1. Needle in a Haystack
Understanding Search Parameters
A. Stansell
3/28/16

2. The State of Search
Background
• How are search terms are generated?
• Where do the terms “live”?
• What are people searching for to find
products/services?
• What current systems and data practices
impact search?
• How can we begin to understand our
customer and how they search?

3. The State of Search
Current State of Search - HSAH
• Search is used frequently and
is the prominent way to find
information.
• 72% of people use the site
search
• 10% of visitors leave after not
finding results
• 68% refine (change) their search
after not garnering a result.
• 829k unique searches
• 10% = 82k
• Average cart in March is $111
Google Analytics – exported 3/17/16
Potential: A 20% conversion rate (search exit to a sale) at $111 per cart is 1.8 million

4. The Elements of Search
#1 Data
#2
Basic Search
#3
Enhanced
Search
#4
Customer
Intention

5. Part 1: The Influence of Data
• Data Consistency
• Data Integrity/ Maintenance
#1 Data
#2
Basic Search
#3 Enhanced
Search
#4 Customer
Intention

6. Part 2: Basic Search
Keywords (Basic Search)
• Keywords are still fundamental for
building basic search parameters
• The KEY is the quality of the Keyword!
• Application to HSAH
• Most of our keyword terms would be
considered “broad” when used in a internet
search.
• These keyword types have the highest
conversion rates
• Shorter search phrases are searched more
often.
Source: http://knowledge.hubspot.com/keyword-user-guide-v2/understanding-keywords
EX: Clavamox EX: Clavamox 15ml for cats
HSV
Patterson
#1 Data
#2
Basic Search
#3 Enhanced
Search
#4 Customer
Intention

7. Part 3: Enhanced Search
Metadata (Enhanced Search)
• Data about data
• Our Scope: parsing out
elements of product
information to create searchable
parameters
• Examples: Weight, Volume, Size,
Packaging color, Material the
item is made with, etc.
• Creates advanced search
parameters to, in essence, turn
a broad keyword term in to a
long-tail keyword search
HSV
HSV metadata dropdown fields
#1 Data
#2
Basic Search
#3 Enhanced
Search
#4 Customer
Intention

8. Part 4: Customer Intention
Understanding Customers
• We enter keywords directly related to
product
• We do not use customer intention to dive
deeper into product search.
• Not all customers search the same way
• Need to build “meaning” into search
• When adding synonyms and building in meaning
these examples all mean the same thing:
• auto repair shop = car repair specialists = vehicle repair
facility
• It’s far more important to optimize for a specific
meaning rather than a specific phrase
#1 Data
#2
Basic Search
#3 Enhanced
Search
#4 Customer
Intention

9. Part 4: Customer Intention
Example Search Term: cone; dog cone
HSAH
Patterson
Valleyvet.com
#1 Data
#2
Basic Search
#3 Enhanced
Search
#4 Customer
Intention

10. At a Crossroads

11. Option A: Keep the Improvement Internal
Strengths Challenges
• We control the process,
workflow, and maintenance
overall
• Subject matter experts of our
own systems
• Prioritization
• Who touches data when?
• Standardizing legacy data
• Streamlining item creation
and change
• Limited resources
• expertise, time, money
• Systems
• SYS21
• Stibo
• Workload

12. Option B: Third Party Tools
Strengths Challenges
• Faster ramp-up
• Out of the box tool can begin to
aggregate data based on current
keywords once implemented into
the tool
• Examples:
• Budget
• Integration Resources
• Third Party Troubleshooting
Oracle Endeca
Google Enterprise
Search
Source (search tools): https://www.g2crowd.com/products/searchblox-search-server/competitors/alternatives

13. Discussion
• Where do we go from here?
• Direction
• Recommendations
• First establish current process and then determine how to implement change.
• Time Frame
• More meetings
• Individual Involvement
• Priority
• Action Items
• Need to determine who is touching data during item initiation
• Standardize data entry to improve integrity and governance

14. Thank you
Questions | Comments