Author: Otilia Crizbasan

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.

How to Navigate the Future of Search with Generative AI?

Posted on by Otilia Crizbasan

Exploring the transformational journey of modern searches

Imagine having a conversation with your computer where it not only understands your intent but can also craft responses or content that feel (almost) human. 

This is no longer the realm of science fiction – it’s our digital reality.

From the magic behind large language model-based chatbots like ChatGPT to traditional search engines like Bing and Google, Generative AI is revolutionising the way we interact with the digital world.

According to McKinsey Global Survey, 79% of the respondents had at least one exposure to Gen AI. And 22% regularly use it in their work.

Delve deeper to learn the vast potential of Generative AI and how it’s reshaping the digital landscape.

What is Generative AI?

Generative AI is a broad term that’s used to describe any type of AI that can be used to create new text, images, video, audio, code or synthetic data. 

Robert Vinter, Data Scientist at our sister company Braidr, notes: ”Generative AI, as the name suggests, comes from generating new output using the power of AI. We can get many types of outpus, like text, images, audio and even synthetic data. Based on what type of content we want, there are different types of Machine Learning models, for images or audio we got Generative Adversial Networks (GANs), for text we got Large Language Models (LLMs).”

In short – if an AI can make something new on its own, it’s called “Generative AI.” 

According to Garnter’s experts, Generative AI keeps getting smarter through various evolving techniques. Among these are AI foundation models, which are trained on a broad set of unlabeled data that can be used for different tasks, with additional fine-tuning. 

And it already started to change the nature of the search engine results page (SERP).

Timeline - the evolution of generative ai in search analytics

How is Generative AI search different from regular online search?

Usually, you type a question or keyword into a traditional search engine like Google or Yahoo. These engines then list websites based on certain factors, including:

  • the words of your query
  • relevance and usability of pages
  • expertise of sources
  • your location and settings

The weight applied to each factor varies depending on the nature of your query. For example, the freshness of the content plays a bigger role in answering queries about current news topics than it does about dictionary definitions.

Generative AI search aims to upgrade in how we search online. Instead of giving you millions of results, it processes your query through AI to assist you more directly. 

If you have a question, it fetches information from what it knows to provide an answer. If you need help with something, it tries to assist. It’s like having ChatGPT, but within a browser interface.

To make it more clear, let’s explore some examples below.

Platforms that use Generative AI search

  1. Microsoft Bing

Microsoft harnessed OpenAI’s advanced technologies to supercharge Bing Search. Their enhanced version is now called The New Bing.

Instead of just providing keyword-based website rankings, the search engine gives comprehensive answers to your queries. It’s like having a conversation with an expert in your field. 

In this chat feature, you can ask up to five additional questions to refine your results, thanks to the power of the Generative AI model behind it. Beyond just web searches, the new Bing offers:

  • Expert advice on a range of topics
  • The ability to generate creative content using AI capabilities similar to ChatGPT
  • Direct, accurate search outcomes
search query in the new bing
  1. Google

Google has introduced a generative AI-powered Search system called SGE and has been enhancing it to offer users a better experience. 

Let’s take a question like “what’s better for a family with kids under 3 and a dog, bryce canyon or arches?”. Normally, you might break this one question down into smaller ones. And sort through the vast information available, and start to piece things together yourself. With generative AI, Google can do some of that heavy lifting for you.

You’ll see an AI-powered snapshot of key information to consider, with links to dig deeper.

search query on google's gen ai search engine
Source: Google

Among other exciting updates, Google is planning to release a feature that will improve the AI’s responses for a range of topics, from science and economics to history. So when you come across specific words, you’ll be able to hover over them and see a quick definition, along with related images or diagrams. 

So if you want more information, all you need to do is click on it.

feature of google's SGE explained
Source: Google

However, Robert warns: “It’s true, these assistants are making our life easier, helping us find answers to different questions much faster, or even solve a variety of tasks. But one essential thing that should be considered is the multiple source checking. Keep in mind that these models are trained on huge amounts of data, and there is always a possibility of providing wrong answers. So as a safe mechanism, all the content that we are getting from a Generative AI model should be double-checked before its usage.”

3 ways marketers can leverage Generative AI in search

  1. Asset generation

We’re talking about generating intelligent visuals for search engines. Search engines are becoming more visual, and generative AI can help marketers create images and videos that are relevant, engaging, and optimised for search engines. 

For example, generative AI can help marketers create product images that match the user’s query, or generate video thumbnails that capture the attention of the viewers.

  1. Ad creative testing

A/B testing is a vital aspect of paid search strategies. Generative AI can automate the ad creative testing process by generating multiple versions of ads and analysing their performance. This provides valuable insights into which ad elements, such as headlines, images or calls to action, drive the best results. 

  1. Predictive performance analytics

Generative AI can provide predictive analytics to forecast paid search campaign performance. By analysing historical data, market trends and user behaviour, marketers can predict the potential outcomes of different bidding strategies, budget allocations, and targeting approaches. It helps them to make data-informed decisions and optimise their campaigns proactively.

Final thoughts

As it advances, Generative AI is significantly influencing the future of search, delivering more tailored outcomes for users globally.

By understanding the core principles and ethical aspects of Gen AI search, we can leverage its potential and delve into its vast opportunities for innovation.

Luminr’s AI translates fragmented search behaviours into clear, actionable insights for businesses by analysing data from myriad platforms.

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

Luminr shortlisted for the BIMA Awards 2023

Posted on by Otilia Crizbasan

We are excited to share that our platform has been shortlisted for this year’s BIMA Awards in the Trailblazers category

This achievement became possible alongside our amazing team who put all their talent and dedication into their work for Luminr – the AI-powered lens to the entire searchable web.

BIMA’s Trailblazers category was created for disruptors, so far ahead of their time that the full impact of the work might be years away. The judges were looking for totally fresh and innovative ideas from those with bravery and determination to launch something different in the market. 

Why did we enter the BIMA Awards?

The landscape of online search has rapidly evolved over the last few years. 

And search is now everywhere. Over 60% of US online shoppers start their product search on Amazon. According to Hubspot’s 2022 State of U.S. Consumer Trends Report 50% of millennials and 57% of Gen Z had discovered a new product on social media in three months prior to the survey. 

We believe that Luminr embodies the very spirit of the Trailblazers award, by shifting the focus from traditional search engines to emerging channels such as TikTok, Amazon, TripAdvisor, and ChatGPT, consolidating the entire search results spectrum into a unified interface.

We’ve entered the award out of a firm conviction that our platform stands unrivaled in empowering brands to understand the market, their performance within it, and to get ahead of the competition. And we couldn’t miss the chance to celebrate our innovative team who worked hard to make this possible.

What does being shortlisted mean to us?

We’re committed to helping brands measure their influence, visibility, and attention across the entire searchable landscape.

Being shortlisted for this award is a testament that through our disruptive vision and innovative technology, we’re not just changing the search game – we’re redefining it, setting a new benchmark for digital search intelligence.

This nomination brings us a step closer to our goal of setting a new standard for the industry and becoming the globally trusted marketing intelligence and AI platform that promises to evolve as fast as the search landscape.

James Wolman, Head of Innovation at Luminr adds: “It’s truly rewarding to be recognised for our innovative spirit, as that’s the cornerstone upon which Luminr was founded and remains a significant key value for us. 

The advantage of having a small, agile team is that it places us in a prime position to develop a product that’s forward-thinking and ahead of its curve.”

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

Final thoughts

Right now, all we can say is that we hope we will continue to have our work recognised and bring the trophy home – fingers crossed for that! 

We can’t wait to find out the results, but until then, we remain the beacon of the search space, transforming raw, channel-fragmented data into decisive AI-powered insights.

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.

We’ve rebranded from Serpr to Luminr and here is why

Posted on by Otilia Crizbasan

Our new name reflects Luminr’s broader vision of providing brands with AI-powered insights into the entire searchable web.

Luminr (formally Serpr) entered the market as a global search intelligence platform focused on measuring and analysing every pixel of page one Google. That Google-centric vision is now outdated.

Over 60% of US online shoppers start their product search on Amazon and according to Hubspot’s 2022 State of U.S. Consumer Trends Report, 50% of millennials and 57% of Gen Z had discovered a new product on social media in three months prior to the survey.

Even Google has acknowledged this shift with Prabhakar Raghavan, a Senior Vice President who runs Google’s Knowledge & Information organisation telling the audience at Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech that “almost 40% of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search they go to TikTok and Instagram.”

These behavioural shifts reflect the need for businesses to look beyond traditional search engines and recognise social media’s importance as a discovery tool. To take advantage of this growing trend, it’s now imperative for brands to prioritise TikTok SEO and Instagram SEO within their strategies.

The landscape of online search has evolved over the last few years. Luminr is tackling this evolution by shifting the focus from traditional search engines to the entire searchable landscape.

James Wolman, Head of Innovation at Luminr, says: “We’re in an era where every click, like, and search matters. Luminr monitors every potential search query, providing a comprehensive view of a brand’s ability to capture and serve the users’ needs digitally.

Our evolution isn’t just in name. With this change, we are setting a new standard for the industry and becoming the globally trusted marketing intelligence and AI platform.”

luminr team

Luminr is focused on including emerging channels such as TikTok, Amazon, TripAdvisor, and ChatGPT. Alongside the name change, the rebranding includes a new focus on delivering AI-powered insights across all these platforms.

Dora Moldovan, co-founder of Luminr and managing director of sister company Braidr, adds: “The exciting changes in search behaviour and what feels like an AI revolution, mean we can think bigger and offer our clients a comprehensive and unique solution to their search measurement & competitor intelligence problems. It feels like a natural evolution to take our product out of the SERP space and into the every search space, using generative AI to accelerate our transformation.”

Brands can no longer rely solely on analytics to measure their performance. They are also faced with conflicting metrics and data littered across multiple platforms and channels. Despite this documented shift in user behaviour, no other platform offers the solution. The name change to Luminr represents the company’s commitment to being that solution.

Our ability to quickly include these growing search channels into our offering ensures that our partners and clients are staying a step ahead of their competitors while also delivering value to customers.

Natalie Patel, managing director of multi-award digital marketing agency Found, adds: “Everything brands knew about search has changed. Our digital world has expanded beyond conventional search engine success – this means brands can no longer rely on analytics and SEO tools to measure their performance.

Luminr is helping us gain unrivalled insights into the entire searchable landscape – the attention we are capturing, the influence we are having, and the moves our customers and competitors are making. There is no other platform like it that can enable us to understand our clients’ market and their performance which means we as an agency can help them succeed and beat out their competitors”

Luminr emerges as the beacon in this space, transforming raw, channel-fragmented data into decisive AI-powered insights.

Our platform empowers business leaders to measure their influence, visibility, and attention across the entire searchable landscape – from Google to TikTok, Amazon to Instagram, Bard to ChatGPT.

Get in touch and discover what Luminr can do for your brand.

TikTok SEO Simplified: 4 Tips to Optimise Your Videos for Search

Posted on by Otilia Crizbasan

The clock is tick(tock)ing: what’s your strategy?

Searching online has come a long way. In its early days, it used to be quite simple with old-school search engines like Yahoo. Then Google took over and made it incredibly easy to find anything we wanted. 

Now, social media has jumped in, changing the game even more.

So, when someone says, “Hey, I just learned this cool thing,” or “Guess what I found out about…” you can bet they probably saw it in a TikTok video.

TikTok provides a huge opportunity to boost your brand’s visibility. Want the spotlight on you? Read our article so you can learn what TikTok SEO is, how it works, and five ways you can use it to get more views.

What is TikTok SEO?

TikTok SEO is the practice of optimising your content on TikTok so it’s more likely to be seen by your target audience. The goal is to appear on their For You Page (FYP) and rank higher in TikTok’s search results.

The FYP is the first thing you see on TikTok, and it gives you fresh videos every time you swipe. It’s driven by TikTok’s smart algorithm, which is designed to keep showing you more of what you enjoy.

Example of For You Page (FYP) on TikTok

TikTok also includes a search feature to find what you’re looking for:

search feature example on TikTok

The FYP and the search results are like the prime real estate of TikTok—these are the spots where people find new, cool stuff to watch. Everyone wants their videos to land there and you probably want that too.

Why does TikTok SEO matter?

So what’s the big deal about TikTok? 

With a robust TikTok SEO strategy, you have the chance to increase your visibility online and boost engagement. It’s the ultimate tactic for reaching interested audiences and giving your content pieces the attention they deserve.

Prabhakar Raghavan, a Google senior vice president, said at a technology conference in July: “In our studies, something like almost 40% of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search. They go to TikTok or Instagram.”

We spoke to Jake Crabb, marketing manager at Disrupt, a London-based influencer marketing agency. Their influencer campaigns rely heavily on TikTok with more and more traditional brands looking to expand their on this platform. 

“TikTok has transcended its role as a mere video-sharing social media platform; it has evolved into a full-fledged search engine,” says Crabb. “Creators have discovered that they can enhance their discoverability on TikTok by implementing traditional SEO tactics within their content. This includes strategically placing keywords EVERYWHERE, from video text and closed captions to descriptions, hashtags, and even verbal mentions.”

What are the TikTok ranking factors?

Each search engine uses unique criteria to determine how content ranks. Just like every social media platform has a specific algorithm to present relevant content to individual users. 

According to TikTok: “The system recommends content by ranking videos based on a combination of factors — starting from interests you express as a new user, and adjusting for things you indicate you’re not interested in.”

So, there are several core ranking factors for the TikTok algorithm. These are:

  1. User interactions

TikTok pays attention to various ways you engage with content, whether it’s giving likes, hiding certain videos, marking them as favourites, or watching them from start to finish. The platform uses these insights to customise the video recommendations you receive.

  1. Video information

The information linked with each video (such as captions, hashtags, sound) influences the algorithm in determining which content to display. This is crucial for optimising your TikTok videos for search, ensuring they appear when someone looks for related keywords or hashtags.

  1. Devices and account settings

Lastly, the device you use, your geographical location, and your language settings also influence what appears on your FYP. What it’s relevant to keep in mind is that while account settings do factor into your TikTok SEO ranking, they receive a lower weight than video info and user interactions.

4 TikTok SEO tips for better reach

  1. Understand your audience

Start with your audience. Understand who they are and what they’re looking for and create content that resonates with them.

If you’re already active on TikTok, you may have a good idea of what your audience likes. If not, consider taking some time to get to know them better. Look at the videos they’re engaging with and the hashtags they’re using. 

  1. Do keyword research

In traditional SEO, keyword research is an essential part. Conduct thorough keyword research for TikTok by leveraging established SEO tools like Google Ads Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and Ahrefs. 

Although there aren’t specific TikTok SEO tools available, you can use TikTok to explore popular keywords. Simply enter relevant terms in the search bar and pay attention to auto-populated suggestions. This approach will provide valuable insights to optimise your TikTok content effectively.

  1. Add keywords to your content

After completing your TikTok keyword research, make sure you optimise TikTok SEO content by incorporating keywords in titles, descriptions, captions, and on-screen text. 

Let’s take ‘tiktok seo hacks’ as an example. Notice below how each user included the keyword which helped rank the video higher:

search results for keyword 'tiktok seo hacks' on TikTok
  1. Don’t forget about Tiktok’s guidelines

Search is only one way that users might encounter your videos. So make sure to:

  • Keep your videos short – and make the first 2-3 seconds count 
  • Use trending sounds – it can improve visibility 
  • Post regularly – several times each week and use analytics to know when

Final thoughts

Search is now everywhere. It has moved beyond traditional search engines and brands need to react and adapt in order to stay relevant.  

“I’m excited to see where this will lead in the future, and how it will affect the realm of digital and beyond,” says Crabb. “As TikTok’s influence as a search engine continues to grow, it promises new opportunities for creators, brands, and users alike. There are without doubt dynamic changes ahead in the digital landscape as TikTok continues to redefine the way we search and engage with content.”

As one of today’s most powerful social media apps, TikTok is transforming not only the way people consume video content but also how they search for information online. Now is the time to embrace these behavioural shifts and technological developments.

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

Long-Tail Keywords: What They Are and How to Find Them

Posted on by Otilia Crizbasan

The untapped opportunity to connect with potential customers

There’s one thing we know for sure – everybody wants to drive visitors to their website. Among the myriad of strategies floating around, rumour has it that one effective way to search success is targeting long-tail keywords. 

You’ve probably heard this before, but is it actually true? 

In this blog post, we’re excited to take you behind the scenes and explore the intricate world of long-tail keywords. We’ll uncover what makes them so important and how you can leverage them to improve your website’s traffic and engagement. 

What are long-tail keywords?

According to Semrush, long-tail keywords are defined as “highly specific search queries that tend to have relatively low search volumes.“

Usually, a long-tail keyword consists of three to five words. They are more detailed and perfect if you’re trying to reach specific audience groups. Plus, they face less competition than their generic counterparts since they mirror user search patterns closely. 

By using long-tail keywords, you can draw higher-quality visitors to your site and increase the chances of conversions.

As consumers progress in their online journey, the significance of long-tail keywords grows. Users usually start with a basic query, but as they get closer to addressing their needs, their search becomes more specific. At this point, long-tail keywords help differentiate your brand from others.

Long-Tail keyword examples

In the vast world of digital marketing, keywords play a pivotal role. But not all keywords are the same. Some are broad, drawing vast audiences, while others are narrow and specific, capturing a very particular intent. 

Let’s have a look at some examples of words that aren’t defined as long-tail keywords:

  • Dog training
  • Vegan restaurants
  • Social media marketing
  • Image search
examples of keywords that aren't long-tail keywords and their search volume

The terms are short and not very specific. Plus, they have high search volumes compared to the ones below, according to Semrush’s Keyword Overview tool.

Now let’s see some examples of long-tail keywords:

  • Can you train a dog not to bark
  • Social media marketing for small businesses
  • Best vegan restaurants in London
  • How to reverse image search on mobile
examples of keywords that are long-tail keywords and their search volume

Notice any differences? This time, each keyword is long and specific. That’s the essence of long-tail keywords. And as you can see above, the terms also have relatively low search volumes.

Why use long-tail keywords for SEO?

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

  1. Less competition

Imagine you’ve started a blog on a theme you’re passionate about. At first, the popular keywords related to your topic look appealing, as they promise lots of readers. But, you’ll soon notice that there’s a lot of competition for these terms, making it hard for new blogs like yours to rank high.

And that’s totally fine – achieving a top ranking for a popular keyword, especially with a newly established blog it’s a big challenge.

Yet, hope is not lost. If you’ll delve deeper into more specific search queries and choose a long-tail keyword, you’ll see a different situation. Even for a new website, targeting these will offer a tangible opportunity to rank high, ensuring the content gains the visibility it deserves.

  1. Better conversion rate

If you plan to use long-tail keywords, you probably have a clear idea of your customers’ desires. As a result, you’ll witness higher conversion rates since your content will align more closely with the visitor’s specific requirements.

Let’s look at a real example. Imagine you run a marketing agency. Someone in need of your services will most likely avoid a generic search for ‘marketing agency’ since it will flood them with myriad options. Instead, they will search for a specific keyword, that better reflects their needs, such as ‘marketing agency for SaaS in London’. So optimising for a precise term will increase your chances to be found by a potential customer.

  1. More to choose

Most of the search queries on Google consist of long-tail keywords. When people are looking for information or products on the internet, they tend to employ more detailed, extended phrases that mirror their specific requirements or preferences.

For example, rather than just typing “laptops” a person might input “lightweight laptops for graphic designers.” Or they might look up “laptops for work with good battery life.” There’s a plethora of such specific long-tail variants reflecting individual needs. So you’ll always have long-tail keyword suggestions to choose from.

How to identify long-tail keywords?

If you know the primary keywords for your business, it’s time to do some research. Check out some basic strategies for determining long-tail keywords for your business.

  1. Google-Related searches

One common source for long-tailed keywords is Google. Enter your base keyword into the search box and Google will suggest a few results. Let’s look again at the ‘marketing agency’ example:

example of google suggestions when searching for 'marketing agency'

If Google suggests it, it means that lots of people are probably searching for it. 

But watch out – these suggestions will not always be long-tail keywords. 

Sometimes they will be highly competitive terms that don’t quite fit the definition of “long-tail.” To be sure, always analyse these keywords in a keyword research tool to check whether they’re really long-tail keywords or not.

  1. Q&A Sites and forums

Q&A sites offer valuable solutions when people seek answers to their questions. Websites like Quora and Reddit are great places to find some long-tailed keywords and get ideas about content.

If your online business is particularly niche, you can also try looking at popular forums related to your industry. Or you can always enter the following query into your search bar: [generic search term] + forum.

  1. Competitors’ keywords

A great source of long-tail keywords comes from your competitors. Simply search for your keyword phrase and see what pops up on the organic results page. Check out the top-ranking pages or your competitor’s pages, and see which keywords they’re using. 

This way, you can gain insights into the industry’s keyword priorities. This strategy not only offers keyword inspirations but also hints at potential content gaps in the market. Learning from competitors is beneficial, but make sure your content retains a unique touch to differentiate and resonate with your audience.

Final thoughts

Long-tail keywords target specific user needs, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates. While broad terms are competitive, long-tail phrases offer a clearer path to ranking and reaching a targeted audience.

If you find it challenging to achieve rankings for your desired keywords, they might be too competitive. Shifting your attention to long-tail keywords could be the next step you need to take.

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