Is your on-site search engine scaring your customers away?

When a customer embarks on a quest for specific information on your website, they’re in a race against time. With patience running thin, they have approximately 30 seconds before they might abandon their mission. The key to victory? Optimizing your on-page search engine to transform the user experience from a daunting challenge into an exciting adventure.

Is Your On-Site Search Engine a Friend or Foe?

In the digital world, your on-site search engine can either be a powerful ally or a formidable adversary. When a customer embarks on a quest for specific information on your website, they’re in a race against time. With patience running thin, they have approximately 30 seconds before they might abandon their mission. Optimizing your on-page search engine to transform the user experience from a daunting challenge into an exciting adventure.

The Need for Speed: A Modern Expectation

In the fast-paced world we live in, the hunt for information has become a sprint rather than a marathon. Customers are not just looking for answers, they’re looking for them now. If your platform can’t keep up with their pace, they might leave it behind. The ideal scenario? They find what they’re looking for on their first try. If not, they might give it another shot, but if their search still proves fruitless, they’re likely to abandon ship.

The Art of On-Page Search Optimization

Having an on-page search engine is a good start, but it’s not enough. No one wants to navigate through a labyrinth of irrelevant content. It’s frustrating and discouraging. Your mission? To create a clear, efficient path for your users, leading them straight to the treasure they seek.

The Power of an On-Page Search Engine

An on-page search function is not just a tool, it’s a weapon. It can enhance the user experience, boost engagement and conversions, and offer a plethora of other benefits:

• Enhanced User Experience: It’s a guide, leading users to their desired content swiftly.
• Increased Engagement: It’s a catalyst, sparking curiosity and interaction.
• Higher Conversions: It’s a motivator, increasing the likelihood of user actions.
• Time Efficiency: It’s a time-saver, reducing the effort users need to put in.
• Content Visibility: It’s a spotlight, ensuring all content is in the limelight.
• Personalization: It’s a tailor, offering customized search results.
• Valuable Insights: It’s a detective, providing clues about user behavior.
• Reduced Bounce Rates: It’s a magnet, keeping users on your site.
• Competitive Edge: It’s a secret weapon, setting you apart from your rivals.
• SEO Benefits: It’s a ladder, helping your site climb the ranking.
• Support for Large Sites: It’s a map, essential for navigating extensive content.
• Customer Support: It’s an assistant, aiding with inquiries on e-commerce sites.

You’ve Got the Power - Now Supercharge It!

Most content management systems generate on-site search results based on criteria like entry date, date range, channel, category, or popularity. But why settle for the default when you can customize it?

Prioritize Your Page Categories

Before you dive into optimization, decide the hierarchy of your page categories. For instance, on the Ladybird-digital website, we’ve arranged our page categories in the following order of importance:

• Services
• Blog
• The Work
• Contact
• About LBD

This order is not random, but intentional, designed to display categories in this specific sequence on our search pages.

Harness the Power of Backdating Entries

Many CMS applications allow you to edit and track entry publish dates. By tweaking these dates, you can organize your page categories and establish page rankings. For example, on the Ladybird-digital website, we started with the “About LBD” category group, which consists of only three pages. We prioritized them as follows:

• 2016-01-01 08:02 AM - Testimonials
• 2016-01-01 08:01 AM - Why LBD
• 2016-01-01 08:00 AM - Opportunities

This process can be repeated for each category group. In our case, the contact category would be next, and we might start the re-dating for that section with: 2016-02-01 08:00 AM. This ensures that it appears before “Contact.”

Filter Out the Noise

If your search results are cluttered with irrelevant items like photos or meaningless pages, it’s crucial to filter them out. In ExpressionEngine, you can disable input fields and images to prevent them from triggering the search engine.

Test Your Display Order

Using relevant keywords, make sure your content appears in the desired order on the search results page. You might need to revisit your original content to include any missing keywords. It might require some effort, but the end result will be a win-win for both you and your customers.

Craft Content That Hits the Mark

Once you’ve fine-tuned the order, it’s time to ensure your entries hit the bullseye. In ExpressionEngine, you can set up a custom field for the search engine results statement. This allows you to craft tailored descriptions for search results, effectively summarizing the page and even weaving in marketing or branding messages to captivate users on their search journey.

Mobile Optimization: A Must in the Modern World

With the surge in mobile browsing, it’s crucial to ensure your on-site search engine is mobile-friendly. This includes responsive design, easy-to-use search bars, and touch-friendly results.

Autocomplete: Your Users’ Guide

Autocomplete can significantly enhance the user experience by making the search process faster and easier. It can guide users to the correct spelling of products or services, especially useful for complex or technical terms.

Search Filters: Your Users’ Compass

Filters allow users to narrow down their search results based on specific criteria, guiding them to exactly what they’re looking for. This could include filters by price, product type, ratings, etc.

Zero Results Page: Your Users’ Lifeline

Sometimes, a user’s search might not yield any results. Instead of just displaying a “no results found” message, offer them a lifeline. Provide suggestions for related content, offer the option to contact customer service, or encourage them to refine their search.

Search Result Ranking: Your Users’ Roadmap

Discuss how you rank the search results. Users typically pay most attention to the first few results, so it’s important to ensure the most relevant and high-quality results appear at the top.

So, is your on-site search engine a friend or foe? With these strategies, you can ensure it’s not just a friend, but a powerful ally in your digital adventure.