At Humanity Innovation Labs™, we recently conducted a focused usability test for Blackmagic, a new large language model (LLM) platform designed to analyze a brand’s online presence across 13 content performance metrics. Unlike traditional SEO dashboards, Blackmagic aims to simplify the complexity of digital brand analysis into one clear score—backed by actionable insights.

To test its promise, we recruited three seasoned marketing professionals—each with more than a decade of experience in brand strategy and content management. These participants aren’t casual users; they’re power players who live and breathe digital content, SEO benchmarks, and competitive positioning. Their task: evaluate Blackmagic across the full user journey, from account setup to score interpretation to sharing results across desktop and mobile.

What we learned highlights both the strengths of Blackmagic’s foundation and the gaps that must be addressed to compete with industry heavyweights like SEMrush and Lotus.

Key Findings

Ease of Use & Navigation

Participants praised the tool’s intuitive layout and clean design, noting it felt less “heavy” than many SEO competitors. Account creation—especially with Google login—was seamless. However, they expected a guided onboarding flow to better introduce key features and next steps.

Scoring & Benchmarks

The Blackmagic Score became the single most debated feature. While participants valued having a consolidated number, all three were confused by its meaning. Benchmarks were unclear, and thresholds (e.g., “what does an 80 actually mean?”) were missing. Without transparency in scoring logic, credibility suffers.

Actionable Guidance

Users consistently wanted more practical outputs:

Direct links to flagged problem areas
Prioritized fixes and an “Action Plan” mode
A “Rerun” button to recheck results after changes
One participant even suggested automated weekly re-scoring to track progress over time.

Trust & Professionalism

A polished, professional look matters—and here, concerns emerged. Hallucinated “Share of Voice” results, confusing schema markup references, and an unrefined UI undermined confidence. As one participant put it: “If the tool doesn’t look trustworthy, how can I trust the data?”

Productivity & Sharing

Practicality drove feedback: users want exportable reports (XLS, Google Sheets, PDFs), easier sharing with colleagues, and modern payment options like Venmo or Apple Pay. While desktop was their preferred mode, mobile access was valued for quick checks and sharing at events.

Competitive Positioning

While Blackmagic’s simplicity and lower cost were recognized as advantages, participants asked: “What makes this different from SEMrush?” Until its outputs are clearer and more actionable, Blackmagic risks being perceived as a “lighter, cheaper” version of established tools—without the credibility to justify switching.

Design Recommendations

High Priority – Core Credibility & Usability

Clarify scoring logic with hover explanations and thresholds (e.g., 80 = average, 90+ = excellent).
Add step-by-step fixes with direct links and a “rerun” button.
Refine UI polish and eliminate hallucinated results.

Medium Priority – Productivity & Sharing

Enable XLS/Google Sheets/PDF exports.
Expand payment options beyond credit card.
Optimize mobile for quick sharing, while keeping desktop the core experience.

Lower Priority – Differentiation & Long-Term Value

Position Blackmagic clearly against competitors (simplicity, cost, actionable insights).
Add differentiating features like competitor benchmarking visuals or automated weekly re-scores.
Provide a step-by-step usage guide for new users.

Wins from the Test

Despite areas for improvement, the usability test confirmed a strong foundation:

Ease of Navigation – clean and intuitive interface
Onboarding Simplicity – smooth account creation (Google login preferred)
Scorecard Visuals – color key was clear at a glance
Flexibility – mix of self-serve tools and expert support appreciated
UI Simplicity – less overwhelming than bulkier SEO tools
Cost Advantage – seen as a more affordable option than SEMrush/Lotus
Cross-Platform Appeal – users anticipate using it across desktop, web, and mobile contexts

Conclusion

Blackmagic shows promise as a simple, affordable brand analysis tool with potential to serve marketers who want clarity without the clutter. But to win trust and adoption, it must strengthen its scoring transparency, actionable outputs, and professional polish.

As one participant summarized: “I like where it’s going—it just needs to feel more reliable before I’d use it in front of a client.”

With the right improvements, Blackmagic can evolve from a promising newcomer into a credible competitor in the SEO and brand intelligence space—and at Humanity Innovation Labs™, we’re eager to support that transformation.

If you’re building a new No-Code or AI-powered tool and want to ensure it resonates with real users, our usability testing services can help refine your product, validate your assumptions, and accelerate adoption.

This project was conducted in collaboration with our trusted software development partner, Bobcats Coding. All participants provided consent for their test sessions to be shared for marketing and research purposes.

Blackmagic Usability Test: Insights from Humanity Innovation Labs™