1. JP Sherman
@jpsherman
MANAGER OF SEARCH & FINDABILITY
RED HAT
Onsite Search - A Critical
Multiplier to Users &
Business
http://www.slideshare.net/jpsherman

2. A SHORT INTRO
I connect people
to the information
they’re looking for.
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
A global enterprise software company with an
open source development model.

3. ONSITE SEARCH
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
HOW DO WE MEASURE IT?
WHAT DO WE DO WITH IT?

4. @jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
ONSITE SEARCH
LESS THAN 18% OF ORGS
DEDICATE RESOURCES TO
ONSITE SEARCH

5. @jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
USER ABANDONMENT
55% of users
Will abandon your site if
they cannot find what
they’re looking for
immediately.

6. @jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
USER ABANDONMENT
LESS THAN A SECOND AWAY...

7. THINGS NOT FOUND
CANNOT CONVERT.
IF THEY CAN’T FIND IT,
THEY’RE GONE.
LOST REVENUE
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO

8. WHEN IT WORKS
DO BALLOONS DROP?
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO

9. @jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
THAT’S THE EXPECTATION.

10. THEY REMEMBER...
A good site-search
experience is what’s
expected.
A bad site-search
experience is remembered
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO

11. @jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
THIS IS WHY

12. @jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
Amplifies Multiplies Assists Informs
ONSITE SEARCH IS CRITICAL

13. @jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
MEASURING ONSITE SEARCH

14. KEY CONCEPTS
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
FINDABILITY
ACTIVE
BEHAVIORS
PASSIVE
BEHAVIORS
FEATURES
RESULT SET
QUALITY

15. FINDABILITY
How to Measure Findability
◆ What People Do
◆ How People Behave
◆ How People React
◆ Content Presented
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO

16. BUT FIRST - SOME SCIENCE
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
Search Behavior is Always On
Passive Search Active Search

17. BUT FIRST - SOME BEHAVIOR
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
Users Scan Results with a Purpose
Keywords are Vehicles, Through Which, Intent is Expressed
This Means: In the Second a User Sees Your Snippet,
Acceptance and Rejection Criteria are Applied.
The Perception of Value Must be Immediate to Entice a User to
Take an Action

18. ACTIVE BEHAVIORS
The measurements are simple to understand, but it’s the nuance that tells the story
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
You’re Probably Familiar
● Keywords
● CTR
● Conversions
● No Results
● Zero Clicks
● Instances

19. DEFINING “KEYWORD”
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
KEYWORDS AREN’T JUST A BAG OF WORDS.
THEY’RE VEHICLES THROUGH WHICH A USER’S
INTENT IS EXPRESSED.

20. TYPES OF KEYWORDS
HIGH VOLUME, LOW INTENT KEYWORDS
Keywords High Freq/ Low Intent
Example Queries:
● Bikes
● Software
● Smart phones
● College
● Finland
● Books
● Laptops
● Elections
This is the top of the
funnel search behavior.
User Intent Isn’t Specific
● Information
● Ideas
● Knowledge
● Type Selection
● Familiarity
● Definitions
● Topic Review
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO

21. Keywords Low Freq/ High Intent
Example Queries:
● Download latest iTunes
● Stream The Clash
● Pictures of cats in baskets
● Vietnamese food near me
● Spicy vegan taco recipes
● Supernatural monsters that
drink human blood
● Latin name for ring-tailed
lemur
● What does coulrophobia
mean?
There is no ambiguity in
the searchers’ intent.
User Intent Is Specific
● Take an action
● View specific thing
● Learn specific thing
● List based content
● Answers to a
specific question
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
TYPES OF KEYWORDS
LOW FREQUENCY, HIGH INTENT

22. PASSIVE BEHAVIORS
The measurements are simple to understand, but it’s the nuance that tells the story
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
These generally require a
bit of dev.
● Consumption
● Dwell Time
● Time from Query to
Conversion

23. SEARCH FEATURES
The measurements are simple to understand, but it’s the nuance that tells the story
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
Things on a SERP
● More Like This
● Facets
● Knowledge Graphs
● Query Suggestion/
Completion

24. WHAT ARE SEARCH FEATURES?
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
AUTOCOMPLETE/
AUTOSUGGEST
FACETS
KEYMATCH
KNOWLEDGE
GRAPH
NATURAL RESULTS

25. FEATURE CTR & FINDABILITY
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
26%
32%
12%
68%
71%
53%
Feature
CTR
Weighted
Findability
Score

26. WHAT’S A GOOD CTR FOR ONSITE SEARCH?
Users have very high expectations… (thanks Google)
CTR < 75% CTR > 75%
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO

27. RESULT SET QUALITY
The measurements are simple to understand, but it’s the nuance that tells the story
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
Content Shown on a SERP
● Average Rank
● Content as Impression
● Keyword CTR
● Consumption/
Conversion from
Keyword

28. MEASURING FINDABILITY
The Likelihood a Human Will Find What They’re Looking For
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
Findability
Active
Behaviors
Passive
Behaviors
Search
Features
Result Set
Quality

29. HOW TO IMPROVE SERP
The SERP is the first thing users see after a search & impressions are critical
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
SEARCH EXPERIENCE
OPTIMIZATION
● SERP Design
● Snippet Design
● Contextual Bias
● Search Features
● Respect Users’ Time

30. IMPROVEMENTS: AUTOSUGGEST
Autosuggest is recommending queries that the user may be looking for.
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
Starting with the Search
Experience

31. IMPROVEMENTS: AUTOSUGGEST
Autosuggest is recommending queries that the user may be looking for.
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
Searches w/out
autosuggest
CTR: 42%
CR: 3.9%
Searches w/
autosuggest
CTR: 57%
CR: 5.1%

32. IMPROVEMENTS: AUTOCOMPLETE
Reduce the steps between query and discovery
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO

33. IMPROVEMENTS: AUTOCOMPLETE
Reduce the steps between query and discovery
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
Searches w/out
autocomplete
6.3 seconds
to click
Searches w/
autocomplete
4.5 seconds
to click

34. IMPROVEMENTS: ALTERNATE
PATHS
Search will fail. Give users easily recognizable alternate paths
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
Users will experience a search failure.
Giving users a way to refine, tips to search
again, a place for feedback will improve
the search experience.
Users w/out assistance re-searched 33%
Users w/ assistance re-searched 59%

35. IMPROVEMENTS: GEO CONTEXT
Location can influence the intent of the user for the same keyword
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
Keyword: Bike Tires
Santa Monica Colorado Springs
Location Bias Can
Deliver Intent
Road Bike Tires Mountain Bike Tires

36. IMPROVEMENTS: KNOWLEDGE GRAPHS
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
Knowledge Graphs
High Volume/ Low
Intent
Allows the user to
immediately focus on
what their intent is
when it’s not clear in
the query.

37. HOW TO IMPROVE RESULTS
The Good News… Most of this, you already know how to do
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
You Know This Stuff!
● Content
● Metadata
● Structured Markup
● Internal Links
● Relevant Titles
● UI/UX
But there’s more. So much more.

38. SEO, BUT FOR ONSITE SEARCH
The work you already do...
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
But… Keyword Meta Tags for Onsite Search.
It’s a Real Thing.

39. MEASURE CONTENT EFFICACY
Measure the end results, then trace it back.
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
Attributes of Content in an Onsite Search Context
● Keyword Universe
● Conversions
● Consumption
● Impressions
● Average Rank
● Clicks
● CTR

40. MEASURE CONTENT EFFICACY
Measure the end results, then trace it back.
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
Peach Pie Recipies
Peach Pies
Peach Pie Recipies
Peach Pie Gallery
Peach Pie Ideas
Page Impressions
Page Conversions
Page Consumptions
Average Rank
1000
6%
42%
6.5

41. MEASURE CONTENT EFFICACY
Measure the end results, then trace it back.
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
Peach Pie Recipies
Peach Pies
Peach Pie Recipies
Peach Pie Gallery
Peach Pie Ideas
200
600
150
50
Keyword Stats
Impressions
1%
6%
0.05%
4%
Conversions
7.2
1.5
2.2
8
Avg Rank

42. MEASURE CONTENT EFFICACY
Measure the end results, then trace it back.
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
Peach Pie Recipies
Peach Pies
Peach Pie Recipies
Peach Pie Gallery
Peach Pie Ideas
De-boost keyword for low performance
Keep page as is
Content revision pipeline “why does this rank?”
Work to increase rank in site search

43. TESTING… IS THIS THING ON?
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO
Me.
At work
I have an idea.
Because I know
things.
I run tests. Now I know
more things.
Yay?
TEST. ANALYZE. REPEAT.

44. DISAMBIGUATION FOR SIMILAR SEARCHES
Understand Where Your Customers Primarily Interact With You.
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO

45. RIGHT... AGAIN WITH THE MOBILE.
Understand Where Your Customers Primarily Interact With You.
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO

46. TEN BLUE LINKS MAY NOT EVEN WORK
Some products lend themselves to be more visual, or more comparative.
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO

47. BLENDED SEARCH RESULTS
Just display all the things
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO

48. KEY TAKEAWAYS TO IMPROVE ONSITE
SEARCH
Make a plan, make a change every month, measure it & repeat.
It’s not that hard
Change the Snippet
Change the SERP design
Add Contextual Information
Measure, Measure, Measure
Don’t forget, mobile is unique
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO

49. WHAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE A SEARCH DEV
TEAM?
Onsite Search is proving its value over & over - there are options
@jpsherman @BrightonSEO #BrightonSEO

50. THANK YOU
Please feel free to talk to me if you happen to run into me.
Find me on Twitter @jpsherman