Author: Otilia Crizbasan

YouTube SEO: 4 Tips to Optimise Your Videos for YouTube Search

Posted on by Otilia Crizbasan

Master video optimisation to win at search

If you’re looking to connect with your audience, YouTube is a great place to be.

That’s why getting seen on this platform is incredibly important.

Luckily, optimising your videos isn’t as complicated as it seems. Actually, if you’ve already been working on SEO for your website, you’ll find YouTube’s SEO is pretty similar, while still having its unique aspects.

In this article, we’ll explain the basics of YouTube SEO and then explore how you can dominate the search space of this platform.

What is YouTube SEO?

The aim of YouTube SEO is to optimise your YouTube videos so they rank better in the platform’s search results. This process can help you attract more views, leading to a larger subscriber community for the channel and driving increased traffic to your website.

By using this tactic, you’ll be able to ensure users can easily find your content, as you can see in the example below for ‘travel hacks’:

youtube search results for 'travel hacks'

Another thing you should know is that YouTube SEO is a subset of SEO, which means driving organic traffic from search engines. So if you’re searching on Google the same as you did in the image above, you’ll get this result:

Google search results for 'travel hacks'

And if you’re looking even further on the Google result page for the same term, you’ll notice that Youtube videos are now displayed as search results. That’s because Google knows that users like visual content and they are looking to videos to answer the questions they have.

display of youtube videos in regular Google search results

Why is YouTube SEO important?

In 2024, with 2.70 billion people using YouTube and about 113 billion visits every month, it’s essential that brands use YouTube SEO in their search strategies. 

Here’s why we think YouTube SEO is a game changer:

  • More chances to make an impact: Being more visible means more people can watch, share, and interact with your videos. This can also mean more subscribers and more revenue for you.
  • Drive traffic to your website: When your videos are easy to find, more people might click through to your website. This can make your brand more popular and bring more visitors to your site from YouTube.
  • It’s cost-effective: Working on Youtube SEO requires your time, but spending on tools and software is optional.
  • Stay ahead of the curve: If your videos rank high on YouTube, you’re already ahead of your competitors. This can make you stand out as a leader in your field.

What are YouTube’s ranking factors?

People around the world watch 1 billion hours of videos on YouTube everyday. To handle all this data, YouTube uses a complex algorithm to decide which videos show up when you search for something. 

It doesn’t just show you the newest or the ones with the most views. Instead, it aims to determine what you’d really like to see. Because of this, if two people search for the same thing, they might see totally different videos. 

Hootsuite says YouTube looks at a few important things to decide which videos to show you:

  • Relevance: the YouTube algorithm looks for a match between your search terms and various elements of the video such as its title, tags, content, and description.
  • Engagement: This includes metrics such as the duration of watch time, the percentage of the video watched, and user interactions like likes, comments, and shares.
  • Quality: The algorithm assesses quality by examining signals that suggest a channel’s authority and credibility on the subject.
  • User history: Users’ past search and viewing habits also play a crucial role, influencing the results that the algorithm predicts will be most useful to you.

4 Youtube SEO tips for better reach

  1. Do your keyword research

The first tip for getting your videos noticed is to think about keywords. This is a crucial step in YouTube SEO.

Choosing a good keyword for each video can make a big difference in helping people find your content. Just like when you use Google to find something, YouTube tries to show the best and most relevant videos when someone searches for something.

Here are some popular keyword research tools to help you find the most popular search terms to use for YouTube SEO: 

If you search for ‘travel hacks’ on keywordtool.io, you’ll get various keyword suggestions, as well as their search volume and their evolution:

Youtube keyword research for 'travel hacks' on research tool

After using one of the tools mentioned, choose some popular keywords that fit your video topic and note them. Then, keep reading our next tips to find out how to use those keywords to climb the rankings.

  1. Create relevant and engaging titles

Adding your main keyword in the title is a great first step. But you need more than that to really stand out on YouTube. 

Your title needs to grab people’s attention and make them want to watch your video. The best videos don’t just use the keyword; they add something extra to make their title more engaging. 

Just calling your video “travel hacks” isn’t enough. You have to go further. Tell your audience exactly what they’ll learn or give them a sneak peek of something really interesting you’re going to show them. 

Take the one below as an example. If your title makes people curious, they’re more likely to click on your video. 

Plus, if YouTube sees that more people are clicking on your video because it looks like it’ll answer their questions, your video could show up even higher in search results. Make sure to clearly explain what your video is about, whether you’re teaching something or just entertaining viewers.

  1. Write effective descriptions

The title is what makes people notice your video, but the description lets you explain more. 

YouTube shows the first 200 characters of your description. So try to use your most important keywords early on in the description.

However, remember you’re writing for real people, not just the YouTube search algorithm. Keeping your viewers interested is crucial; don’t just write to game the system.

Here are some quick tips for your video descriptions:

  • Add video descriptions that include your keywords to all your videos.
  • Make sure your description is original – don’t just copy and paste from your website or anywhere else.
  • Add a link to your website to take viewers there for more info.

A clear and optimised description helps YouTube understand what your video is about, ensuring it is seen by the right people.

  1. Add the right tags

You’ve got your keywords in your title and description? That’s great! But remember to also add them into the ‘tags’ area. YouTube pays close attention to the first few tags assigned to a video when deciding whether to show them in search results.

Your audience won’t see these tags. They’re mainly for YouTube to understand what your video is actually about. 

Feel free to mix in as many variations of your keywords and related phrases as you can think of.

Taking “travel hacks” as an example, you could use a bunch of different tags, depending on the topic of your video:

  • Travel tips
  • Travel guide
  • Destination Guides
  • Budget Travel
  • Packing Hacks
  • Travel Essentials
  • Airport Hacks

Don’t worry about making your tags super precise.

And to make the most out of this, take a look at VidIQ. This is another tool that lets you peek at what tags your competition is using.

Final thoughts

If you already have something unique, and if you go the extra mile to optimise your videos for YouTube SEO, you can become very successful in this space.

The large number of daily YouTube users creates a competitive environment for brands that want to create content. But remember — the competition is manageable when choosing the right strategy to improve your YouTube SEO.

Get in touch to discover how we can help you own the search space on Youtube and other emerging channels.

Search Landscape 2024: The Evolution of Search & Top Trends

Posted on by Otilia Crizbasan

Future-proof your search strategy

Navigating the ever-changing world of online search can feel like trying to find your way through a maze. With so much happening in 2024 and new tools popping up left and right, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

That’s why we’ve brought together insights from our experts to demystify these changes and highlight the most significant search trends. Keeping pace with the latest updates in this space is key for any brand aiming to stay relevant and engage with their audience where they are naturally searching. 

So keep reading to find out our top 4 predictions for the trends influencing the search landscape in 2024.

Top 4 search trends for 2024

  1. Artificial Intelligence for personalised search experiences

As we dive into 2024, AI and machine learning are reshaping search engines in exciting ways. These cutting-edge technologies are making search engines smarter, helping them grasp the true meaning behind what we’re looking for.

Thanks to AI, search engines now go beyond just finding relevant answers. They understand the intention behind our queries, aiming to match our specific needs and the context of our questions. It’s not just about getting results anymore; it’s about creating a search journey that feels personalised and intuitive.

As a result, this year we expect search to become even more personalised. Not just based on a given user’s search and browser history, but also for the perceived intention of the user at that moment.

AI generated image that shows the impact of AI on the search landscape

Source: DALL-E 3

  1. The Rise of voice search and Natural Language Processing (NLP) 

Voice search and NLP technologies are changing how users interact with online platforms. We expect this trend to continue as this technology becomes increasingly embedded in everyday life and users become more familiar and comfortable with its use. 

A recent statistic reveals that more than 1 billion voice searches take place every month. This surge in usage signifies a trend shift towards preferring voice for certain types of search activities. It comes as no shock that younger people are spearheading the use of voice search. And this might have a subsequent impact, encouraging older generations to embrace it.

AI and generative search will help improve the results of voice searches by providing greater context in answers to questions and requests. 

We spoke to Ema Kusaite, SEO Consultant at Found, a London-based digital marketing and SEO agency: “In the era where consumers believe that voice search is easier than searching online, a strong Voice Search Optimisation strategy isn’t just an advantage; it’s essential. Focus on ensuring optimal mobile experiences, integrating natural language patterns into keyword strategy, optimising content with long-tail terms and you will position your brand ahead of the game.”

  1. From Google to multi-platform discovery

It’s no secret that the landscape of search has extended far beyond Google.   Many people are now using alternative platforms for insights and inspiration. 

Over 60% of US online shoppers begin their journey on Amazon, while social media (especially TikTok) has emerged as a key discovery platform for younger generations, highlighting the diversified avenues of online search.

This evolution signals a broadening horizon for search marketing. It requires a recalibration from marketers and search tool suites, who must now harness data from these varied sources to remain competitive. At the same time, brands have to update what they consider important measures of success to match this new search landscape. As it gets harder to get website traffic from searches, we expect new benchmarks for success to emerge and brands to find new ways to reach their audience.

To stay competitive, brands will need to discern the optimal combination of search marketing platforms that resonate with their unique business objectives. 

Tom Brand, Director of Growth at Found adds: “In recent years, brands relying too heavily on Google alone to scale their digital performance are seeing less efficiency from their existing budget. 

Audience behaviours are changing, and across a broad range of demographics, social media is skyrocketing in importance across the conversion funnel. Understanding where your users are searching, what motivates them to convert, and building full-funnel digital solutions that capture these motivations is the key to avoiding this efficiency ceiling and scaling digital performance.”

  1. Winning visibility with Zero-Click search optimisation

Many search result pages include snippets that provide a quick summary of what you’re looking for. These boxes, known as ‘Position Zero’, can show up as a paragraph, a list, a video, or in other formats. And they’re usually the first thing you notice on the search page. For instance, this is what you’ll get if you’re searching for ‘height of Mount Everest’:

Google search results for ‘height of Mount Everest’

More than half of Google searches end without a click. So these featured snippets take up a big part of the search engine results page and yet result in no click-through. In 2024, we expect the integration of AI-powered search features like SGE’s AI Snapshot, which provides quick answers to users, to add complexity to the challenge of securing this coveted spot and likely increase the number of zero-click searches.

Google gives Position Zero to the content it finds most relevant and informative in a concise way. This means that to get your content featured in a snippet, it needs to be clear, to the point, and directly answer people’s search questions.

Final thoughts

Heading into the rest of the year, it’s important for brands to keep up with the latest trends in search to remain competitive. This means keeping an eye on the evolving digital landscape, including voice search, emerging channels and the new AI and machine learning algorithms that influence the space.

Harry Calvin Williams, Head of Growth at Found shares his thoughts: “More than ever, our clients are looking to us to help them understand how to navigate the changing search landscape. We are probably seeing technology advance at a faster rate than user behaviour is changing, and so it’s important to assess both the predicted, and then observed, changes to search behaviour on a regular basis.” 

Williams explains that with his clients, they use data from platforms like Google Search Console and Luminr to constantly evaluate the differing search results and click-through rate behaviour across different search categories, industries and regions. 

“As ever, it is always the businesses who are willing to adapt quickly who seem to come out on top in the competition for those increasingly valuable clicks,” expresses Williams.

With a proper strategy and the best tools at their disposal, brands can improve their online visibility and achieve their objectives.

Get in touch with our team to discover how Luminr can help you dominate search.

Understanding Keyword Search Volume: A Guide to Search Dominance

Posted on by Otilia Crizbasan

The basics of getting noticed online

Are your keywords worth the effort, or are you just wasting your time?

Let’s talk keyword search volume – the compass that guides you through the ever-twisting, turning world of digital content.

Navigating this landscape requires more than just understanding numbers. Firstly, it involves a strategic approach to align with your target audience’s interests while standing out in a crowded space.

So keep reading to find out what keyword search volume is, how to measure it and critical insights you need to know to make it work for you.

What is keyword search volume?

Keyword search volume shows how often people search for a certain word or phrase each month. It’s useful for marketers using SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and PPC (Pay Per Click) strategies because it helps them understand how popular a keyword is. 

A high number usually means that many people search for that keyword, making it popular and competitive. 

So knowing this can help you choose the best keywords to focus on and attract more visitors to your website.

What is a good keyword search volume?

What makes a keyword “good” for your website isn’t just about how many people search for it. Additionally, it depends on what you’re trying to achieve and on other related factors.

So here are some things to consider before you pick your keywords:

  • Industry: Search volume for keywords can differ significantly across sectors and topics.
  • Competition: To maximise effectiveness, Semrush advises focusing on keywords with strong search demand and manageable competition.
  • Platform: Search volume and keyword performance may vary across different search platforms, so adjust your strategy accordingly.

And remember – if you choose keywords with little to no search volume, there is no audience actively searching for your content for it to be discovered. At the same time, focusing solely on keywords with very high search volumes might result in competition against bigger, more established websites which is hard to compete with.

How do you measure keyword search volume?

If you’re looking to find out how often people are searching for specific keywords, there are various keyword research tools that you can try. Here are examples and a simple guide on using them:

  1. Keyword Tool.io
  • Use Keyword Tool.io to type in your keywords and discover search volume across the entire searchable web from TikTok to Youtube and eBay. 
  • The tool will show you how many people search for these words each month and how much you might pay for ads using those words.

This is what you’ll get if you’re interested in how the keyword ‘headphones’ is performing on TikTok:

keyword 'headphones' search volumes on tiktok
  1. Semrush
  • Within the Keyword Overview section, type in your chosen keyword to get to access a variety of information, including search volume, keyword difficulty, and click metrics.
  • Also, the tool also tells you about trends, gives you ideas for related words, and shows what questions people ask that include your keyword, helping you better understand what users are searching for.

Here’s an example of how the keyword ‘marketing agency’ performs on Google:

keyword 'marketing agency' search volumes on google
  1. Ahrefs
  • Use the Keywords Explorer tool to type in your chosen keyword to access a wealth of data – search volume, keyword difficulty, and click metrics on Amazon.
  • Ahrefs offers a unique view of how many clicks result from searches, an overview of global volume, and related keyword ideas, giving a well-rounded perspective on keyword potential to improve your producing listing.

Take a look at what you can find out if you are interested in ‘laptop backpacks’ on Amazon:

keyword 'laptop backpack' search volumes on amazon

3 things you need to know about keyword search volume

  1. High keyword search volume ≠ more clicks

Just because people search for something online doesn’t always lead them to click on the search results.

A recent study found that around 67% of Google searches didn’t result in a click. This is mainly because Google often provides the needed information immediately on the SERPs, reducing the need to visit websites. 

Let’s look at the example query “eiffel tower height”. People can search this question many times a month, but only a few of these searches will result in clicks.

That happens because Google gives an instant answer to that question using its Rich Result format, as you can see below:

google results to search query "eiffel tower height".
  1. Look beyond traditional search engines

We often see Google as the king of search engines, but now new user behaviour is giving it some competition with people searching across other search platforms. 

Now, channels like TikTok, Instagram, and Amazon are where many people search for things. Even though a keyword isn’t a big deal on Google doesn’t mean it’s not very popular on another platform like TikTok. This is especially true with younger people (like Gen-Z) who are looking for things that match what they need and want and match current trends.

It’s important to understand that each platform has its own way of searching and to change how you use keywords for each one. For example, TikTok’s search algorithm will prioritise user engagement signals like the duration for which a video is watched, while Amazon’s A10 focuses on relevance to the user query and the product’s performance, like reviews.

You’ve got to be quick to react in this game. Just checking out search volumes on Google is not enough anymore to really nail your content and marketing strategy.

In the past, if many people searched for something on Google, it was considered significant. Now, we should look at many different data points to figure out what’s trending. This way, we can ensure our content is always up-to-date and attractive to our target audiences.

  1. Conversational search is on the rise

Voice-activated devices are everywhere these days, and people use them to ask questions, just like talking to a friend.

This translates into users conducting natural-sounding searches, which don’t always fit the mould of the old-school keyword research previously conducted. A search volume only strategy in this situation could miss the mark. 

Voice search is something brands should think about. But, if they only focus on keyword search volume, they will miss out on this whole area. And because voice search queries typically mimic natural speech patterns, with 65% of them having a conversational format.

And let’s not forget about Generative AI search. In 2023, we witnessed Google introducing SGE (Search Generative Experience) and Microsoft unveiling The New Bing. These technologies encourage conversational search and have the potential to shake up how brands think about making content. 

Final thoughts

In keyword research, one of the top things to look at is how frequently each keyword is searched. But you need to consider one thing before – the world of searching online is constantly changing. 

What was important yesterday might be less important today. A SERP is not a Google-only phenomenon anymore. Brands must consider other search platform opportunities.

In this emerging change in search, focus on broadening your horizons and adopt a more holistic approach to keyword research.

To become a dominant force in the keywords crucial to your business, contact, get in touch.

Web Summit 2023: Our Head of Innovation’s Talk on the Future of Search

Posted on by Otilia Crizbasan

Luminr attended Web Summit 2023 as an ALPHA exhibitor

Each edition Web Summit brings together an impressive community of business leaders, developers, scientists, and tech enthusiasts. And this year, we’ve been a part of it once again.

Attending the ALPHA startup program was a standout moment for us at Luminr. It was an incredible opportunity to be in the same space with industry giants and innovative minds. The experience was both inspiring and grounding, offering us invaluable insights into the tech world.

Plus, Web Summit 2023 also provided a valuable opportunity for us to showcase our platform to a broad audience across a diverse set of sectors. 

Watch James’s talk from Web Summit 2023 now

The Startup Showcase stage was an exciting and vibrant part of the event. It brought together startups from a diverse range of industries to present their innovative ideas and visions to all the conference attendees. We were incredibly excited to be part of the AI & Machine Learning section and contribute with insights into how these technologies are solving various problems.

James Wolman, our Head of Innovation took the stage to present why our global search intelligence platform is such an essential tool for the future of search.

If you didn’t get the opportunity to see James’s talk, here’s the video:

The landscape of online search has evolved significantly over the last few years. Luminr is tackling this evolution by shifting the focus from traditional search engines to the entire searchable landscape. We’re incredibly grateful we had the opportunity to share this journey at this year’s edition of Web Summit!

If you want to learn more about what we do, be sure to get in touch and keep an eye out for our future appearances at conferences and events. 

Amazon SEO Checklist: 4 Tips to Boost Your Product Rankings

Posted on by Otilia Crizbasan

Maximising product visibility in a crowded marketplace

You probably hear a lot about what you need to do for your website to make it SEO-friendly for users.

But what about Amazon SEO?

Amazon stands as a critical online marketplace for e-commerce businesses. However, the vast number of sellers in this space means that simply listing your products isn’t enough. It’s essential to have a robust strategy that can boost your discoverability on the platform.

Read our article to learn about Amazon SEO, how it works, and four ways to optimise it to drive more traffic to your products.

What Is Amazon SEO?

Amazon SEO aims to boost the ranking of your products on the platform by optimising them for specific and related keywords. Similar to Instagram SEO or TikTok SEO, it entails employing diverse strategies and techniques to enhance the attractiveness of your content to the search algorithm.

When your product listing is optimised, it’s easier for Amazon to understand what you’re selling and show it to the right customers.

A few simple actions can enhance listings for your product search, boost sales, and help shoppers find your brand.

What makes Amazon SEO so important?

Standing out in search results is crucial to succeed in this competitive online marketplace. This is where SEO comes into play. It involves optimising your listings to increase visibility and appeal to potential buyers.

But why is Amazon SEO so important that you should dedicate your time to getting found on the platform? Check out some stats that answer this question:

We spoke about this with Dan Fernandez, Head of SEO at Found, a London-based digital marketing agency: “As Amazon’s transformation into more of a product discovery and search tool continues, so does competition on the platform for your brand. With so much choice available for every possible product, your listings need to align to user intent, Amazon’s best practices, and be visible across a range of product search queries.”

Understanding Amazon’s A10 ranking algorithm 

Amazon’s propriety search algorithm identifies what products rank in search results. 

The Amazon A10 algorithm, an update from the earlier A9 version, focuses more on external factors like customer reviews and social media attention. Unlike A9, which mainly used Amazon’s own data like sales history and conversion rates, A10 values how customers interact with products on and off the e-commerce platform. This change means that external engagement is now also meaningful for product ranking.

According to Semrush, A10 examines multiple factors when determining how to rank products, including:

  1. Keywords — Ensuring relevant keywords are part of your product listing helps signal to Amazon the appropriateness of your product for specific searches.
  2. Conversion rate — The platform is inclined to display products that convert well, indicating that a high conversion rate can raise your product’s ranking in its search results.
  3. Reviews — Positive feedback on your product listing influences shoppers’ buying decisions. A large volume of good reviews means better conversion rates, so higher ranking in search results.
  4. Sales history — High sales numbers in a product listing reflect its success. Maintaining a strong sales record shows Amazon that your product is a worthy candidate for display to potential buyers.

4 tips to improve your SEO on Amazon

Dan Fernandez adds: “With Amazon continuously rolling out new platform features to sellers and developing engagement-driving features for customers (e.g. automated review prompts), it’s vital to optimise your brand and product positioning to differentiate on quality vs the huge number of copycat sellers who differentiate on price.”

Here are a few things you can do:

  1. Conduct keyword research and analysis

This step will help you determine the most effective keywords for your product descriptions. When starting out, using long-tail keywords is a good idea. They usually have less competition, making it easier for you to achieve a higher position in search rankings.

If you want to determine which keywords to use for your product listings, try using Amazon’s Auto-Complete feature. First, type your seed keyword, office chairs, into the search bar which will suggest related keywords.

amazon search for 'office chairs'

Add prepositions like “for,” “in,” “to,” “on,” “with,” and “without” to try to get even more suggestions.

Dive into your competition’s listings and spot the keywords they frequently use. You can consider including a keyword in your strategy if you notice a keyword popping up often at various competitors.

Instead of analysing each listing manually, you can accelerate the process by employing different tools, such as Semrush’s Instant Keyword Research or Ahref Keyword Tool.

  1. Optimise product titles for maximum impact

When posting products on Amazon, titles are essential. Since they are the first elements that catch the attention of a potential customer, making them search-friendly is a key practice for successful listings.

Amazon has specific guidelines for product titles for sellers, such as:

  • Avoid using all caps. Use title case instead.
  • Avoid promotional phrases (e.g., “free shipping”)
  • Use numerals (e.g., “2” instead of “two”)

Don’t forget to incorporate within the title the primary keyword you’re looking to rank for.

  1. Create high-quality product images 

Alongside your title, the quality of the images you select is vital in attracting customer interest. Consumers typically base their initial impressions on your product images. Make sure you choose high-resolution pictures on Amazon.

You must comply with their image requirements while doing so, such as:

  • Use photos—not drawings or illustrations
  • A white background is mandatory
  • For optimal results, images should be 1,600 pixels or larger. The minimum size is 500 x 500 pixels, and images should not exceed 10,000 pixels
  • Supported file formats include JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and GIF (non-animated)
  • Need to match the product in colour and size

To keep in mind: your main images must not include text, logos, borders, colour blocks, watermarks, or other graphics over the top of a product or in the background.

  1. Generate positive product reviews and ratings

For your products to succeed on Amazon, earning positive reviews and high ratings is essential. 

review example for amazon product (office chair)

The e-commerce platform is more likely to feature products with positive feedback in better search positions. And that’s because they provide social proof and help shoppers decide whether to buy or not.

Don’t be afraid to use the “Request a Review” button. All you need to do is click the button next to an order and Amazon will automatically send the customer a review request email.

Final thoughts

Google isn’t the only big name in the search game anymore. Keep an eye on the other platforms that are becoming popular, such as Instagram, TikTok, TripAdvisor, and Amazon.

Now, it’s more important than ever to ensure your product listings are precisely aligned with what people are searching for, especially on a global e-commerce giant like Amazon.

Get in touch to discover how Luminr can help your business own Amazon

Luminr wins silver for Trailblazers at the BIMA Awards 2023

Posted on by Otilia Crizbasan

Shedding light on the path of innovation

This year we transformed our vision into victory. And we must say — it wasn’t an easy journey.

Luminr has been awarded silver at the British Interactive Media Association (BIMA). This recognition comes in the Trailblazers category, a segment dedicated to disruptors who are far ahead in their field, showcasing fresh, innovative ideas and the courage to introduce unique offerings in the market​.

This award is a powerful reminder of our team’s unwavering commitment and innovative approach to reshaping the digital search landscape with our AI-powered solutions.

Luminr’s shining moment at the BIMA Awards Ceremony

This year’s competition was exceptionally impressive. We were among the best of the best from each category invited along to the BIMA Awards Ceremony on the 21st of November. The event was held at London’s Proud Embankment, and entering the glitzy, impressive venue added to our excitement for the evening ahead. Red carpets, festive touches and lively chatter filled the rooms.

The best part? When Luminr was announced as the silver winner in the Trailblazing category. The excitement was real as James and Rene (our stars of the evening) went up to receive the award. 

And on top of that, Braidr (our sister agency) has also placed silver in the Use of Data category for the work they did for Clermont Hotel Group.

We were thrilled to be recognised for this project and incredibly proud of our teams whose creativity and hard work made this possible.

Our winning entry — Illuminate the Future of Search

When we started with Luminr, our goal was simple yet ambitious: to revolutionise the search landscape.

Brands are struggling with siloed channels like organic and paid search, social media, marketplaces, e-commerce sites and travel portals. We are working hard to create a platform that bridges these gaps and aims to capture every global search, regardless of the platform. 
Now we are helping companies understand their search performance: from the attention they are commanding and the influence they are having to what moves their users/customers and competitors are making.

Download our winning case study here.

Luminr's BIMA Awards winning case study "Illuminate the Future of Search"

But don’t take our word for it. We are currently working with one of the largest Consumer Healthcare businesses that apply Luminr in their daily marketing activities. Take a look at what they have to say about our platform:

“Luminr speaks directly to our vision of creating a strategy and measurement around the future of search. Now we are nearly a year into working together to create a unified approach to search measurement with the tracking/reporting to match. The output is new and innovative – with our ability to measure exposure and understanding of the Total Search landscape through the application of machine learning and AI. Both teams are really dedicated – we know the work we are doing together is going to give our brands a huge advantage over our competitors.” – Global Search Lead (SEO & SEM)

How Luminr stands out from the crowd?

We’ve entered the award out of a firm conviction that our platform’s mission stands unrivalled in empowering brands to understand their market, their performance within it, and to get ahead of the competition. Here’s how we do it:

  1. Holistic Approach to Search

While most tools focus on traditional search engines like Google or Bing, Luminr recognises that search is evolving to include platforms like TikTok, TripAdvisor, and AI tools like ChatGPT.

  1. Game-changing Competitor data

An unprecedented breakdown of what key business competitors are doing to succeed (we deconstruct their strategy and identify weak areas). From these findings, customers are provided with actionable opportunities to overtake competitors.

  1. AI-Driven Insights

By consuming the cutting-edge in award-winning campaign data-points, digital strategy and tech trends from the mouths of digital experts, Luminr will recommend your next steps based on real observed data of your brand across the search web.

  1. Direct Delivery of Insights

Luminr currently delivers insights directly to business leaders via a dashboard but the product roadmap sees this roll out to text, email, or mobile app, ensuring constant access to essential data.

BIMA Awards group photo 2023

Embodying the trailblazer spirit in search

We’re incredibly excited to be recognised alongside such an incredible lineup of companies and we couldn’t be prouder of our amazing team and their tireless dedication.

Luminr is not just a nominee for the Trailblazers Award; it embodies the very spirit of the award. Luminr is setting a new standard for the industry as we become the globally trusted marketing intelligence and AI platform with a promise to evolve as fast as the search industry.

Download our winning case study here.

More about BIMA Awards 2023

The BIMA Awards are the UK’s longest-standing and most prestigious digital and tech awards. Established in 1985, the BIMA Awards exist to set a gold standard in digital awarding, recognising the work in the British digital sector that is truly pushing the limits of what is possible, and that’s making a difference in business, culture and society.

Maximising Visibility: A Guide to Short-Tail Keyword Mastery

Posted on by Otilia Crizbasan

The broad topics that attract large audiences and fierce competition

Choosing the right keywords is a vital step in any search search strategy. When done right, it plays a significant role in building your brand’s success in search.

Short-tail keywords are no exception. If you’re in marketing or running your own gig, getting the lowdown on these terms is a game-changer for making waves online.

Get ready to understand short-tail keywords — what they are, their importance and how to leverage them effectively to make your business stand out.

What are short-tail keywords?

According to Ahref, short-tail keywords, also known as head terms, are “search queries that refer to very broad topics and have high search volumes.” They are much less specific than their counterparts, the long-tail keywords.

Targeting head terms comes with a catch. Because they are so general, the people who visit your site might not find exactly what they’re looking for. This can lead to them leaving quickly (also known as a high bounce rate), and they might only buy something if your product or service is exactly what they were searching for. 

A high bounce rate could suggest to the search engines that your website’s content isn’t high-quality or relevant. So when people come to a page on your site and then leave without visiting any other pages this could potentially lead to lower search rankings.

To keep in mind: the high volume and broad meaning also make short-tail keywords highly competitive, harder to rank for and usually expensive and competitive in Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads too.

Short-tail keywords examples

Let’s have a look at some examples of words that are defined as short-tail keywords:

  • Gyms near me
  • Coffee Machine
  • Indian restaurants
short-tail keywords examples and their search volume: Gyms near me, Coffee Machine, Indian restaurants in Semrush

The terms are quite short and not very specific. Plus, they have high search volumes compared to the ones below, which are defined as long-tail keywords, according to Semrush’s Keyword Overview tool.

Let’s also see some examples of their counterparts:

  • Best gyms in North London
  • Best at home coffee machine
  • Restaurants Edinburgh city centre
long-tail keywords examples and their search volume: Best gyms in North London, Best at home coffee machine, Restaurants Edinburgh city centre

This time, each keyword is long and specific. And as you can see above, the terms also have relatively low search volumes.

Why are short-tail keywords important?

Here are three top reasons why you should consider including short-tail keywords in your SEO strategy.

  1. Reach a broader audience: Shorter keywords are excellent traffic drivers for your website thanks to their high search volume. Using them in your SEO means more people are likely to find your website. They’re the first words people search, so they can really boost the number of visitors you get, making your site more popular.
  1. Easy to determine: They don’t require extensive target audience research or keyword search. You can likely come up with a dozen short-tail keywords or more with a quick brainstorming session.
  1. Complement long-tail strategy: Your search strategy needs variety. Short-tail keywords work well alongside long-tail ones, creating a well-rounded SEO strategy covering broad and specific search needs.

How to find short-tail keywords?

Now that you know how to recognise short-tail keywords, it’s important to know where to find them. Check out some basic strategies for determining head terms for your business.

  1. Brainstorming session

Start by thinking of basic words that describe your business. Imagine what someone might type into the search bar when they’re looking for products or services like yours. 

Consider the most straightforward and commonly used words your customers might use and make a list of simple terms that are related to what you do, focusing on words that people are likely to use when they need something you provide. 

This step is all about putting yourself in your customers’ shoes and guessing the words they would use to find your business online.

  1. Use keyword research tools

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz Keyword Explorer. These tools help you understand more about your chosen words. They show how many people are searching for these words and how tough the competition is. 

For example, if you take a keyword research tool like Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer, type in something broad like “digital marketing,” and sort the results by volume, you’ll get a list of keywords as below. These results at the top will be your short-tail keywords.

short-tail keywords suggestions related to 'digital marketing' in Ahref
  1. Analyse your competitors

Check out what words your competitors are using to get noticed online. It’s like peeking into their strategy to see what’s working for them. This step is really helpful because it gives you a clue about which simple, popular words are successful in your area of business.

You can do this by using tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs. These let you see the exact words your competitors appear for in search results. For some competitor positioning analysis, you can use Luminr. It provides insights and a deeper understanding of your competitive landscape as a whole. 

Final thoughts

Here’s your main takeaway – short-tail keywords are difficult to rank for because they are highly competitive. If your site isn’t strong or well-known in your niche, ranking for these keywords will require a lot of effort.

For new websites or those without any niche authority, it’s advisable to start with long-tail phrases and eventually move to short-tail keywords.

If you want to become a power player for the keywords that are essential to your business, get in touch.

Luminr has been selected as a Web Summit 2023 exhibitor 

Posted on by Otilia Crizbasan

We’re going to Web Summit on November 13-16 and we can’t wait to meet you there!

Who else is packing their bags for Lisbon?

We are excited to share that we’ll be part of Web Summit 2023 – the world’s premier tech conference! Following last year’s resounding success, we’re ready to jump back in.

Web Summit brings together an impressive community of business leaders, developers, scientists, and tech enthusiasts. And we couldn’t be more excited to connect with them!

Keep reading to find out why we think you shouldn’t miss this year’s edition.

Discover the innovative ALPHA startups

Each year, Web Summit’s ALPHA startup programme shines a spotlight on early-stage startups with outstanding potential. Their team chose the startups for their “potential, uniqueness and world-changing ideas.”

And guess what? Luminr has been chosen to be part of the ALPHA programme once again. We’re so excited for this opportunity to share our vision and mission with the world!

Join us to hear our stories and help us build and improve our business.

Meet the faces behind Luminr at our booth

If you’d like to find out more about Luminr — the most actionable global search intelligence platform — now is the time. Swing by our booth in the AI Alpha section on November 16 to meet our incredible team and to learn what it takes to get ahead of your competition, and stay there.

We’d love to chat about how we can support your goals. Whether you have a burning question or just looking to chat about the search world, we’re here for it.

If you’d like to catch up with our team, you can find us at our booth #A412. 

luminr team at web summit

Catch us live on Startup Showcase Stage

If you haven’t heard yet, the Startup Showcase Stage it’s an exciting and vibrant part of the event where loads of awesome startups (including us) will be sharing their innovative ideas and vision.

Our Head of Innovation, James Wolman will be taking the stage to present why our search intelligence platform is such an essential tool for the future of search (details TBC).

Plus, on 14 November, you can watch Stevie Johnson, Managing Director of our sister agency Disrupt, talk at the Verified Stage about ‘Creativity Over Charisma: AI’s Blueprint for Next-gen Influencers’.

Elevate your industry knowledge with Web Summit’s tracks

Web Summit is packing the week with many interesting presentations and workshops that cover a wide range of topics. From cutting-edge advancements in artificial intelligence to the latest trends in data analytics. Our tech teams have already set their eyes on some insightful tracks:

  • Ai Academy – covers the latest trends, insights and technological developments from industry experts pushing boundaries in artificial intelligence.
  • SaaS Monster – is the meeting place for the tech companies altering our day-to-day lives. Some of the biggest players in cloud computing, big data, security, customer service and enterprise technology convene to design the future of work.
  • FullSTK – is one of the world’s leading developer conferences – a gathering of innovators, data scientists, coders and engineers programming the future.

We’ve got secrets to share

Heads up – we’re cooking up some special surprises just for the event. 

And trust us, you won’t want to miss out. By joining us, you’ll be among the first to enjoy what we’ve been secretly working on. Swing by, and let’s make this event memorable together!

In the meantime connect with our team on LinkedIn:

Final thoughts

Web Summit is a great opportunity for you to grow both personally and professionally. It also gave you the resources and connections you need to take our business to the next level.

Join us to connect with other like-minded individuals, learn from some of the top experts in the tech industry, and be a part of a vibrant and dynamic community.

If want to learn more about what we do, be sure to get in touch and keep an eye out for our future appearances at conferences and events.

Unlocking Brand Potential: AI’s Impact on Visibility

Posted on by Otilia Crizbasan

Redefining marketing strategies for future success

Change is life’s only constant. And right now, marketing is riding a massive wave of change because of AI.

Recently, emerging AI technologies like OpenAI’s ChatGPT have reshaped how we search for information and how businesses navigate the digital space. For instance, in March ChatGPT’s adoption led to a 17.7% drop in Stack Overflow’s traffic, the go-to Q&A forum for programmers.

Google’s dominance in search has been challenged over the years by Amazon, Booking.com, and lately, TikTok. Yet, ChatGPT has highlighted this shift more than ever.

The shift from traditional search engines presents both challenges and opportunities for brands striving to improve their online visibility. Read more about the implications of AI, along with strategies that you can employ to adapt to this rapidly evolving landscape.

What is brand visibility?

Brand visibility refers to how much your brand is seen online. It’s a vital aspect as it helps build your credibility and trust in the eyes of potential customers. And because it measures, quite literally, how “visible” a brand is to target customers, it matters greatly how and where you measure this. 

For example, you can have a search brand visibility number that resembles a metric like “share of search.” Or you can have a social media brand visibility number that calculates your overall brand reach vs that of your competitors.

Also, a brand’s size in relation to its market and its competitors is essential. If it’s easily recognised, it has the power to sell more. And the more it sells, the bigger its market share.

How is AI affecting your brand visibility?  

According to Gartner, 30% of outbound marketing messages from large organisations will be AI-generated and human-augmented by 2025. And this growing trend is already making waves when it comes to brand visibility. Now big players like Google and Bing are also using generative AI in their algorithms on their SERPs. 

James Wolman, Head of Innovation at Luminr adds: “We are witnessing a significant shift from the traditional keyword-based queries to a more dynamic and intuitive search experience. In the early days, platforms like Google primarily relied on users entering specific keywords to generate results. Now, thanks to AI, search engines are capable of understanding context, nuance, and user intent on a much deeper level.”

Here are some of the challenges you can expect:

  1. Reduced search engine visibility

AI platforms are now providing accurate and instant answers. And they could potentially bypass traditional search engines. Users might prefer using these due to their convenience and efficiency, leading to a decline in traditional search engine usage. 

Brands that have invested substantial resources towards SEO and PPC campaigns may find their efforts yielding diminished returns. Now, including AI platforms in a brand’s digital presence can maintain visibility and user engagement.

  1.  Constantly evolving AI trends

All of these technologies can present a challenging learning curve for brands, requiring frequent upgrades. And this continuous cycle of adaptation can be resource-intensive, both in terms of finances and human capital. 

Brands may need to invest in keeping up pace with the evolving landscape. Plus, the pace of change can also create obstacles in long-term strategic planning, as the future state of AI might be uncertain.

  1. Competing with AI-generated content

The AI-generated content can lead to an oversaturated digital space. This makes it difficult for brands to capture and retain the attention of their target audience. 

While efficient and cost-effective, content from AI may lack the unique brand voice and human touch that sets a brand apart. Brands may need to find a balance between leveraging AI for efficiency and maintaining a distinct, authentic digital presence.

Image generated by DALL-E 3 with woman and transparent tablet
Source: DALL-E 3

6 tips to optimise your content for the new search experience

AI is redefining the search landscape. To stay ahead you must optimise for it and ensure your brand content is recognised by model training cycles. 

Use this guide to start:

  1. Adopt a content cluster strategy: Choose your main topics, sub-topics, and additional questions to create a connected content network. This shows search engines your expertise on the subject, helping you appear more on search results.
  2. Optimise your content for engagement: Focus on metrics like time spent on your site by making content interesting, which can improve your search rankings.
  3. Create evergreen content: Make timeless content like webinars or podcasts, and rework them into blogs or videos to spread your message further. Consider collaborating with external experts for more SEO benefits.
  4. Enhance user experience: Ensure your site loads quickly, works well on mobile, and has well-performing embedded content.
  5. Offer multi-format content: Use different content formats to attract a broader audience and increase your visibility on Google and Bing’s various platforms like images, shopping, and videos.
  6. Focus on long-tail, conversational search: Use natural language focusing on specific user queries rather than just broad keywords.

Final thoughts

James concludes: “The evolution of search engines by AI is not just a change—it’s a revolution. What was once dominated by Google is now being reimagined for a smarter, more intuitive future.”

The rise of AI-generated content will inevitably intensify the competition to rank in search results. To improve your search visibility, you must differentiate your brand from the competition with content that checks the boxes for expertise, originality, usefulness, depth, and breadth of coverage, plus a superior user experience.

Get in touch with our team to discover how we can help you dominate search.

Posted in AI