Improving your onsite search

When you are looking for something specific online, you probably already know which site to visit, so you may try their onsite search instead of Google. The results of an onsite search, though, are often nowhere near as browsable as what appears on a Google results page -- which can cost you users and customers. This presentation will share onsite search best practices for both marketers and developers so users have as smooth an experience with your onsite search as they do with major search engines.

Anyone who uses onsite search is already interested in your organization or product, and a strong onsite search feature can guide them to what they want and seal the deal. Unfortunately, multiple digital parties, from search engine optimizers (SEOs) to developers, invest far more time in the appearance of organic search results instead of onsite search results. SEOs craft metadata that encourages clicks, and developers optimize page speeds to boost rankings, but those efforts don’t always carry over to your site’s search box. No wonder so many users turn to Google instead, increasing the likelihood that they will convert with your competitors.

This session seeks to turn that situation around by showing good and bad examples of onsite search results on Drupal platforms. At the end, I’ll deliver best practices for onsite search based on higher ed and nonprofit clients I’ve encountered, which attendees can take back to their own organizations.