Boosting Products

Boosting Products

Boosting increases the prominence of specific products in search results. Boosted items rank higher without being locked to specific positions, helping you promote seasonal items, new arrivals, or high-priority inventory.

How Boosting Works

When you boost products, Nobi increases their ranking scores, making them appear higher in search results. The products remain in their natural order relative to each other, but the entire group moves up in the rankings.
Example: You boost all products tagged "summer-sale." When customers search for "dresses," sale dresses appear higher in results than they would naturally, but the most relevant sale dress still appears before less relevant ones.
Boosting doesn't guarantee top positions (use slotting for that), but it gives products a meaningful visibility advantage.

Boost Strengths

Choose how much to boost products:
Weak boost - Subtle promotion, minimal ranking change. Use for gentle nudges without dramatically altering search relevance.
Medium boost - Moderate promotion, noticeable ranking improvement. Good balance between visibility and maintaining relevance.
Strong boost - Significant promotion, major ranking change. Use sparingly for high-priority campaigns.
Start with weak or medium boosts. Strong boosts can override relevance too much and hurt conversions if overused.

Creating Boost Rules

Basic Boost Rule

  1. Go to Products → Merchandising in your dashboard
  1. Click "Create Rule"
  1. Select "Boost" as the action
  1. Choose boost strength (Weak, Medium, or Strong)
  1. Set conditions (product type, tags, vendor, etc.)
  1. Preview affected products
  1. Save the rule
Nobi’s boosting interface
Nobi’s boosting interface

Multiple Boosts Stack

If multiple boost rules affect the same product, their effects add together:
Example:
  • Rule 1: Medium boost products with tag "sale"
  • Rule 2: Medium boost products in "Summer Collection"
  • Product has both tag "sale" and is in "Summer Collection"
  • Total boost: likely very strong
This can create very strong boosts. Monitor stacked boosts to avoid over-promoting items.

Previewing Affected Products

Before saving a boost rule, preview which products will be affected:
  1. Set up your conditions
  1. Click "Preview Products"
  1. See list of matching products with their boost percentage
  1. Verify the right products are included
  1. Adjust conditions if needed
The preview panel shows how many products match your rule, ignoring visitor-specific criteria like location
The preview panel shows how many products match your rule, ignoring visitor-specific criteria like location
The preview shows how many products match your conditions and displays sample products for verification.

Boost vs Slot

Boosting increases ranking scores, making products appear higher but not guaranteeing specific positions.
Slotting places products in exact positions (slot 1, slot 2, etc.) for specific queries.
When to boost: You want general promotion without micromanaging positions.
When to slot: You need precise control over which products appear first for key queries.
Learn about slotting →

Best Practices

Start with Low Boosts

Low boosts provide a slight promotion without overwhelming search relevance. Adjust based on results.

Use Query Conditions

Apply boosts to specific searches rather than all results. "Boost sale items for query 'deals'" is more effective than boosting sale items everywhere.

Monitor Conversion Rates

Boosted products should convert better. If they don't, the boost might be hurting relevance. Reduce strength or remove the rule.

Limit Strong Boosts

Strong boosts can override relevance too much. Reserve them for critical inventory management or time-sensitive campaigns.

Review Rules Regularly

Remove expired seasonal boosts, adjust underperforming rules, and keep your rule set current with business priorities.

Watch for Stacking

Multiple rules can create unexpectedly strong boosts. Review total adjustments on products affected by multiple rules.

Warning About Over-Boosting

Boosting modifies Nobi's AI-powered ranking. While this gives you control, excessive boosting can reduce overall search quality:
  • Customers see less relevant products
  • Conversion rates may decline
  • Search experience feels manipulated
Use boosts strategically for business priorities, but let AI relevance drive most results. Monitor performance and adjust if conversions suffer.