{"id":11018,"date":"2021-06-16T11:29:53","date_gmt":"2021-06-16T17:29:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.topspot.com\/blog\/?p=11018"},"modified":"2021-08-20T10:35:06","modified_gmt":"2021-08-20T16:35:06","slug":"internal-site-search-best-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.topspotims.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/internal-site-search-best-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Internal Site Search Best Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Think about the last time you were searching online for something specific, such as a replacement part for a machine or a new tool for a home improvement project. It’s likely that once you landed on a website that potentially had what you needed, you used the website’s internal site search box to navigate the website and find the product you were searching for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The internal site search tool is typically located at the top of a web page and is one of the most common ways users navigate a website.<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The site search functionality on a website is a crucial element to include for optimum user experience as well as providing important information for you. Think of it as your website’s very own focus group, where your prospective customers are telling you exactly what they need from your website content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Help Your Customers Find What They Need<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Internal site search is highly recommended for providing a positive user experience.  A search box should make it as easy as possible for the user to find exactly what they are looking for. Make sure to properly configure your search box for optimal user experience. This means allowing for suggestions or predictive text to better help your users find what they need.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro Tip:<\/strong> Don\u2019t forget mobile! In our mobile-first world, it\u2019s important to include a search box in your mobile design. Mobile users are usually in a hurry and want to be able to find what they need quickly.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s also a good idea to make sure your content is searchable and includes the terms that are being searched most often. This allows your users to find exactly what they need easily and efficiently. For instance, if a visitor to your site was looking for a specific part number, they are likely to use the search bar function to find it, so you’ll need to have that part number within your content for an optimal user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By viewing the queries searched within your internal site search bar in Google Analytics<\/a>, you can then check your content to make sure it supports the searches being done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To find this data in Google Analytics, use the left-hand navigation to select Behavior > Site Search > Search Terms<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It’s a <\/span>good idea to check your search terms regularly. Consider it a handy checklist of what your visitors are looking for, so you want to make sure that you have content on your website for those searches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It Helps to Be Specific<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is also where it can be helpful to have search boxes specific to your website\u2019s focus. If your company offers several material types for your products, highlighting that information with a materials-specific search box can be useful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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By providing your customers with the ability to search for what they need, your visitors are likely to stay longer on your website and potentially convert into a lead. You can find this information and then customize your search experience by searching your internal site search query data for different patterns that follow our B-SMART Method\u00ae<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[B-SMART\u00ae Case Study] Optimizing Site Search for the User Experience<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When analyzing internal site search query data for Air Filters, Inc., our Team found that over 33,000 queries (and 36% of all queries) conducted on their website were for specific air filter sizes. After digging into the data, they also determined that many users were coming to the site with non-size-related searches but utilizing the internal site search right away to locate the specific item they needed. So, our Team built a specific search tool focused on sizes for the website’s homepage. Upon launching this new tool, the website’s online revenue increased by 19.52% and transactions improved by 12.17%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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