How to analyze a Site search

Set up 

If you do not have the following mappings, goals, and segments already saved to your Contentsquare platform you will need to create them before getting started. 

Mapping

• Either create a mapping with one page that contains ”all pages” with the search. Usually this excluded the  checkout where search isn’t visible.
• Or use the page on the fly option within the Zoning analysis with the 'path contains' condition to define all URLs containing the menu
• If you have a dedicated search results page, create a mapping that separates your search results page from the rest of your pages.

Zoning

Create a zoning on the page containing all pages with Search and use snapshots to create a zoning of the drop down which appears with Search recommendations.

Goals

Create a goal “Click on Search”.

• Be sure to zone your mobile search separately if needed as it might not be considered as the same zone in your code.
• Before creating the goal, verify whether the search recommendations are subzones of the main search bar area to ensure that you are collecting data from the correct zone with the goal.

Segments

• Create the segments “Visitors who clicked on Search” (based on goal), “Non bouncers AND did not click on the menu” (so that you exclude users who are not really engaging with your website).
• Create the segments “Visitors who visited a Search results page” (based on page viewed).

Step-by-Step

Analyze the impact of your search bar

Does the search lead to deeper navigation? Are users who utilize the search experiencing improved conversion rates, increased time spent, and enhanced product finding?

A quick way to view your key metrics is through Dashboards, which provides a personalized interface for tracking KPIs all in one place.

1. If you haven't created a dashboard, easily set one up using built-in templates. Navigate to Dashboards and begin with the 'Site overview' template for automatic population of your key metrics. Learn how to create your first Dashboard and analyze your data using the Site Overview dashboard template.

2. Update the line chart that shows the Number of sessions/Conversion rate by incorporating Conversion rate by goal as a metric. Look at the following:

• % of users who clicked on search (Segment “All visitors”, Goal “Click on Search”)
• % of buyers who clicked on search (Segment "visits with transactions", Goal "Click on Search") OR
• % of search users who transacted (Segment “Click on Search”, Goal “Ecommerce”)
• % of search users who reach product page or other objective Segment “Click on Search”, Goal “Reach product page”)

Note! You can modify segments either within the Analysis context or by adjusting the widget settings in the dashboard.

3. Compare the two segments “Click on Search” vs “Not click on the Search” on the following metrics:

• Look at session time and number of viewed pages per session. Understand how the use of search impact the navigation. How deep is their visit?

4. To analyze the stages at which users are more likely to utilize the search, open Journey analysis. Set your Analysis context to select a mapping that includes your search results page and all key page groups (Homepage, Product page, Product List page). Set a segment to 'Visitors who visited a Search results page' and look at the following:

• At what stage of the journey are users using the search? What are the most common ways of using a search page?
• What happens after reaching a search page? Are users easily finding the right product, or are they looping back and forth between search results and product pages?

Tip! If you want to delve deeper into where users are more likely to use the search, apply a product category split mapping.

Analyze the performance of the different search recommendations

1. Open Zoning analysis, select a zoning of the menu based on your 'All pages' mapping, and set your Analysis context to All visitors.

Analyze the following metrics: 

• Check the exposure and the hover rate of the search bar and the search suggestions. Is it visible enough? Are the search suggestions visible enough?
• Check the click rate and conversion rate per click with your main objective (reach product, categories, travel destinations, hotels etc.) to determine if the search bar is effectively utilized in aiding users to find the right products.
• Check if there is a high click recurrance and time before first click that may indicate that the search functionality is causing confusion or frustration.

2. Optional. If you have a dedicated search results page, open Zoning analysis and choose a zoning of the the search results page based on the mapping that includes it. Set your Analysis context to All visitors and look at the following:

• Check the exposure and hover rate of the entire page. Are key elements, such as additional filters, visible enough? You can also compare the performance of the key elements on different devices (e.g., if customers are more likely to use filtering on mobile vs desktop, etc.)
• Look at the click rate and click distribution on main page elements (Product suggestions, travel recommendations, filters, sort by, pagination, etc.). Are users more inclined to interact with products or filters? Is there a preference for viewing more products?
• Check the conversion per click aligned with your primary objectives (e.g., reaching products, categories, travel destinations etc) to identify the page element that outperforms others. 
• Check the click recurrence to identify potential user frustration on the page.

Take action

• If the search bar has low exposure or attractiveness but contributes to overall user navigation, locating and distinguishing it from other header features may be challenging. Consider choosing colors that make the search bar stand out from the rest of the page, coupled with clear labeling and iconography.
• If you notice that the search recommendations within the search bar are rarely used, you might want to improve the auto-completion feature and implement caching mechanisms. Storing frequently searched queries and displaying results upon clicking can enhance user experience.
• In the case of a low click rate on top product results and a high click rate on pagination or filters, optimize the presentation of search results to reduce friction by:
  • Faceted Search and Filtering: Implement faceted search and filtering options to make it easier for users to refine their search results. Provide options to filter by date, category, type, and other relevant attributes.
  • Content Presentation: Clarify the presentation of content with a clean and organized layout. Include relevant information such as titles, snippets, and thumbnail images to enhance user understanding and engagement.