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Factors to consider when picking a search engine tool

By | Holly Inna | Outreach Solutions

Helium 10 vs. Viral Launch might bring into your mind, which one of them is the best. Before you decide which one to go for, there are factors that have to be considered. Onsite search is very important for any business which wants to place the user findability and experience at their website heart.

Studies have shown that those companies which optimize on their online platforms with the user experience in mind, end up having high conversion rates and customer retention which are high. Visitors enjoy short search journeys, greater usability, and return appropriate results from their questions.

Considering that 40% of people who go online will do a search, it is important to have tools that will give out a search that is foolproof for your users, so that they don’t get a zero result or irrelevant results.

Is a site search overlooked?

Several companies tend to be guilty of overlooking the importance of the site search tool. The menu for navigation is normally the focus of user experience design optimization due to the fact that, when navigating the website, it is the starting point. But even with a well-optimized navigation, there are visitors who will still not want to use it or who will prefer using the search tool.

What to look for in a site search solution 

When selecting a tool for searching a site, there are several factors that you will need to check out before you invest both your money and time in a new solution. With the onsite search, you will have the ability to empower the optimization of your website process and thus, you have to pick a tool that will allow you to get the most out of the search.

The following are some of the qualities for a robust search solution which is important to look out for when choosing a new solution:

  • Result page optimization: A search engine result page that is poorly designed might hinder visitors to your webpage from having a great experience. If a user encounters several results that are irrelevant, it is unlikely that they will go through them. With scattered SERP which is filled up with advertisement for third party, it might act as a turn off for your visitors or in the process, head direct to  the website of your competitor. 

You have to choose a search tool that is able to customize and curate your specific SERP. Site search tools which are smart will let you redirect certain queries, hide pages from results, boost particular products or pages, which allows your business to give more relevant outcome to your queries. A SERP which is impressive will make your customers happy, increase engagement, and chances are that they will return. 

  • Semantic search: This refers to a search processing that understands the user’s contextual meaning and intent in regard to a query. It is normal to assume that the visitors on your website will not be aware of the actual keywords for your pages or products, this makes the semantic search to bridge the gap between the rigid algorithms of the computer and the human queries. 

If there is no semantic search, a basic search tool might return results only when you match a keyword and even when it does, it might not add up to the meaning of the actual query in the search. Or it might make the on-site search to become a trial and error sort of process until the search finds the desired item.

 Chances are, by the time this happens, the visitor to your website might have already given up. You have to ensure that the site solution which you choose has the capacity to account for the searches done by humans.

High end search tools are becoming adept in being able to recognize the conversational language. This means that, as you select, leave room for search tools that tend to utilize natural processing of language – the ones which recognize the human language synonyms or statements typed by humans, and also, semantic searches 

  • Customization of the design: The feel and look of a particular search tool might be overlooked, and it is very easy for a visitor to be thrown off when the bar for search looks as if it is out of place, it is not easy to find, or they are directed to a page which is off-brand. 

By selecting a customized design, you will ensure that your search design tends to be consistent with the brand that is on your site. With that, you will be able to create a streamlined and more uniform journey on your site, making the search tool to be part of the customer’s continuous journey, instead of confusion.

With the above in mind, you should be able to pick a search engine tool that will best work for your specific needs.

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