Absolute Digital Media lands seven UK Search Awards shortlist spots

Absolute Digital Media has been shortlisted for seven awards across five categories at the 2026 UK Search Awards, including the new Best AI Search Optimisation Campaign category. The nominations highlight the agency’s work on SEO and AI visibility for clients in retail, gaming and regulated sectors ahead of the Nov. 25 ceremony in London.

Why it matters: - The shortlist puts AI search optimisation on the industry stage as brands race to stay visible in Google AI Overviews and large language model answers. - Absolute Digital Media’s nominations span both mainstream ecommerce and regulated sectors, signaling where search marketing is moving next.

What happened: - Absolute Digital Media was shortlisted for seven awards across five categories at the 2026 UK Search Awards. - The shortlist was published on 16 October 2026. - Winners will be announced at Troxy in London on Wednesday 25 November 2026. - The agency is headquartered in London and specializes in SEO, AI visibility and digital marketing for regulated industries.

The details: - The seven shortlist spots cover work for Stelrad, Mega Pleasure, SX Sports, WinWink and Taunton Leisure. - Absolute Digital Media and Stelrad were shortlisted for "Heating the Future of Search" in three categories. - The Stelrad entries are Best Use of Search – Retail / Ecommerce (SEO): Small, Best Integrated Campaign: Small and Best AI Search Optimisation Campaign. - Best AI Search Optimisation Campaign is a new 2026 category focused on visibility in AI-generated search results. - The shortlist also includes Absolute Digital Media and Mega Pleasure for "Where Pleasure Meets Performance." - Absolute Digital Media and SX Sports were shortlisted for "Kitted Out for SERP Success." - Absolute Digital Media and WinWink were shortlisted for "The Permanent Prize." - Absolute Digital Media and Taunton Leisure were shortlisted for "Growth from the Ground Up." - Stelrad is the UK’s largest radiator manufacturer. - The Stelrad campaign combined technical SEO, content and generative engine optimisation to lift visibility in traditional Google search and AI-generated answers. - The UK Search Awards are organised by Don’t Panic Projects. - The full shortlist is available here. - Absolute Digital Media’s website is absolute.digital.

Between the lines: - The new AI category shows how quickly search marketing is shifting beyond classic rankings and click-throughs. - Ben Austin, founder and CEO of Absolute Digital Media, said the company created AI visibility as a core service because people now search across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overviews. - Austin said the Stelrad nomination suggests the work is measurable and the results are real. - The client mix points to a business built around both ecommerce and industries that face heavier regulation and competition.

What's next: - The next milestone is the awards ceremony on 25 November 2026 in London. - Further momentum for AI search optimisation could follow if the new category becomes a signal of where budgets and strategy are heading.

The bottom line: - Absolute Digital Media’s seven nominations make AI search visibility look less experimental and more like a standard part of competitive search marketing.