Knowledge
How to improve WordPress search
A search bar that finds nothing costs revenue: people who search often already know what they want to buy. Yet the default WordPress search is one of the weakest parts of an average site. Four changes get much more out of it.
In short
- Show suggestions while people type
- Handle typos and synonyms
- Measure what visitors search for and do not find
Show results while someone types
Visitors who only get a results page after submitting are quicker to leave. Live suggestions in a dropdown show right away whether the search term matches anything, with products, categories and articles in one overview. Spark Search shows those suggestions word by word and cancels outdated requests, so the dropdown stays fast.
Handle typos and different words
Visitors do not always name things the way your catalog does. A fuzzy second round still finds the right product when the search term contains a typo. Synonyms go one step further: create groups such as couch, sofa and settee, or one-way rules such as dartbord to dartboard.
- Fuzzy search when the first round finds nothing
- Synonym groups and one-way rules
- Search by SKU, including variations
Decide what appears at the top
For important search terms you do not want to depend on an algorithm. Pins put a product at the top for an exact search term, with a configurable Recommended badge. Customer service rules send search words such as returns or shipping straight to the right page.
Measure what visitors miss
The most valuable list in your search statistics is the one with searches that returned no results. It shows which products visitors expect, which words they use and where your catalog or copy falls short. Spark Search shows that list without tracking: no IP addresses, no user IDs and no cookies.
Tip: Using Spark Speed or another cache plugin? Spark Search also places its critical style rules inline in the page, so CSS optimization cannot break the search bar.
Want visitors to find what they are looking for?
Frequently asked questions
If you want it to, yes. Spark Search can take over the normal search results page, including in the Divi 5 Loop Builder, so server and browser show the same matches.
Yes. You set the display per device, as a search bar or an icon, with its own click behavior and its own breakpoint for desktop, tablet and mobile.
Spark Search simply keeps working. The license delivers updates; no feature gets locked.