainland about Rankwise's services, subject to CASL consent rules (see Section 6).
We do not use personal information for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects.
4. Cookies and analytics
Rankwise uses the following cookies:
- Google Analytics 4 cookies — used to measure site traffic and usage patterns. These cookies are set by Google and are subject to Google's Privacy Policy.
- internal_traffic — a first-party cookie set manually to distinguish internal Rankwise traffic from public visitors in analytics. This cookie contains no personal information.
- Cloudflare Turnstile — used on the audit widget to distinguish humans from bots. Cloudflare's privacy policy applies.
To opt out of Google Analytics tracking, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on or adjust your browser's cookie settings.
5. Sharing and third parties
We share personal information only as necessary to operate our services:
- Google — audit tool queries are sent to the Google Places API. Booking data goes through Google Calendar integration. Analytics data is processed by Google Analytics 4. Google's privacy policy applies.
- Cal.com — booking information is processed by Cal.com. Cal.com's privacy policy applies.
- Supabase — audit submissions and client portal data are stored on Supabase infrastructure (hosted in the United States). Supabase's privacy policy and data processing agreement apply.
- Email — we use standard email to respond to inquiries and communicate with clients.
- TikTok — Rankwise maintains a TikTok presence for our own brand content. TikTok's developer platform is used for analytics related to our own TikTok account. We do not share user data from rankwise.ca with TikTok.
We do not sell personal information to any third party.
6. CASL — outreach consent and unsubscribe
Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) governs commercial electronic messages sent to Canadian recipients. When Rankwise contacts a business by email or other electronic means, we rely on implied consent (where the business contact information is publicly listed and the message is relevant to the recipient's business activity) or express consent where required.
Every outreach message from Rankwise includes a clear and easy way to unsubscribe. To stop receiving messages from Rankwise, reply with "unsubscribe" or email zshef@rankwise.ca. We will honour unsubscribe requests promptly and within the timeframe required by CASL.
7. Data retention and security
We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected:
- Audit tool submissions are retained to allow follow-up and to improve the tool. Email addresses are kept until you request deletion.
- Client engagement records are retained for the duration of the engagement and for a reasonable period afterward for accounting and legal purposes.
- Analytics data is retained subject to Google Analytics 4 retention settings (default: 14 months).
We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Your rights
Under PIPEDA and BC PIPA, you have the right to:
- Access the personal information Rankwise holds about you.
- Correct inaccurate personal information.
- Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements.
- Withdraw consent to the collection or use of your personal information, where consent is the basis for processing.
To exercise any of these rights, email zshef@rankwise.ca. We will respond within 30 days.
9. Children
Rankwise's website and services are directed at HVAC contractors and business owners. This site is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. For material changes, we will provide notice by email to active clients.
11. Contact
Questions, access requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy? Contact us at zshef@rankwise.ca.
Rankwise is operated by Zack Shefrin, British Columbia, Canada.