{"id":14913,"date":"2022-07-21T11:54:08","date_gmt":"2022-07-21T11:54:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/on-site-search-best-practices\/454465\/"},"modified":"2022-07-21T11:54:08","modified_gmt":"2022-07-21T11:54:08","slug":"on-site-search-best-practices-for-seo-user-experience-via-sejournal-kaylelarkin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/?p=14913","title":{"rendered":"On-Site Search Best Practices For SEO & User Experience via @sejournal, @KayleLarkin"},"content":{"rendered":"

No matter how easy your website is to navigate or how clean the user experience (UX<\/a>) is, an on-site search function is vital.<\/p>\n

Your site visitors want a direct way to find exactly what they want.<\/p>\n

On-site search is more than a search box; it\u2019s an essential aspect of how visitors engage with your website.<\/p>\n

Google has set the bar pretty high, and nowadays, users expect search to perform flawlessly. It means your on-site search must return relevant results, or visitors may leave, and you lose out on potential business.<\/p>\n

So, how can you make sure your on-site search helps convert site visitors into customers?<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve gathered a list of on-site search best practices, how the data can inform your SEO efforts and a solution for the SEO risks involved.<\/p>\n

On-Site Search Best Practices<\/h2>\n

Is it enough to plop a search widget on your site?<\/p>\n

Uh, not quite.<\/p>\n

If the search feature doesn\u2019t meet customers\u2019 expectations, it becomes more of a hindrance than a help.<\/p>\n

It means you just put a barrier between users and the product they want to buy from you.<\/p>\n

Below are seven best practices to follow when adding an on-site search to your website.<\/p>\n

1. Search Box Placement<\/h3>\n

\"on-site<\/p>\n

\"on-site<\/p>\n

Your search bar should be easy to find.<\/p>\n

No one will scroll to the footer of your website looking for it.<\/p>\n

When someone views your website on a desktop, it should be in a prominent spot, preferably near the top right corner.<\/p>\n

A mobile device should have its own line at the top of the screen.<\/p>\n

Be careful not to place the search box too close to other boxes, like a newsletter sign-up, as that may confuse users.<\/p>\n

2. Search Box Design<\/h3>\n

\"search<\/p>\n

\"search<\/p>\n

Similarly, it should be immediately apparent what the search box does.<\/p>\n

There are three design elements: a search box, a search button, and a magnifying glass.<\/p>\n

The search box is where users type queries.<\/p>\n

If the input field is too short, people can\u2019t see all of their text, making it hard to edit their query easily.<\/p>\n

A good rule of thumb is to have a 27-character text input, which accommodates the majority of user search queries.<\/p>\n

Adding a search button to your design helps users understand there\u2019s an additional step to trigger the search action.<\/p>\n

The magnifying glass is essential to include because it is a widely recognized symbol for \u201csearch.\u201d<\/p>\n

The icon should be large enough to provide a clear signal to the consumer, even on a mobile device.<\/p>\n

3. Add Placeholder Text<\/h3>\n

It is a good idea to include placeholder text in the search box to give users an example of what they can search.<\/p>\n

\"on-siteScreenshot from SearchEngineJournal.com, June 2022<\/span>\"on-site<\/div>\n

4. Auto-Complete<\/h3>\n

\"categories<\/p>\n

\"categories<\/p>\n

Auto-complete predicts what the on-site search user is searching based on popular or suggested search queries.<\/p>\n

The search box will recommend an item or category the user may be interested in by anticipating the search query, saving them the time and effort of typing.<\/p>\n

This feature is not about making the search process faster; it is to help users ask better search queries.<\/p>\n

Be careful not to overwhelm users with excessive suggestions; up to 10 results is best practice.<\/p>\n

5. Custom Ranking Option<\/h3>\n
\"facetedComposite image created by Paulo Bobita\/Search Engine Journal, July 2022; images sourced from yelp.com<\/span>\"faceted<\/div>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about what happens after the search.<\/p>\n

Your user finds the search box easily, enters text, hits the search button, and lands on the search results page.<\/p>\n

As the website owner, you want to control (or prioritize) which pages rank at the top of your on-site search results.<\/p>\n

The ability to manually rank pages provides the control necessary for promoting seasonal products or specials.<\/p>\n

6. No Results Page<\/h3>\n
\"zeroComposite image created by Paulo Bobita\/Search Engine Journal, July 2022; images sourced from kohls.com<\/span>\"zero<\/div>\n

What you don\u2019t want to happen is a \u201cno results\u201d page.<\/p>\n

A \u201cno results\u201d page feels like a dead end.<\/p>\n

When visitors see \u201cno results,\u201d they may think your site doesn\u2019t have what they\u2019re looking for \u2013 and leave.<\/p>\n

Providing visitors with a path forward is the best practice.<\/p>\n

Under the \u201czero results\u201d message, try adding a few related products or categories that may pique visitors\u2019 interest.<\/p>\n

7. Simplify Results<\/h3>\n

An on-site search aims to find what you\u2019re looking for quickly.<\/p>\n

It means that on-site search results need to be simplified.<\/p>\n

Filters allow customers to refine their searches to find what they\u2019re searching.<\/p>\n

\"AmazingScreenshot from asos.com, July 2022<\/span>\"Amazing<\/div>\n

For example, someone searching for \u201cwedding guest plus size dresses\u201d is likely to want to narrow the results down by size in stock, color, price, etc.<\/p>\n

How On-Site Search Is Good For SEO<\/h2>\n

As marketers, we are piecing together first-party data and third-party data, trying this tool and that tool, all to understand how to improve communication with our audience.<\/p>\n

The beauty of on-site search is that you don\u2019t have to wonder what a user is up to when they visit your website.<\/p>\n

Users will type into your on-site search box exactly what they are searching.<\/p>\n

And according to Forrester Research<\/a>, online visitors who use the search box are two to three times more likely to convert than non-searchers.<\/p>\n

Now, the intel on what people, who are three times more likely to convert, are doing on your site is something to notice.<\/p>\n

Regularly monitoring data from your on-site search will allow you to support your SEO efforts in the following ways:<\/p>\n