Welcome back to another Wednesday edition of Information Architecture (IA) and search engine optimization (SEO from Search Engine Academy. I have a soft spot in my heart for IA, and I do SEO, and the fact that they go together like eggs and bacon is pretty cool with me.
We have been talking a lot about the site search function you could put on your website. Today, let’s go over some of the ways your web visitor/searcher may get frustrated with the search results you offer up to her – none, not enough, or too many – and what you can do about it.
Well, if you’re offering too many results, it’s hella easier to cut and whack than it is to add, wouldn’t you agree? So you may want to include a instruction set on how to narrow down or refocus search results. Sometimes more is not better.
Take Exalead, for example. It’s a search engine. Look how you can narrow down and refine searches:
There are different ways I can find Rolling Stones songs results. I can even search for related artists.
What if your site search function doesn’t give results? Don’t just let it end right there. Give some other options:
- Revise the search parameters
- Information or advice on how to continue the search
- How to browse the site through a site map or navigation
- Contact information for a real, live person to give the desired information
And you know what? We are now pretty much done with the site search function for your website. Whew, this took awhile, but I hope it’s been worth the journey.
I can’t emphasize how important site search is for your site, if you have a large, large, LARGE e-commerce or catalog site. You want to sell products. Your target audience wants to buy your products. Meet them early on in the selling cycle and be sure they can find YOUR products, NOT your competitors!
Next week, we are going to learn all about thesauri, controlled vocabularies and metadata. Stay tuned!
Until next week, keep it between the ditches!
All the best,
