Site search for portals, intranets, e-commerce, and e-service sites often fails to deliver the results that users expect. If your search system isn’t delivering on these high expectations, an important question to ask is what (if anything) has been done to configure and optimize your site search tool. Given the fact that many organizations have already made a big investment in purchasing a search engine, it makes sense to explore ways to tune up your search engine before sending it to the digital scrap heap. If you are new to the area of site search and facing the challenge of how to rescue your site’s users from a frustrating search experience, this presentation will provide you with effective strategies, starting points and examples. It will also include opportunities for incorporating user testing and search analytics into the process of improving search. The strategies covered will range from the low-hanging fruit (taking better advantage of existing features) to the more robust solutions, which are possible when you have the option of customizing your search engine.

1. Tuning Up Site Search Best Practices for Making Site Search Usable Information Architecture Summit 2007 - March 25, 2007

20. Strategy #1 | (Re)Configure your site search engine Example: Narrowing options Fast platform allows narrowing according to tagging and site structure “ more from…” “ Search within…”

25. Strategy #3 | Make Your Content More Findable Example: IBM - Metadata tagging enables narrowing options. Geography – especially important for international sites! Product/Service Taxonomy

28. Strategy #4 | Customize to Take Search to the Next Level Example: ProQuest – Tagging + Data Mining + Custom UI Special features: Search alerts Complex algorithms suggest index terms Many ways to limit, filter & narrow Marked List – like a shopping cart for results and full text.

29. Strategy #4 | Customize to Take Search to the Next Level Example: Kayak – Uses Ajax to filter and sort “on the fly” Sortable columns Checkboxes offer instant ways to refine a search Slider tools offer an intuitive way to adjust criteria

30. Strategy #4 | Customize to Take Search to the Next Level Example: Kartoo – Visual, interactive search results (Flash) Terms show semantic connections Map layout let users visualize content and concept clusters

31. Strategy #4 | Customize to Take Search to the Next Level Example: www.msdewey.com – a search “experience” Flash 9 video animated character – with xtra attitude Mouse position controls scrolling Certain searches cause entertaining video sequences Results courtesy of MS Live Search Design courtesy of Evolution Bureau