We are extremely proud to share that UpShift (part of the Evolved Group) has won the award for Best Use of Search in the Automotive category at the UK Search Awards 2025 for our work with BYD.
This achievement recognises the impact of a campaign built around one clear goal: to turn the world’s biggest EV manufacturer from a newcomer in the UK into a brand that drives trust. When we began working with BYD, awareness was low and the search experience was fragmented across several domains and regions. Our team knew we needed to build strong foundations before earning growth.
We started with the customer. Research showed that most EV buyers enter the market undecided on brand, and one in four searches are unbranded. That shaped our approach from day one. We built a series of guides, resources and model pages to support people who were new to electric vehicles. Instead of pushing product information, we focused on clarity, reassurance and reducing the barriers that often slow the move to EV. The aim was simple – make BYD the most helpful voice in the market.
Alongside this work, we fixed the technical issues that were limiting growth. Our audits revealed that many UK users were landing on the wrong regional site. Once we resolved these problems and gained CMS access, performance accelerated quickly. Rankings improved, traffic grew at pace and test drive leads surpassed all targets. BYD moved from an unknown challenger to a credible alternative to the most established brands in the market.
This campaign demanded close collaboration across teams and regions. It required trust, clear processes and the ability to act quickly once opportunities became clear. We are grateful to BYD for giving us the space and confidence to deliver work that made a measurable difference.
Thank you to the judges for recognising the quality and ambition behind this project and to the event organisers for another fantastic evening. Most of all, thank you to our team whose expertise, creativity and attention to detail made this result possible.
We are excited to carry this momentum into the year ahead.
A spokesperson at BYD said:
“UpShift and Evolved are a vital part of BYD UK’s digital operations. They’ve consistently demonstrated expertise, reliability and a truly collaborative spirit. Their proactive approach through CMS training, tailored performance analyses and knowledge sharing has strengthened our digital capabilities. Always responsive and supportive, they provide strategic guidance and a strong understanding of SEO, Digital PR and LLMs.”
“The team continually goes above and beyond, making them not just an external agency, but a trusted and valued strategic partner to BYD.”
Celebrating the night itself, Ian McIntosh, CEO at UpShift said:
“We’re absolutely thrilled to take home a UK Search Award. The win is a testament to our expertise in the Automotive sector and our incredible team delivering exceptional results. We had a brilliant night and thank the Don’t Panic team for putting on a great event!”
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