diff --git a/static/src/js/search.js b/static/src/js/search.js
index 47965a5..63043a7 100644
--- a/static/src/js/search.js
+++ b/static/src/js/search.js
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
-window.addEventListener("load", () => {
+window.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => {
   const searchResults = document.getElementById("search-results");
-  const resultsCount = document.getElementById("result-count");
+  const resultsCountDisplay = document.getElementById("result-count");
 
   function handleSearchResults(event) {
-    resultsCount.textContent =
-      event.target.querySelectorAll(".listing-item").length;
+    const resultsCount = event.target.querySelectorAll(".listing-item").length;
+    if (resultsCount) {
+      resultsCountDisplay.textContent =
+        `Found ${resultsCount} result` + (resultsCount > 1 ? "s" : "");
+    } else {
+      resultsCountDisplay.textContent = "";
+    }
   }
-  searchResults.addEventListener("htmx:after-swap", handleSearchResults);
+  searchResults.addEventListener("htmx:afterSwap", handleSearchResults);
 });
diff --git a/static/src/scss/_search.scss b/static/src/scss/_search.scss
index 429ed7f..5c9e5df 100644
--- a/static/src/scss/_search.scss
+++ b/static/src/scss/_search.scss
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
     transform: rotate(360deg);
   }
 }
+
 body.page-searchpage {
   .search-controls {
     margin: 2rem auto;
@@ -15,4 +16,9 @@ body.page-searchpage {
   #search-indicator {
     animation: search-loading 1.5s linear infinite;
   }
+
+  #search-results > p {
+    font-size: 1.5rem;
+    text-align: center;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/website/search/models.py b/website/search/models.py
index 80870ca..78e50af 100644
--- a/website/search/models.py
+++ b/website/search/models.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from django.core.paginator import EmptyPage, Paginator
 from django.http.request import HttpRequest
-from django.http.response import HttpResponse, HttpResponseBadRequest
+from django.http.response import HttpResponse
 from django.shortcuts import render
 from django.utils.decorators import method_decorator
 from django.utils.functional import cached_property
@@ -24,9 +24,10 @@ class SearchPage(BaseContentMixin, RoutablePageMixin, BasePage):  # type: ignore
     content_panels = BasePage.content_panels + BaseContentMixin.content_panels
     search_fields = BasePage.search_fields + BaseContentMixin.search_fields
     PAGE_SIZE = 15
+    MIN_SEARCH_TERM = 3
 
     class SearchParamsSerializer(serializers.Serializer):
-        q = serializers.CharField()
+        q = serializers.CharField(min_length=3)
         page = serializers.IntegerField(min_value=1, default=1)
 
     @cached_property
@@ -44,18 +45,20 @@ class SearchPage(BaseContentMixin, RoutablePageMixin, BasePage):  # type: ignore
         context = super().get_context(request)
         context["search_query"] = request.GET.get("q", "")
         context["search_url"] = self.reverse_subpage("results")
+        context["MIN_SEARCH_TERM"] = self.MIN_SEARCH_TERM
         return context
 
     @route(r"^results/$")
     @method_decorator(require_GET)
     def results(self, request: HttpRequest) -> HttpResponse:
-        if not request.GET.get("q", None):
-            return HttpResponse()
-
         serializer = self.SearchParamsSerializer(data=request.GET)
 
         if not serializer.is_valid():
-            return HttpResponseBadRequest(serializer.errors)
+            return render(
+                request,
+                "search/enter-search-term.html",
+                {"MIN_SEARCH_TERM": self.MIN_SEARCH_TERM},
+            )
 
         search_query = serializer.validated_data["q"]
         page_num = serializer.validated_data["page"]
diff --git a/website/search/templates/search/enter-search-term.html b/website/search/templates/search/enter-search-term.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ecb4e9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/website/search/templates/search/enter-search-term.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<p>Enter a search term (of at least {{ MIN_SEARCH_TERM }} characters) to search</p>
diff --git a/website/search/templates/search/search_page.html b/website/search/templates/search/search_page.html
index 6c774b9..965a645 100644
--- a/website/search/templates/search/search_page.html
+++ b/website/search/templates/search/search_page.html
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
         name="q"
         placeholder="Search"
         hx-get="{{ search_url }}"
-        hx-trigger="keyup changed delay:300ms, search{% if search_query %}, revealed{% endif %}"
+        hx-trigger="keyup changed delay:300ms, search{% if search_query %}, load{% endif %}"
         hx-target="#search-results"
         autocomplete="off"
         value="{{ search_query }}"
@@ -35,11 +35,17 @@
       </span>
     </p>
   </div>
-
-  <p>Showing <span id="result-count">0</span> results</p>
 </section>
 
-<section class="container" id="search-results"></section>
+<section class="container" id="search-results-container">
+  <p id="result-count"></p>
+
+  <div id="search-results">
+    {% if not search_query %}
+      {% include "search/enter-search-term.html" %}
+    {% endif %}
+  </div>
+</section>
 
 {% endblock %}
 
diff --git a/website/search/templates/search/search_results.html b/website/search/templates/search/search_results.html
index ecc38d8..adf28e3 100644
--- a/website/search/templates/search/search_results.html
+++ b/website/search/templates/search/search_results.html
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
   {% include "common/listing-item.html" %}
 {% endfor %}
 
+{% if not results and page_num == 1 %}
+  <p>No results found</p>
+{% endif %}
+
 {% if results.has_next %}
   <span hx-get="{{ search_url }}{% querystring page=results.next_page_number %}" hx-trigger="revealed" hx-swap="outerHTML"></span>
 {% endif %}