This document discusses the evolution of search and its importance. It covers different types of search like keyword, navigational, and faceted search. Faceted search combines the advantages of keyword and navigational search. The document also discusses measuring the user experience of search, new technologies like semantic and real-time search, and challenges like mobile search. It emphasizes understanding user intentions and engaging users during the search process.

1. Evolution of search
and
why we should care!
Maryam Mahdaviani
maryam@optemo.com
22/9/2010

2. What does search mean to you?

3. What does search mean to you?

4. What does search mean to you?

5. How much do you care about site
search?

6. Keyword Search
User intentions
Keywords

7. “small
camera”
Keyword Search
? “tiger”
“IMC”

8. How to benefit from
keywords

Keyword marketing

Rearranging products accordingly

9. How to benefit from
keywords?

10. 
% of successful and unsuccessful searches

Conversion ratio of visitors who use onsite search

Session duration for all sessions that included
searches

What site visitors did after they used the onsite
search
Site Search KPIs

11. Keyword search is a direct search
The other (less popular) form
of search is
navigational search

12. Navigational
search is
more
than internet
directories

13. Faceted search combines both
paradigms
Keyword Search Navigational Search
Fast retrieval
No need to know the
taxonomy
Ability to browse

14. Faceted Search
Introduces relevant
specs!

15. Faceted Search
Guides the search
process

16. Why is it better?

Gives an overview of available
information

Increases the chance of searching

17. Why is it better?

Gives an overview of available
information

Increases the chance of searching

Engages the user!

18. Faceted Search and Marketing

SEO Friendly!

Elicits direct explicit customer
preferences

19. Measuring the user experience
Ran a usability
test on
BestBuy.ca for
6 weeks

20. Measuring the user experience

Ran a usability test on Best
Buy Canada site for 6 weeks

21. Measuring the user experience

Ran a usability test on Best
Buy Canada site for 6 weeks

Provided users with
keyword search and sliders

22. Measuring the user experience

13% used keyword search

77% used sliders

The remaining 10%
checked items on the first
page

23. New search Technologies &
Trends
Semantic Search
Mobile Search
Location-based Search

24. 
Semantic search tries to
understand the searcher's intent

Keyword disambiguation
Providing contextual information
Semantic Search

25. Semantic Search

Should provide a platform for
collecting relevant information

Engage the user as much as
possible!

26. 
Engage the
user with
different ways
of search

Use images!
They are
powerful!
Optemo Solution for BestBuy.ca

27. A Shift for SEO
No more keyword matching, keyword density,
and ranking in the search engine results page
Need to know:

How the audience think and behave online

Latent or hidden relationships between
ideas

The ways people express those ideas

28. What does it mean for
Marketing?
It provides much deeper insight
into customer behaviour and
needs

29. Real-time Search

Twitter / Facebook phenomena has
started a new chapter for online marketing

If your site hosts real-time data you
should consider on-site real-time search
engines

30. Real-time Search
You already use social networks to get the
word out but you should also use real time
engines to:

Learn about trends

Fine tune your messaging

Evaluate your campaigns

31. Mobile Search
Site Search
Location-based search

32. Mobile Site Search
Main benefit:
search on the go
Main challenge:
small screen

33. Mobile Site Search –
Overcoming the Challenge

Native applications, mobile browser
optimization or both?

Collect information, learn how they use
their phones

Market your mobile features!

34. Location-based Search

35. Location-based Search

Becoming rapidly ubiquitous

Adding more context to the search

Increasing the conversion

36. Search & Marketing
Search is a communication tool
Customers are talking with you!

37. Search & Marketing
Look for tools that help you listen to
them!
And help them communicate more
effectively!

38. Thank You!
Please contact me at
maryam@optemo.com
@mmaryam
@optemo