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  • The brief
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  • This week · 6
  • This quarter · 9
  • Big bets · 3
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  • How we can help
Generated Oct 23, 2026
  1. Programmable
  2. Playbooks
  3. KOHO
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growth playbook · Oct 23, 2026

koho.ca (opens in a new tab)

KOHO growth playbook

Diagnosis

KOHO has scale (2.5M+ members, a C$130 million raise in June 2026, a bank licence pursuit) and is hiring a growth design leader to own experiments, onboarding and the design system across app and web, alongside new collections, privacy and financial crime leaders.

Its website lags the app: search snippets still say 1.5M members, French pages are not linked to their English twins and cover far fewer articles, an old plan page and stale roadmap stay live, borrowing headlines rely on footnotes, and five analytics tools push real visitors past Google's interaction limit.

This playbook fixes the first impression first, sets up a compliance-approved copy library for safer, faster tests, then builds activation in the trial, French and newcomer reach, timed referrals, one design system, and longer bets in data and bank readiness. All borrowing and rate copy should go through Compliance.

Growth Score

7/10

Biggest Opportunity

Show Canadians the KOHO of today in search, in French and in the trial, with copy that is accurate on its own.

Biggest Risk

Borrowing products face close regulatory and public scrutiny; growth tests that lean on headlines qualified by footnotes could cost trust faster than they win signups. Neo, EQ Bank and Wealthsimple compete for the same members.

01

Start here

The three moves to make first. Each one is written up in full below.

  1. 1

    Your Google snippet says 1.5M Canadians; your homepage says 2.5M+. Update the first thing searchers see

    Confirm the member figure with Compliance and update the homepage descriptions.

    High impact First result in 2 weeks
  2. 2

    Link every English and French page pair with hreflang

    Generate the tags for the homepage and plan pages first.

    High impact First result in 1 month
  3. 3

    Have Compliance align every borrowing headline with its footnote

    List every page and ad that mentions borrowing.

    High impact First result in 1 month

02

Your idea portfolio

20 ideas, grouped by when to run them. Open any idea for how to run it: the steps, who to approach, copy you can use, and how to measure it.

  • 7 ideas are marked Unexpected: plays you are unlikely to have tried.

Every idea placed by the effort it takes against the impact it could have. Quick wins sit top left; select a number to open that idea. The filters below narrow the list by status, timing, category and what Programmable can build.

Effort vs impactEach number is an idea. Select one to open it.
Impact →
Quick wins · 3Big bets · 9Fill-ins · 5Reconsider · 3
Effort →

Showing 20 of 20 ideas

This week 6

Quick wins with a clear first action.

  • 01

    KOHO's homepage now says "2.5M+ Canadians getting ahead with KOHO" and shows 4.8/5 from 82K+ reviews. But the meta description, the Open Graph and the Twitter descriptions, which are what Google results, iMessage, WhatsApp and social link previews show, still say "Join over 1.5M Canadians". The French homepage says "1,5 M". Every searcher and every shared link sees KOHO a million members smaller than it is, before they reach the page the growth team designs.

    High impactLow effort First result in 2 weeks Senior Product Design Manager

    First action

    Confirm the member figure with Compliance and update the homepage descriptions.

    How to measure it

    Search click-through on the homepage

    Now
    –
    Target
    +8%
    By
    60 days

    Steps

    1. 1

      Confirm the figure

      Current member count and review source, with the date.

      Compliance 2 days

    2. 2

      Rewrite English

      Meta, Open Graph and Twitter descriptions.

      Senior Product Design Manager, Growth 1 hour

    3. 3

      Rewrite French

      Same in French by a native writer.

      Content lead (Learn) 1 day

    4. 4

      Find other copies

      Search the codebase and CMS for "1.5M" and "1,5 M".

      Engineering Manager, Platform 1 day

    5. 5

      Central proof source

      One CMS field for member count and rating used everywhere.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 1 week

    6. 6

      Check previews

      Google, Facebook, messaging apps.

      Senior Product Design Manager, Growth 1 day

    7. 7

      Measure

      Search Console click-through before and after.

      SEO lead monthly

    First result
    2 weeks
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Senior Product Design Manager, Growth

    Smallest test

    Update the English and French homepage descriptions today and compare click-through in four weeks.

    Why it works

    Have Compliance confirm the current member figure and the review source, then rewrite the English and French homepage descriptions around it (members, rating, what KOHO does) without rate, fee or approval claims. Do the same for the top 20 landing pages by search traffic, add one shared "proof" source so numbers update everywhere at once, and check the new preview in Google, Facebook and messaging apps.

    Social proof in the search result is the cheapest lift in click-through there is, and a single source of truth stops the web and app from drifting apart again.

    Ready to use

    ChecklistProof copy checklist

    [ ] Member figure confirmed and dated by Compliance
    [ ] Review rating and source named
    [ ] English meta, OG and Twitter descriptions updated
    [ ] French versions updated
    [ ] Top 20 landing pages checked
    [ ] One CMS field feeds every page
    [ ] Previews checked in Google and messaging apps

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Figure changes often

      Use a rounded, dated figure approved by Compliance.

    • Review rating rules

      Name the review source and date as the homepage does.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteHomepage (checked October 22, 2026): the page says "2.5M+ Canadians getting ahead with KOHO" and "4.8/5 Rating from 82K+ reviews", but the meta description, Open Graph and Twitter descriptions, which search results and link previews show, still say "Join over 1.5M Canadians"; the French homepage description says "plus de 1,5 M de Canadiens". The FAQ lists three plans (Core, Extra, Everything), each with a free 30-day trial. The menu shows "Blog" labelled "Coming Soon".Source
    • HiringSenior Product Design Manager, Growth (remote Canada, posted September 23, 2026): leads designers "across zero-to-one, growth, onboarding" and the KOHO Design System "across app and web"; will "Coach teams through experimentation", "Balance growth velocity and unit economics with customer value, craft quality, trust, accessibility", and treat "growth as a product and design problem, not simply a funnel or conversion problem", toward KOHO's mission "to be the bank of choice for all Canadians".Source
    • Your websiteSince October 2025 the homepage headline changed from "Canada's app for making money progress" to "The smart way to spend, save, and borrow"; the site added Heap and dropped Intercom. KOHO has pages for newcomers (/new-to-canada), CRA direct deposit (/cra-direct-deposit) and a feature-voting page (/coming-soon: "vote for new features that matter to you").Source
  • 02

    KOHO publishes French pages under /fr/ with the same paths, but no hreflang tags connect the English and French versions. Google may show French-speaking Canadians the English page (or the reverse) and treat the pairs as competing pages.

    High impactLow effort First result in 1 month SEO lead

    First action

    Generate the tags for the homepage and plan pages first.

    How to measure it

    French organic sessions

    Now
    –
    Target
    +20%
    By
    90 days

    Steps

    1. 1

      List pairs

      From the sitemap by path.

      SEO lead 1 day

    2. 2

      Add tags

      Gatsby head component.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 2 days

    3. 3

      Add to sitemap

      xhtml:link entries.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 1 day

    4. 4

      Validate

      Crawl for errors.

      SEO lead 1 day

    5. 5

      Monitor

      Search Console by language.

      SEO lead weekly

    6. 6

      Extend

      New pages get tags automatically.

      Engineering Manager, Platform ongoing

    First result
    1 month
    Cost
    Engineering time
    Owner
    SEO lead

    Smallest test

    Tag the homepage and three plan pages.

    Why it works

    Add hreflang (en-CA, fr-CA, x-default) to every page that has a twin, in the HTML head and the sitemap, generated from the shared path. Check in Search Console by language.

    Quebec is a large share of KOHO's market; showing each searcher the right language raises click-through and conversion with no new content.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Pages without twins

      Tag only real pairs.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteSitemap (1,761 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 815 English /learn articles but 324 French ones; 164 English /credit-building articles but 76 French. French pages reuse the English paths under /fr/ with lang="fr", but neither the homepage, /core nor learn article pairs carry hreflang tags linking the two languages. The sitemap also lists two template URLs with an unfilled "[requestCode]" placeholder.Source
    • Your websiteHomepage (checked October 22, 2026): the page says "2.5M+ Canadians getting ahead with KOHO" and "4.8/5 Rating from 82K+ reviews", but the meta description, Open Graph and Twitter descriptions, which search results and link previews show, still say "Join over 1.5M Canadians"; the French homepage description says "plus de 1,5 M de Canadiens". The FAQ lists three plans (Core, Extra, Everything), each with a free 30-day trial. The menu shows "Blog" labelled "Coming Soon".Source
  • 03

    Borrowing pages pair bold headlines with footnotes that qualify them: the homepage cash advance block says "no approvals required" while its footnote says limits are "subject to approval and limits are not guaranteed" and a paid bundle is required; /payday-loans is titled "Payday Loans Online - No Credit Check" with a similar footnote. KOHO's own mission is "no hidden fees, no predatory interest rates", and the new collections role works to "cost of borrowing disclosure, FCAC and OSFI expectations".

    High impactLow effort First result in 1 month Compliance

    First action

    List every page and ad that mentions borrowing.

    How to measure it

    Pages reviewed and aligned

    Now
    –
    Target
    100%
    By
    1 month

    Steps

    1. 1

      Inventory

      Pages, titles, ads and app screens.

      Senior Product Design Manager, Growth 3 days

    2. 2

      Review

      Headline against terms and footnotes.

      Compliance 1 week

    3. 3

      Legal sign-off

      FCAC and provincial rules.

      Legal 1 week

    4. 4

      Rewrite

      Accurate headlines.

      Senior Product Designer 1 week

    5. 5

      Copy library

      Approved phrases for experiments.

      Compliance 1 week

    6. 6

      Publish

      All pages updated.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 1 week

    7. 7

      Recheck

      Quarterly and before campaigns.

      Compliance quarterly

    First result
    1 month
    Cost
    Staff time only
    Owner
    Compliance

    Smallest test

    Review the homepage cash advance block first.

    Why it works

    Run a review of every borrowing headline, title and meta description (cash advance, Cover, line of credit, Pay Later, payday comparison pages) with Compliance and Legal, so each headline is accurate on its own and the bundle requirement is stated where the offer is made. Put the approved phrasing in a shared copy library the growth team must use.

    Clear, consistent claims protect trust and reduce complaints and regulatory risk, and a pre-approved library lets the growth team test faster, not slower.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Lower click-through on plainer headlines

      Test plain phrasing variants within the approved library.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteBorrowing copy: the homepage cash advance block says "up to $500 interest-free with no approvals required³", while footnote ³ says "Subscription to Cover Bundle required" and "Credit limits are subject to approval and limits are not guaranteed"; /payday-loans is titled "Payday Loans Online - No Credit Check" with the footnote "Credit limits not guaranteed and subject to approval"; /line-of-credit offers a "$1,000-$15,000 KOHO Line of Credit provided by Fora".Source
    • HiringSenior Product Designer (remote Canada, open since June 26, 2026): works with product managers on strategy and will "Collaborate with cross-functional teams to influence all aspects of the product from copywriting to lifecycle marketing". Every KOHO post describes the mission as "no hidden fees, no predatory interest rates" and says KOHO is "entering its next chapter - leaner, smarter, more AI-integrated".Source
    • HiringSenior Product Manager, Collections & Recoveries (posted October 22, 2026): "KOHO is building toward becoming a full-service bank"; the role builds "a Collections Hub in-app", "Hardship and Settlement loans, to give delinquent users a structured payment plan", tests "pay-date-aligned due dates", and works with Compliance and Legal on "cost of borrowing disclosure, FCAC and OSFI expectations".Source
    • HiringRegulatory build-out: a Director of the Privacy Office (Deputy Chief Privacy Officer) and a Director of the Financial Crime Office (Deputy AML Officer; Head of Regulatory Relations and Testing), both posted September 8, 2026, plus an Engineering Manager, Platform (October 15, 2026).Source
  • 04

    The /essential page still describes an Essential plan with its own fee terms and is indexed, but it is not among the plans KOHO lists today, and nothing links to it. /coming-soon still lists the Line of Credit and crypto as coming soon although both have live pages.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 2 weeks SEO lead

    First action

    Ask Product whether Essential is still offered.

    How to measure it

    Stale pages

    Now
    –
    Target
    0
    By
    1 month

    Steps

    1. 1

      Confirm status

      Essential and coming-soon items.

      Senior Product Design Manager, Growth 1 day

    2. 2

      Compliance check

      Notice for existing members.

      Compliance 2 days

    3. 3

      Redirect

      /essential to /accounts if retired.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 1 hour

    4. 4

      Update coming-soon

      Remove launched items.

      Senior Product Designer 1 day

    5. 5

      Help article

      For legacy plan members.

      Content lead (Learn) 2 days

    6. 6

      Quarterly audit

      Plan and product pages.

      SEO lead quarterly

    First result
    2 weeks
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    SEO lead

    Smallest test

    Confirm Essential's status this week.

    Why it works

    Confirm with Product whether Essential is still offered. If not, redirect /essential to /accounts with a note for existing Essential members in the help center. Update /coming-soon to show only unreleased features, and set a quarterly review of plan and product pages.

    Searchers who land on an old plan or a stale roadmap get mixed messages about what KOHO offers and costs.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Legacy members confused

      Explain in the app and help center first.

    Evidence

    • Your website/essential describes an "Essential" plan ("$0 monthly fee" when you set up direct deposit or add $1,000 a month) and is self-canonical and in the sitemap, but it is not among the plans on the homepage FAQ or /accounts and no other page checked links to it. /coming-soon still lists the KOHO Line of Credit and crypto as coming soon, while both have live product pages.Source
    • Your websiteHomepage (checked October 22, 2026): the page says "2.5M+ Canadians getting ahead with KOHO" and "4.8/5 Rating from 82K+ reviews", but the meta description, Open Graph and Twitter descriptions, which search results and link previews show, still say "Join over 1.5M Canadians"; the French homepage description says "plus de 1,5 M de Canadiens". The FAQ lists three plans (Core, Extra, Everything), each with a free 30-day trial. The menu shows "Blog" labelled "Coming Soon".Source
  • 05

    The site menu shows "Blog" labelled "Coming Soon", but KOHO already publishes 815 English Learn articles and 164 credit-building guides. Visitors are told the content does not exist yet.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 2 weeks Content lead

    First action

    Change the menu label and link.

    How to measure it

    Learn hub visits

    Now
    –
    Target
    +30%
    By
    60 days

    Steps

    1. 1

      Rename

      Menu label and link.

      Senior Product Designer 1 hour

    2. 2

      Hub layout

      By goal.

      Senior Product Designer 1 week

    3. 3

      Feature

      Newest articles and videos.

      Content lead (Learn) 2 days

    4. 4

      French hub

      Same in French.

      Content lead (Learn) 1 week

    5. 5

      Signup prompt

      Light, compliant call to action.

      Senior Product Design Manager, Growth 2 days

    6. 6

      Measure

      Hub visits and signups.

      SEO lead monthly

    First result
    2 weeks
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Content lead (Learn)

    Smallest test

    Change the label today.

    Why it works

    Rename the item to "Learn", link it to a Learn hub organized by goal (save, build credit, borrow responsibly, newcomers), and feature the newest articles and the member story videos.

    Visible, useful content builds trust before signup and keeps search visitors on the site.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • None material

      Keep the hub current.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteHomepage (checked October 22, 2026): the page says "2.5M+ Canadians getting ahead with KOHO" and "4.8/5 Rating from 82K+ reviews", but the meta description, Open Graph and Twitter descriptions, which search results and link previews show, still say "Join over 1.5M Canadians"; the French homepage description says "plus de 1,5 M de Canadiens". The FAQ lists three plans (Core, Extra, Everything), each with a free 30-day trial. The menu shows "Blog" labelled "Coming Soon".Source
    • Your websiteSitemap (1,761 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 815 English /learn articles but 324 French ones; 164 English /credit-building articles but 76 French. French pages reuse the English paths under /fr/ with lang="fr", but neither the homepage, /core nor learn article pairs carry hreflang tags linking the two languages. The sitemap also lists two template URLs with an unfilled "[requestCode]" placeholder.Source
    • Your websiteReferral page: "Refer a friend to KOHO and we'll give you both $20, or three months free on our Extra plan". The homepage shows three member story videos ("The bride with a vision & a budget", "The self-taught credit queen", "The recovering chaotic spender"); KOHO's YouTube channel has 109 videos and about 4,050 subscribers.Source
  • 06

    Real visitors fail Core Web Vitals on interaction delay (INP 222 ms against a 200 ms limit). The homepage loads 1.4 MB from 22 third parties, including five analytics tools (Segment, Amplitude, Heap, Hotjar, Clarity) plus tag manager and ad tags; 575 KB of JavaScript goes unused.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 1 month Engineering Manager

    First action

    List every tag on the homepage with its owner and purpose.

    How to measure it

    INP p75

    Now
    –
    Target
    under 200 ms
    By
    60 days

    Steps

    1. 1

      Inventory tags

      Owner and purpose for each.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 3 days

    2. 2

      Pick owners

      One tool per question.

      Data Science 1 week

    3. 3

      Remove duplicates

      From the marketing site.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 1 week

    4. 4

      Defer the rest

      After interaction.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 1 week

    5. 5

      Set a budget

      Third-party KB per page.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 1 day

    6. 6

      Privacy review

      Fewer data processors.

      Director - Privacy Office 1 week

    7. 7

      Measure

      Field INP and signup rate.

      Data Science monthly

    First result
    1 month
    Cost
    Engineering time
    Owner
    Engineering Manager, Platform

    Smallest test

    Remove one duplicate analytics tool and compare INP.

    Why it works

    Decide which tool owns each question (product analytics, session replay, attribution) and remove the duplicates from the marketing site, route the rest through Segment, load replay and ad tags after interaction, and set a third-party budget per page with an owner for each tag.

    A quicker, more responsive page lifts signup conversion on mobile and makes experiment data cleaner.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Teams lose a favourite tool

      Keep it in the app where it is used, not on every web page.

    Evidence

    • Google PageSpeedMobile test of the homepage: performance 46/100, main content appears in 7.4 s (target 2.5 s), 2.1 MB downloaded, 1.4 MB of it from 22 third-party services. Real visitors fail Core Web Vitals on interaction delay (INP 222 ms; the limit is 200 ms). Five analytics tools load (Segment, Amplitude, Heap, Hotjar, Microsoft Clarity) next to Google Tag Manager, TikTok and Facebook tags; the largest fix is 575 KB of unused JavaScript.Source
    • Your websiteSince October 2025 the homepage headline changed from "Canada's app for making money progress" to "The smart way to spend, save, and borrow"; the site added Heap and dropped Intercom. KOHO has pages for newcomers (/new-to-canada), CRA direct deposit (/cra-direct-deposit) and a feature-voting page (/coming-soon: "vote for new features that matter to you").Source
    • HiringSenior Product Design Manager, Growth (remote Canada, posted September 23, 2026): leads designers "across zero-to-one, growth, onboarding" and the KOHO Design System "across app and web"; will "Coach teams through experimentation", "Balance growth velocity and unit economics with customer value, craft quality, trust, accessibility", and treat "growth as a product and design problem, not simply a funnel or conversion problem", toward KOHO's mission "to be the bank of choice for all Canadians".Source

This quarter 9

The core plays for the next three months.

  • 07

    KOHO has 815 English Learn articles but 324 in French, and 164 English credit-building guides but 76 in French. French-speaking Canadians searching money questions find fewer KOHO answers.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 2 quarters Content lead

    First action

    Rank the missing articles by traffic.

    How to measure it

    Signups from French articles

    Now
    –
    Target
    +25%
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Rank articles

      Traffic and signups.

      SEO lead 1 week

    2. 2

      Brief writers

      Native French, Quebec context.

      Content lead (Learn) 1 week

    3. 3

      Translate

      Twenty a month.

      Content lead (Learn) 5 months

    4. 4

      Compliance review

      Financial claims.

      Compliance ongoing

    5. 5

      Publish with tags

      hreflang pairs.

      Engineering Manager, Platform ongoing

    6. 6

      Measure

      French traffic and signups.

      SEO lead monthly

    First result
    2 quarters
    Cost
    Translation budget
    Owner
    Content lead (Learn)

    Smallest test

    Translate the top ten.

    Why it works

    Rank the English articles without a French twin by traffic and signups, translate and adapt the top 100 with native writers (Quebec rules and examples where they differ), and link them with hreflang.

    Each translated top article is a proven page opening a second audience.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Literal translation

      Adapt, do not translate word for word.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteSitemap (1,761 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 815 English /learn articles but 324 French ones; 164 English /credit-building articles but 76 French. French pages reuse the English paths under /fr/ with lang="fr", but neither the homepage, /core nor learn article pairs carry hreflang tags linking the two languages. The sitemap also lists two template URLs with an unfilled "[requestCode]" placeholder.Source
    • HiringSenior Product Design Manager, Growth (remote Canada, posted September 23, 2026): leads designers "across zero-to-one, growth, onboarding" and the KOHO Design System "across app and web"; will "Coach teams through experimentation", "Balance growth velocity and unit economics with customer value, craft quality, trust, accessibility", and treat "growth as a product and design problem, not simply a funnel or conversion problem", toward KOHO's mission "to be the bank of choice for all Canadians".Source
  • 08

    Every paid KOHO plan starts with a free 30-day trial, and the growth design lead is asked to treat growth as "a product and design problem", spanning onboarding. Members who see a clear benefit inside the trial are more likely to stay on a paid plan.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 1 quarter Senior Product Design Manager

    First action

    Pull the actions that predict day-60 retention.

    How to measure it

    Members staying after the trial

    Now
    –
    Target
    +5 points
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Find predictors

      Day-60 retention analysis.

      Data Science 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Pick the moment

      One action.

      Senior Product Design Manager, Growth 1 week

    3. 3

      Design onboarding

      Steps to that action.

      Senior Product Designer 1 month

    4. 4

      Compliance review

      Copy and disclosures.

      Compliance 1 week

    5. 5

      Test

      Holdout group.

      Data Science 1 month

    6. 6

      Roll out

      If it wins.

      Senior Product Design Manager, Growth 1 month

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Product time
    Owner
    Senior Product Design Manager, Growth

    Smallest test

    Test one onboarding change with 10% of new members.

    Why it works

    Find the first-week actions that best predict staying after the trial (for example card activation, direct deposit, first cash back), design onboarding around reaching one of them, and show progress in the app. Test with a holdout group.

    Activation inside the trial is the strongest retention lever for subscription finance apps.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Pushes members to products they do not need

      Pick moments tied to everyday value, not borrowing.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteHomepage (checked October 22, 2026): the page says "2.5M+ Canadians getting ahead with KOHO" and "4.8/5 Rating from 82K+ reviews", but the meta description, Open Graph and Twitter descriptions, which search results and link previews show, still say "Join over 1.5M Canadians"; the French homepage description says "plus de 1,5 M de Canadiens". The FAQ lists three plans (Core, Extra, Everything), each with a free 30-day trial. The menu shows "Blog" labelled "Coming Soon".Source
    • HiringSenior Product Design Manager, Growth (remote Canada, posted September 23, 2026): leads designers "across zero-to-one, growth, onboarding" and the KOHO Design System "across app and web"; will "Coach teams through experimentation", "Balance growth velocity and unit economics with customer value, craft quality, trust, accessibility", and treat "growth as a product and design problem, not simply a funnel or conversion problem", toward KOHO's mission "to be the bank of choice for all Canadians".Source
    • Your websiteSince October 2025 the homepage headline changed from "Canada's app for making money progress" to "The smart way to spend, save, and borrow"; the site added Heap and dropped Intercom. KOHO has pages for newcomers (/new-to-canada), CRA direct deposit (/cra-direct-deposit) and a feature-voting page (/coming-soon: "vote for new features that matter to you").Source
  • 09

    KOHO has a dedicated newcomer page, and newcomers need an account and a credit history fast. Settlement agencies and community groups reach them in their first weeks, before habits form.

    Medium impactMedium effort First result in 2 quarters Senior Product Design Manager

    First action

    List ten settlement agencies.

    How to measure it

    Partner signups

    Now
    –
    Target
    2,000
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Build the kit

      Checklist and guides.

      Content lead (Learn) 1 month

    2. 2

      Translate

      Top newcomer languages.

      Content lead (Learn) 1 month

    3. 3

      Compliance review

      No product promises.

      Compliance 2 weeks

    4. 4

      Sign partners

      Ten agencies.

      Partnerships 1 quarter

    5. 5

      Partner codes

      Tracking.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 1 week

    6. 6

      Measure

      Signups and activation.

      Data Science monthly

    First result
    2 quarters
    Cost
    Kit and translation
    Owner
    Senior Product Design Manager, Growth

    Smallest test

    Pilot with one agency.

    Why it works

    Build a newcomer kit (first-month checklist, how Canadian credit works, how to open an account) in the most common newcomer languages, offer it to settlement agencies and community organizations, and track signups with partner codes.

    Trusted guides in a newcomer's first month create long-lasting primary relationships.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Agencies avoid commercial partners

      Offer the education kit free and unbranded first.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteSince October 2025 the homepage headline changed from "Canada's app for making money progress" to "The smart way to spend, save, and borrow"; the site added Heap and dropped Intercom. KOHO has pages for newcomers (/new-to-canada), CRA direct deposit (/cra-direct-deposit) and a feature-voting page (/coming-soon: "vote for new features that matter to you").Source
    • Your websiteSitemap (1,761 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 815 English /learn articles but 324 French ones; 164 English /credit-building articles but 76 French. French pages reuse the English paths under /fr/ with lang="fr", but neither the homepage, /core nor learn article pairs carry hreflang tags linking the two languages. The sitemap also lists two template URLs with an unfilled "[requestCode]" placeholder.Source
  • 10

    KOHO's referral gives both people $20 or three months of Extra, and 2.5M+ members use the app. Referral asks work best right after a good moment, such as a first cash back or reaching a savings goal.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 1 quarter Lifecycle Marketing

    First action

    Pick three value moments.

    How to measure it

    Referral rate

    Now
    –
    Target
    +30%
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Pick moments

      Three triggers.

      Lifecycle Marketing 1 week

    2. 2

      Design prompt

      In-app.

      Senior Product Designer 2 weeks

    3. 3

      Compliance review

      Referral terms.

      Compliance 1 week

    4. 4

      Build

      Triggers.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 2 weeks

    5. 5

      Test

      By trigger.

      Data Science 1 month

    6. 6

      Roll out

      Best trigger.

      Lifecycle Marketing 1 month

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Existing reward budget
    Owner
    Lifecycle Marketing

    Smallest test

    Launch one trigger.

    Why it works

    Trigger an in-app referral prompt after three value moments, with a share message members can edit. Measure referral rate by trigger and keep the reward unchanged.

    Timing lifts referral response without raising rewards.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Prompt fatigue

      Cap at one prompt a month.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteReferral page: "Refer a friend to KOHO and we'll give you both $20, or three months free on our Extra plan". The homepage shows three member story videos ("The bride with a vision & a budget", "The self-taught credit queen", "The recovering chaotic spender"); KOHO's YouTube channel has 109 videos and about 4,050 subscribers.Source
    • Your websiteHomepage (checked October 22, 2026): the page says "2.5M+ Canadians getting ahead with KOHO" and "4.8/5 Rating from 82K+ reviews", but the meta description, Open Graph and Twitter descriptions, which search results and link previews show, still say "Join over 1.5M Canadians"; the French homepage description says "plus de 1,5 M de Canadiens". The FAQ lists three plans (Core, Extra, Everything), each with a free 30-day trial. The menu shows "Blog" labelled "Coming Soon".Source
  • 11

    The growth design lead also leads the KOHO Design System "across app and web". The marketing site is a separate Gatsby build with its own components, and stale details (old plan pages, old counts) suggest web and app drift apart.

    High impactHigh effort First result in 2 quarters Senior Product Design Manager

    First action

    Map web components to system components.

    How to measure it

    Share of pages migrated

    Now
    –
    Target
    80%
    By
    3 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Audit

      Web components.

      Senior Product Designer 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Map

      To system components.

      Senior Product Design Manager, Growth 2 weeks

    3. 3

      Shared content

      CMS fields.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 1 month

    4. 4

      Migrate key pages

      Home, plans, borrowing.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 1 quarter

    5. 5

      Accessibility

      Touch targets and focus order.

      Senior Product Designer 1 month

    6. 6

      Govern

      Review new pages.

      Senior Product Design Manager, Growth ongoing

    First result
    2 quarters
    Cost
    Engineering time
    Owner
    Senior Product Design Manager, Growth

    Smallest test

    Migrate one plan page.

    Why it works

    Bring the website onto the design system's tokens and components, with shared content fields (plans, member counts, ratings) so web and app always show the same thing.

    Consistency builds trust in a finance brand and speeds up web experiments.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Slow migration

      Start with the highest-traffic pages.

    Evidence

    • HiringSenior Product Design Manager, Growth (remote Canada, posted September 23, 2026): leads designers "across zero-to-one, growth, onboarding" and the KOHO Design System "across app and web"; will "Coach teams through experimentation", "Balance growth velocity and unit economics with customer value, craft quality, trust, accessibility", and treat "growth as a product and design problem, not simply a funnel or conversion problem", toward KOHO's mission "to be the bank of choice for all Canadians".Source
    • Your websiteHomepage (checked October 22, 2026): the page says "2.5M+ Canadians getting ahead with KOHO" and "4.8/5 Rating from 82K+ reviews", but the meta description, Open Graph and Twitter descriptions, which search results and link previews show, still say "Join over 1.5M Canadians"; the French homepage description says "plus de 1,5 M de Canadiens". The FAQ lists three plans (Core, Extra, Everything), each with a free 30-day trial. The menu shows "Blog" labelled "Coming Soon".Source
    • Your website/essential describes an "Essential" plan ("$0 monthly fee" when you set up direct deposit or add $1,000 a month) and is self-canonical and in the sitemap, but it is not among the plans on the homepage FAQ or /accounts and no other page checked links to it. /coming-soon still lists the KOHO Line of Credit and crypto as coming soon, while both have live product pages.Source
  • 12

    The collections role is building a Collections Hub in the app and hardship plans "to give delinquent users a structured payment plan". Members who fall behind often search before they open the app, and KOHO's mission promises no predatory practices.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 1 quarter Senior Product Manager

    First action

    Draft the page with Compliance.

    How to measure it

    Early contact rate

    Now
    –
    Target
    +15%
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Draft

      Plain steps.

      Senior Product Manager, Collections & Recoveries 1 week

    2. 2

      Compliance review

      No promises of outcomes.

      Compliance 2 weeks

    3. 3

      Translate

      French.

      Content lead (Learn) 1 week

    4. 4

      Publish

      Linked from borrowing pages.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 1 day

    5. 5

      Link to hub

      Deep link.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 1 week

    6. 6

      Measure

      Contact and recovery.

      Data Science monthly

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Staff time only
    Owner
    Senior Product Manager, Collections & Recoveries

    Smallest test

    Publish the page in English.

    Why it works

    Publish a plain, calm page (English and French) explaining what to do if you are behind on a KOHO credit product, how to reach the hub, and what support exists, reviewed by Compliance. Link it from borrowing pages and help center.

    Early contact improves recovery and keeps the relationship, and it shows the mission in practice.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Seen as promising relief

      Describe options without guaranteeing them.

    Evidence

    • HiringSenior Product Manager, Collections & Recoveries (posted October 22, 2026): "KOHO is building toward becoming a full-service bank"; the role builds "a Collections Hub in-app", "Hardship and Settlement loans, to give delinquent users a structured payment plan", tests "pay-date-aligned due dates", and works with Compliance and Legal on "cost of borrowing disclosure, FCAC and OSFI expectations".Source
    • HiringSenior Product Designer (remote Canada, open since June 26, 2026): works with product managers on strategy and will "Collaborate with cross-functional teams to influence all aspects of the product from copywriting to lifecycle marketing". Every KOHO post describes the mission as "no hidden fees, no predatory interest rates" and says KOHO is "entering its next chapter - leaner, smarter, more AI-integrated".Source
    • Your websiteBorrowing copy: the homepage cash advance block says "up to $500 interest-free with no approvals required³", while footnote ³ says "Subscription to Cover Bundle required" and "Credit limits are subject to approval and limits are not guaranteed"; /payday-loans is titled "Payday Loans Online - No Credit Check" with the footnote "Credit limits not guaranteed and subject to approval"; /line-of-credit offers a "$1,000-$15,000 KOHO Line of Credit provided by Fora".Source
  • 13

    The homepage features three member story videos, but KOHO's YouTube channel has about 4,050 subscribers for 109 videos. Real member stories are the content people share.

    Medium impactMedium effort First result in 1 quarter Brand Marketing

    First action

    Recruit the next three members.

    How to measure it

    YouTube subscribers

    Now
    –
    Target
    +50%
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Recruit

      Members with consent.

      Brand Marketing 1 month

    2. 2

      Film

      Monthly.

      Brand Marketing monthly

    3. 3

      Compliance review

      No outcome promises.

      Compliance monthly

    4. 4

      Embed

      In Learn articles.

      Content lead (Learn) monthly

    5. 5

      Cut shorts

      Social.

      Brand Marketing monthly

    6. 6

      Measure

      Views and signups.

      Data Science monthly

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Production budget
    Owner
    Brand Marketing

    Smallest test

    Embed the three existing videos in Learn.

    Why it works

    Publish one member story a month (with consent and compliance review), embed each in the matching Learn article, cut short versions for social, and add a subscribe prompt.

    Stories carry trust that product ads cannot.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Implied results

      Add clear "results vary" notes.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteReferral page: "Refer a friend to KOHO and we'll give you both $20, or three months free on our Extra plan". The homepage shows three member story videos ("The bride with a vision & a budget", "The self-taught credit queen", "The recovering chaotic spender"); KOHO's YouTube channel has 109 videos and about 4,050 subscribers.Source
    • Your websiteHomepage (checked October 22, 2026): the page says "2.5M+ Canadians getting ahead with KOHO" and "4.8/5 Rating from 82K+ reviews", but the meta description, Open Graph and Twitter descriptions, which search results and link previews show, still say "Join over 1.5M Canadians"; the French homepage description says "plus de 1,5 M de Canadiens". The FAQ lists three plans (Core, Extra, Everything), each with a free 30-day trial. The menu shows "Blog" labelled "Coming Soon".Source
  • 14

    KOHO has a CRA direct deposit page and, on the Essential page, ties a no-fee plan to direct deposit. A member whose pay lands at KOHO uses it as a main account.

    Medium impactMedium effort First result in 1 quarter Senior Product Design Manager

    First action

    Measure the share of new members with direct deposit at day 30.

    How to measure it

    Direct deposit setup

    Now
    –
    Target
    +20%
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Baseline

      Day-30 share.

      Data Science 1 week

    2. 2

      Design flow

      Form and guides.

      Senior Product Designer 1 month

    3. 3

      Build

      In-app.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 1 month

    4. 4

      Compliance review

      Copy.

      Compliance 1 week

    5. 5

      Test

      Prompt timing.

      Data Science 1 month

    6. 6

      Roll out

      Best variant.

      Senior Product Design Manager, Growth 1 month

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Product time
    Owner
    Senior Product Design Manager, Growth

    Smallest test

    Add a pre-filled form download.

    Why it works

    Design an in-app pay-switch flow with a pre-filled direct deposit form, employer instructions and a CRA guide; prompt it at signup and after the first week.

    Primary-account members are the most valuable and least likely to leave.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Members hesitant to switch pay

      Offer a partial deposit option.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteSince October 2025 the homepage headline changed from "Canada's app for making money progress" to "The smart way to spend, save, and borrow"; the site added Heap and dropped Intercom. KOHO has pages for newcomers (/new-to-canada), CRA direct deposit (/cra-direct-deposit) and a feature-voting page (/coming-soon: "vote for new features that matter to you").Source
    • Your website/essential describes an "Essential" plan ("$0 monthly fee" when you set up direct deposit or add $1,000 a month) and is self-canonical and in the sitemap, but it is not among the plans on the homepage FAQ or /accounts and no other page checked links to it. /coming-soon still lists the KOHO Line of Credit and crypto as coming soon, while both have live product pages.Source
    • HiringSenior Product Design Manager, Growth (remote Canada, posted September 23, 2026): leads designers "across zero-to-one, growth, onboarding" and the KOHO Design System "across app and web"; will "Coach teams through experimentation", "Balance growth velocity and unit economics with customer value, craft quality, trust, accessibility", and treat "growth as a product and design problem, not simply a funnel or conversion problem", toward KOHO's mission "to be the bank of choice for all Canadians".Source
  • 15

    KOHO connected directly to Interac e-Transfer as a participant in May 2026. Most members do not know what that means for them.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 1 month Brand Marketing

    First action

    Draft the explainer.

    How to measure it

    e-Transfer page visits

    Now
    –
    Target
    +20%
    By
    1 quarter

    Steps

    1. 1

      Draft

      Plain language.

      Content lead (Learn) 1 week

    2. 2

      Compliance review

      Claims.

      Compliance 1 week

    3. 3

      Update page

      /interac-etransfer.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 1 day

    4. 4

      In-app note

      For active members.

      Lifecycle Marketing 1 week

    5. 5

      French

      Version.

      Content lead (Learn) 1 week

    6. 6

      Measure

      Visits and usage.

      Data Science monthly

    First result
    1 month
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Brand Marketing

    Smallest test

    Publish the explainer.

    Why it works

    Write a short page and in-app note explaining the change in plain language (reviewed by Compliance for any speed or reliability claims), and update the e-Transfer page and help center.

    Infrastructure milestones become trust signals when members understand them.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Overclaiming speed

      Only state what Compliance approves.

    Evidence

    • News coverageKOHO raised C$130 million at a C$1.33 billion valuation on June 11, 2026 to fund growth and continue pursuing a bank licence; in May 2026 it connected directly to Interac e-Transfer as a participant.Source
    • Your websiteHomepage (checked October 22, 2026): the page says "2.5M+ Canadians getting ahead with KOHO" and "4.8/5 Rating from 82K+ reviews", but the meta description, Open Graph and Twitter descriptions, which search results and link previews show, still say "Join over 1.5M Canadians"; the French homepage description says "plus de 1,5 M de Canadiens". The FAQ lists three plans (Core, Extra, Everything), each with a free 30-day trial. The menu shows "Blog" labelled "Coming Soon".Source

Big bets 3

Larger plays that can change the trajectory.

  • 16

    KOHO has millions of members and data on saving, spending and credit-building behaviour. Its earlier headline was "Canada's app for making money progress".

    High impactHigh effort First result in 3 quarters Data Science

    First action

    Pick ten questions for the report.

    How to measure it

    Press mentions

    Now
    –
    Target
    30
    By
    1 year

    Steps

    1. 1

      Pick questions

      Ten.

      Brand Marketing 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Aggregate

      Privacy-safe.

      Data Science 2 months

    3. 3

      Privacy review

      De-identification.

      Director - Privacy Office 1 month

    4. 4

      Compliance review

      Claims.

      Compliance 1 month

    5. 5

      Write

      Bilingual.

      Content lead (Learn) 1 month

    6. 6

      Launch

      Press and social.

      Brand Marketing 1 month

    First result
    3 quarters
    Cost
    Analyst time
    Owner
    Data Science

    Smallest test

    Publish one chart.

    Why it works

    Publish an annual, aggregated, privacy-reviewed report on how Canadians save, spend and build credit, by province and age band, in English and French, and launch it with press.

    Original data earns press and links and positions KOHO as the authority on everyday money in Canada.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Privacy

      Aggregate and suppress small groups.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteSince October 2025 the homepage headline changed from "Canada's app for making money progress" to "The smart way to spend, save, and borrow"; the site added Heap and dropped Intercom. KOHO has pages for newcomers (/new-to-canada), CRA direct deposit (/cra-direct-deposit) and a feature-voting page (/coming-soon: "vote for new features that matter to you").Source
    • Your websiteHomepage (checked October 22, 2026): the page says "2.5M+ Canadians getting ahead with KOHO" and "4.8/5 Rating from 82K+ reviews", but the meta description, Open Graph and Twitter descriptions, which search results and link previews show, still say "Join over 1.5M Canadians"; the French homepage description says "plus de 1,5 M de Canadiens". The FAQ lists three plans (Core, Extra, Everything), each with a free 30-day trial. The menu shows "Blog" labelled "Coming Soon".Source
    • HiringRegulatory build-out: a Director of the Privacy Office (Deputy Chief Privacy Officer) and a Director of the Financial Crime Office (Deputy AML Officer; Head of Regulatory Relations and Testing), both posted September 8, 2026, plus an Engineering Manager, Platform (October 15, 2026).Source
  • 17

    KOHO raised C$130 million in June 2026 partly to pursue a bank licence, and job posts say it is "building toward becoming a full-service bank". That would change what KOHO can say and offer.

    High impactHigh effort First result in 4 quarters Senior Product Design Manager

    First action

    Run member research on what a licence would change for them.

    How to measure it

    Launch plan ready

    Now
    –
    Target
    Approved draft
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Research

      Member interviews.

      Research 1 month

    2. 2

      Messaging

      Draft only.

      Brand Marketing 1 month

    3. 3

      Compliance

      Rules on claims.

      Compliance 1 month

    4. 4

      Onboarding

      Designs.

      Senior Product Designer 1 quarter

    5. 5

      Comms plan

      Members and press.

      Brand Marketing 1 month

    6. 6

      Hold

      Release only on approval.

      Compliance ongoing

    First result
    4 quarters
    Cost
    Staff time
    Owner
    Senior Product Design Manager, Growth

    Smallest test

    Interview 20 members.

    Why it works

    Prepare, without announcing anything early, the research, messaging and onboarding changes a licence would allow: what members would want to know, how to explain protection, and which members would move more of their banking. Keep it ready for Compliance to release.

    Being ready turns a regulatory milestone into a growth moment.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Premature claims

      Nothing is published before approval.

    Evidence

    • News coverageKOHO raised C$130 million at a C$1.33 billion valuation on June 11, 2026 to fund growth and continue pursuing a bank licence; in May 2026 it connected directly to Interac e-Transfer as a participant.Source
    • HiringSenior Product Manager, Collections & Recoveries (posted October 22, 2026): "KOHO is building toward becoming a full-service bank"; the role builds "a Collections Hub in-app", "Hardship and Settlement loans, to give delinquent users a structured payment plan", tests "pay-date-aligned due dates", and works with Compliance and Legal on "cost of borrowing disclosure, FCAC and OSFI expectations".Source
    • HiringSenior Product Design Manager, Growth (remote Canada, posted September 23, 2026): leads designers "across zero-to-one, growth, onboarding" and the KOHO Design System "across app and web"; will "Coach teams through experimentation", "Balance growth velocity and unit economics with customer value, craft quality, trust, accessibility", and treat "growth as a product and design problem, not simply a funnel or conversion problem", toward KOHO's mission "to be the bank of choice for all Canadians".Source
  • 18

    KOHO has 164 credit-building articles, many answering "is my score good" for specific scores, plus a free credit score page. Searchers asking about their score are at the start of a journey.

    High impactHigh effort First result in 3 quarters Content lead

    First action

    Map the score pages into three stages.

    How to measure it

    Signups from credit-building pages

    Now
    –
    Target
    +30%
    By
    3 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Map pages

      Three stages.

      Content lead (Learn) 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Design path

      Navigation.

      Senior Product Designer 1 month

    3. 3

      Score check entry

      Link to free score.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 1 month

    4. 4

      Compliance

      No outcome promises.

      Compliance 2 weeks

    5. 5

      French

      Translate path.

      Content lead (Learn) 1 quarter

    6. 6

      Measure

      Signups.

      SEO lead monthly

    First result
    3 quarters
    Cost
    Content time
    Owner
    Content lead (Learn)

    Smallest test

    Link ten score pages together.

    Why it works

    Link score pages into a learning path (understand, check, improve), add a free score check entry point and progress milestones, and translate the path to French. No promises of score outcomes.

    A structured path converts one-off searches into members with an ongoing goal.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Implied guarantees

      Use the site's existing "results vary" language.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteSitemap (1,761 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 815 English /learn articles but 324 French ones; 164 English /credit-building articles but 76 French. French pages reuse the English paths under /fr/ with lang="fr", but neither the homepage, /core nor learn article pairs carry hreflang tags linking the two languages. The sitemap also lists two template URLs with an unfilled "[requestCode]" placeholder.Source
    • Your websiteSince October 2025 the homepage headline changed from "Canada's app for making money progress" to "The smart way to spend, save, and borrow"; the site added Heap and dropped Intercom. KOHO has pages for newcomers (/new-to-canada), CRA direct deposit (/cra-direct-deposit) and a feature-voting page (/coming-soon: "vote for new features that matter to you").Source

Wildcards 2

Unexpected experiments, each with a cheap way to test it.

  • 19

    The /coming-soon page invites visitors to "vote for new features that matter to you", but it still lists launched features.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 1 quarter Senior Product Design Manager

    First action

    Update the page.

    How to measure it

    Panel members

    Now
    –
    Target
    2,000
    By
    1 quarter

    Steps

    1. 1

      Update features

      Upcoming only.

      Senior Product Designer 1 week

    2. 2

      Add panel signup

      Consent.

      Director - Privacy Office 1 week

    3. 3

      Run surveys

      Monthly.

      Research monthly

    4. 4

      Share results

      With product teams.

      Senior Product Design Manager, Growth monthly

    5. 5

      Close the loop

      Tell voters what shipped.

      Lifecycle Marketing quarterly

    6. 6

      Measure

      Panel size.

      Data Science monthly

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Senior Product Design Manager, Growth

    Smallest test

    Refresh the page.

    Why it works

    Refresh the page with real upcoming features, ask voters for an email to join a research panel, and feed results into growth experiments.

    Voters are motivated users; a panel speeds research.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Expectations

      Say voting guides, not decides.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteSince October 2025 the homepage headline changed from "Canada's app for making money progress" to "The smart way to spend, save, and borrow"; the site added Heap and dropped Intercom. KOHO has pages for newcomers (/new-to-canada), CRA direct deposit (/cra-direct-deposit) and a feature-voting page (/coming-soon: "vote for new features that matter to you").Source
    • Your website/essential describes an "Essential" plan ("$0 monthly fee" when you set up direct deposit or add $1,000 a month) and is self-canonical and in the sitemap, but it is not among the plans on the homepage FAQ or /accounts and no other page checked links to it. /coming-soon still lists the KOHO Line of Credit and crypto as coming soon, while both have live product pages.Source
  • 20

    The sitemap lists 1,761 URLs including two template URLs with an unfilled placeholder, plus 85 author pages, and plan pages that are no longer offered.

    Low impactLow effort First result in 1 month SEO lead

    First action

    Remove the template URLs.

    How to measure it

    Problem URLs

    Now
    –
    Target
    0
    By
    1 month

    Steps

    1. 1

      Find problems

      Templates and retired pages.

      SEO lead 1 day

    2. 2

      Fix generator

      Exclude templates.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 1 day

    3. 3

      Review authors

      Keep useful ones.

      Content lead (Learn) 1 week

    4. 4

      Regenerate

      On release.

      Engineering Manager, Platform 1 day

    5. 5

      Resubmit

      Search Console.

      SEO lead 1 hour

    6. 6

      Monitor

      Monthly.

      SEO lead monthly

    First result
    1 month
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    SEO lead

    Smallest test

    Fix the template URLs.

    Why it works

    Remove template URLs and retired pages from the sitemap, mark thin author pages noindex if they add no value, and regenerate the sitemap automatically on release.

    A clean sitemap focuses search crawling on pages that convert.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Removing useful pages

      Check traffic before removing.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteSitemap (1,761 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 815 English /learn articles but 324 French ones; 164 English /credit-building articles but 76 French. French pages reuse the English paths under /fr/ with lang="fr", but neither the homepage, /core nor learn article pairs carry hreflang tags linking the two languages. The sitemap also lists two template URLs with an unfilled "[requestCode]" placeholder.Source
    • Your website/essential describes an "Essential" plan ("$0 monthly fee" when you set up direct deposit or add $1,000 a month) and is self-canonical and in the sitemap, but it is not among the plans on the homepage FAQ or /accounts and no other page checked links to it. /coming-soon still lists the KOHO Line of Credit and crypto as coming soon, while both have live product pages.Source

03

How Programmable can help

Where an idea in this playbook is something Programmable builds or runs, it's listed here with what we'd do. Everything else is yours to run.

ProgrammableDigital

Show it, don't just describe it

These ideas need something to show: a demo, a video, an animation, graphics or a deck. Digital turns screenshots or the site into all of them, in the company's own brand.

Make a demo (opens programmable.digital in a new tab)
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See every playbook and website review

Independent research. Programmable wrote this playbook from public sources, as they stood on October 23, 2026, and cites them throughout. KOHO did not commission, review or endorse it, and Programmable is not affiliated with KOHO. Company and product names are trademarks of their owners, used only to identify them. The ideas are suggestions and opinion, not professional, legal or financial advice, and not statements about how KOHO runs its business.

Something wrong, or do you represent KOHO? Email [email protected] and we will correct it or take it down.

30/60/90 roadmap

What to focus on in each month, and the ideas that carry it.

  1. Days 1 to 307 ideas

    Search snippet proof, hreflang, borrowing copy review, stale pages, Learn menu and analytics trim; sitemap clean-up.

  2. Days 31 to 6010 ideas

    French articles, trial activation, newcomers, referrals, design system, hardship help page, member stories, direct deposit and the e-Transfer explainer; the research panel.

  3. Days 61 to 903 ideas

    Commit to the money progress report, bank-readiness plan and credit-building path.

The research behind the plan

3 research areas, each summarised in a few lines. Open any of them for the full detail.

Customers

What customers say

Customers value easy, smooth app compared with big banks. The most cited problem: bank fees.

  • Cash back and interest on everyday money
  • Thin or damaged credit history
  • In their words: “get ahead”

Market

Competitive landscape

3 competitors compared: Neo Financial, EQ Bank and Wealthsimple.

  • Gap to exploit: French-language money education at scale
  • Neo Financial: Credit-led positioning
  • EQ Bank: Fewer credit-building tools

Hiring signals

KOHO is hiring a Senior Product Design Manager, Growth to lead experiments, onboarding and the design system across app and web (ideas 1, 8, 11, 14, 17, 19), a Senior Product Designer working from copywriting to…

  • Senior Product Design Manager, Growth: Growth, onboarding and design system across app and web. Ideas 1, 8, 11, 14.
  • Senior Product Designer: From copywriting to lifecycle marketing. Ideas 3, 5.
  • Senior Product Manager, Collections & Recoveries: Collections Hub, hardship plans, full-service bank. Idea 12.

From the team that wrote this playbook

All products
  • ProgrammableAgencyWorking AI systems in days, not quarters (opens programmable.agency in a new tab)
  • ProgrammableInfoAn agent that finds, researches and asks first (opens programmable.info in a new tab)
  • ProgrammableDigitalScreenshots in, an animated product demo out (opens programmable.digital in a new tab)
  • ProgrammableWatchKnow the day a supplier falls out of compliance (opens programmable.watch in a new tab)
  • ProgrammableTalkGet registrants for your events, and know who’s coming (opens programmable.talk in a new tab)
  • ProgrammablePageText what you need, your customer gets a page that works (opens programmable.page in a new tab)
  • ProgrammableCommunityForums with labelled AI members, never empty (opens programmable.community in a new tab)
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