Botify Raises $55M to Revolutionize Search Indexing

Botify Secures $55 Million in Series C Funding

Botify has successfully completed a $55 million Series C funding round. This investment was spearheaded by InfraVia Growth, with additional participation from Bpifrance’s Large Venture fund.

The company has developed a platform focused on search engine optimization (SEO). This platform aims to enhance how content is indexed and subsequently displayed within search engine results.

Continued Investor Confidence

Existing investors, including Eurazeo and Ventech, have reaffirmed their commitment to Botify through continued investment. Nicolas Herschtel of InfraVia and Antoine Izsak from Bpifrance will be joining the company’s board of directors.

The company’s valuation has experienced a threefold increase since its last funding round, demonstrating significant growth and market confidence.

A “White-Hat” Approach to SEO

Within the SEO landscape, which encompasses both ethical and questionable tactics, Botify positions itself as a proponent of “white-hat” strategies.

This means the company adheres to search engine terms of service, refrains from scraping search results, and avoids the creation of artificial backlinks.

Optimizing the Entire Search Funnel

“Our focus is on optimizing every stage of the search process,” explained co-founder and CEO Adrien Menard. “This includes website quality, design, and content enrichment.”

Botify’s Product Suite

Botify’s offerings now consist of three distinct components.

• Botify Analytics: This initial tool provides valuable insights into how search engine crawlers analyze a website.
• Botify Intelligence: This component delivers a prioritized list of actions to improve SEO performance.
• Botify Activation: The newest addition focuses on automation, enabling Botify to directly respond to queries from search engine bots.

Facilitating Communication with Search Engines

“We are not attempting to manipulate search algorithms,” Menard emphasized. “Instead, Botify functions as a direct interface between search engines and our clients’ websites.”

This approach ensures search engines access higher-quality content, potentially at a reduced cost compared to conventional methods.

Scalable Solutions for Diverse Needs

Clients can choose to utilize all three tools or select those best suited to their specific requirements. “The product selection can be tailored to the size and needs of each organization,” Menard stated.

Addressing the Evolution of Search Results

Google has been increasing the number of advertisements displayed on search results pages. Furthermore, Google often promotes its own services, like YouTube and Google Maps, above organic listings.

Menard acknowledged this trend but remains optimistic about the future of organic search. “While we observe a rise in first-party and paid results, organic traffic continues to grow,” he noted.

He further stated that organic results currently account for 30% of website traffic for Botify’s customers, and this percentage is not declining.

The Growing Importance of Search Investment

According to Menard, the overall scale of search is expanding. Investing in search optimization yields a demonstrable return on investment in terms of online sales and website traffic.

A Diverse Client Base

Botify currently serves over 500 customers, including prominent brands such as Expedia, L’Oréal, The New York Times, Groupon, Marriott, Condé Nast, Crate & Barrel, Fnac Darty, Vestiaire Collective, and Farfetch.

Future Plans and Expansion

The newly acquired funding will be allocated to enhancing Botify’s automation capabilities, forging strategic partnerships with other technology companies, and expanding its global presence with new offices in the Asia-Pacific region.