Oct 29 2025
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How to Optimise On-Site Search for Ecommerce: 5 Proven Tips
On-site search is one of the most underutilised conversion tools in ecommerce. Whilst most online retailers invest heavily in paid advertising, seasonal promotions, and delivery optimisation during peak trading periods, many overlook the search bar entirely. This is despite the fact that visitors who use site search convert at 2-3 times the rate of those who don’t.
When a customer types into your search bar, they’re displaying high purchase intent and telling you exactly what they want. However poor search functionality remains a common frustration point that drives potential buyers away.
In this guide, I’ll share five actionable improvements that I recently shared on Linkedin that you can implement to your ecommerce site search that will boost conversions, reduce bounce rates, and improve customer satisfaction. This is even more crucial during high-traffic periods like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the Christmas shopping season.
Why On-Site Search Matters for Ecommerce Success
Before diving into the tactics, it’s worth understanding why site search optimisation deserves your attention:
- Higher conversion intent: Search users know what they want and are further along the buying journey
- Valuable customer insights: Search data reveals exactly what products and information your customers are looking for
- Reduced support burden: Better search reduces “Where can I find…” queries to your customer service team
- Competitive advantage: Many ecommerce sites have poorly optimised search, giving you an easy win
With that context, let’s explore the five improvements that will transform your on-site search performance.
1. Set Up Search Redirects for Informational Queries
The Problem
Not every search query is product-focused. Customers frequently type terms like “delivery,” “returns,” “refunds,” “size guide,” or “track my order” directly into the search bar because it’s the fastest way to find information.
Take a look at Halfords below when you search for “delivery”. It returns 2 products with delivery in the title but I’d guess 90% of any delivery related searches were intended for finding out delivery information:
If these queries return irrelevant product results, or worse, no results at all, you’re creating unnecessary friction at critical moments in the customer journey.
The Solution
Configure search redirects that automatically send users to the appropriate informational pages when they search for non-product terms.
How to implement search redirects:
- Check your search platform capabilities – Most modern search solutions including Searchanise, Klevu, Algolia, and Boost AI support redirect functionality
- Map common queries to destination pages – Create rules that send “delivery” to your shipping information page, “returns” to your returns policy, “size guide” to sizing charts, etc.
- Analyse your search data – Review your site analytics to identify other frequently searched informational terms that deserve dedicated redirects
Impact: This simple improvement can significantly reduce customer service enquiries whilst helping shoppers find critical information instantly—often the difference between completing a purchase or abandoning their basket.
2. Boost High-Priority Products in Search Results
The Problem
By default, search algorithms often rank products alphabetically or by date added, which doesn’t align with what’s commercially best for your business. This means customers might see low-stock items, discontinued products, or poor-performing SKUs before your bestsellers.
The Solution
Implement product boosting rules that prioritise items based on business logic, not just algorithmic relevance.
Products to boost during Q4 and peak seasons:
- Best-selling items – Products with proven conversion rates
- High-margin products – Maximise profitability per transaction
- Well-stocked items – Avoid disappointing customers with out-of-stock products
- New arrivals and seasonal collections – Push fresh inventory that aligns with current demand
- Promotional lines – Items included in your marketing campaigns
Quick audit: Search for your top 10 most common queries and examine the results. Ask yourself:
- Are irrelevant products ranking too highly?
- Are out-of-stock items still appearing prominently?
- Do the results align with your current merchandising strategy?
If not, adjust your boost and de-boost rules accordingly. This is particularly crucial for multi-brand retailers where certain product lines may sell through rapidly.
Pro tip: Most platforms like Searchanise and Boost AI allow you to set different boosting rules for different time periods, so you can automatically prioritise seasonal products without manual intervention.
3. Analyse Search Analytics to Understand Customer Behaviour
The Problem
You can’t optimise what you don’t measure. Many ecommerce managers set up their search once and never review how customers actually use it.
The Solution
Establish a regular routine—weekly during peak seasons, monthly during quieter periods—to review your search analytics and identify opportunities.
Where to find search data:
- Your search app’s dashboard – Tools like Searchanise, Klevu, or Boost AI provide detailed analytics
- Shopify’s “Online Store Search” report – Available in Shopify Analytics for stores using native search
- Zero-result searches – Queries that returned no products (critical for identifying gaps)
- Most searched terms – Shows what customers want most
- Click-through rates – Reveals whether results are relevant
What to do with this data:
- Test your top queries yourself – Manually search for your most popular terms and critically evaluate the results
- Identify product gaps – High-volume searches with poor results might indicate missing inventory opportunities
- Spot UX issues – Searches for things that should be easy to find might reveal navigation problems
- Inform buying decisions – Use search trends to guide stock purchasing and merchandising
- Enhance paid search campaigns – Apply insights to your Google Ads and social media advertising
Search data is one of the purest signals of customer demand you can access. Use it strategically.
4. Implement Smart Search Redirects for Better User Experience
The Problem
Certain search queries return technically accurate but overwhelming results. For example, searching “Carhartt hoodies” might display 200+ products when a curated collection page would provide a superior browsing experience.
The Solution
Use strategic search redirects to send users to collection pages, landing pages, or specific category pages when it serves their intent better than raw search results.
When to use smart redirects:
- Brand + category searches – “Nike trainers,” “Levi’s jeans,” “Adidas tracksuit”
- Broad category terms – “Winter coats,” “running shoes,” “office furniture”
- Campaign-specific queries – “Sale,” “Black Friday deals,” “clearance”
Best practices for search redirects:
- Don’t overuse them – Reserve redirects for scenarios where a curated experience genuinely improves the journey
- Monitor performance – Check analytics to ensure redirected traffic converts better than standard search results
- Test with users – If possible, gather feedback on whether redirects feel helpful or frustrating
- Maintain transparency – Consider showing a message like “Showing our Nike trainers collection” so users understand what happened
This approach gives you more control over high-value search journeys whilst maintaining the flexibility of standard search for everything else.
5. Configure Synonyms and Handle Misspellings
The Problem
Customers don’t always search using your exact product terminology. Regional language differences, common misspellings, and alternative phrases can all result in failed searches and frustrated customers.
The Solution
Build comprehensive synonym lists and misspelling rules into your search configuration to ensure customers find what they’re looking for, however they phrase it.
Common variations to account for:
Misspellings:
- Carhartt → Carharrt, Carhart, Carharrt
- Separate → Seperate
- Definitely → Definately
Regional differences (UK vs US):
- Trainers → Sneakers
- Jumper → Sweater
- Trousers → Pants
Alternative terminology:
- T-shirt → Tee, Tee-shirt
- Hoodie → Hooded sweatshirt, Hoody
- Sofa → Couch, Settee
Singular vs Plural:
- Short sleeve shirt → Short sleeve shirts
- Jean → Jeans
How to build your synonym list:
- Review your zero-results report – This shows exactly what customers searched for that returned nothing
- Consider your product range – Think about alternative ways to describe your items
- Account for your market – If you serve both UK and US customers, include terminology from both regions
- Ask AI for some synonyms – It’s difficult to think of them all so why not use AI to give you a helping hand with some industry synonyms
- Test and refine – Regularly add new terms as you spot patterns in search behaviour
Most modern search platforms like Searchanise make synonym configuration straightforward, and the impact is immediate—fewer dead-end searches and more conversions.
Measuring the Impact of Your Search Optimisation
After implementing these improvements, track these key metrics to quantify success:
- Search conversion rate – Percentage of search users who make a purchase
- Zero-result search rate – Percentage of searches returning no products (aim to reduce this)
- Search exit rate – Percentage of users who leave after searching (should decrease)
- Average order value from search – Often higher than non-search users
- Click-through rate from search results – Shows whether results are relevant
- Customer support tickets – Should decrease if informational redirects are working
Common On-Site Search Mistakes to Avoid
Whilst implementing these improvements, watch out for these pitfalls:
- Over-redirecting – Not every search needs a redirect; sometimes raw results are best
- Ignoring mobile search – Ensure your search works flawlessly on mobile devices where most traffic originates
- Set-and-forget mentality – Search optimisation requires ongoing attention, especially as inventory and seasons change
- Neglecting filters – Search and filtering work together; optimise both for best results
- Poor search placement – Make sure your search bar is prominent and easy to find
Choosing the Right Ecommerce Search Solution
If you’re still using basic native search functionality, consider upgrading to a dedicated search app. Popular options include:
- Searchanise – Excellent balance of features and affordability, with strong synonym and redirect capabilities
- Klevu (Athos Commerce) – AI-powered search with advanced merchandising features
- Algolia – Extremely fast search with powerful developer tools
- Boost AI – Smart search with natural language processing
As a Searchanise and Boost AI partner, I’ve seen firsthand how implementing proper search infrastructure transforms ecommerce performance, particularly for growing Shopify stores.
Take Action on Your On-Site Search Today
On-site search optimisation might not be as glamorous as launching a new marketing campaign, but it’s one of the highest-ROI improvements you can make to your ecommerce site. Every search represents a customer with clear intent—make sure you’re helping them find exactly what they need.
Start with these five tactics:
- Set up redirects for common informational queries
- Boost your best-selling and high-stock products
- Review your search analytics and top queries
- Implement smart redirects for brand + category searches
- Build comprehensive synonym and misspelling lists
Even implementing just one or two of these improvements can have a measurable impact on your conversion rate and customer satisfaction.
Need Help Optimising Your Ecommerce Search?
If you’d like expert support auditing your current search setup or implementing these optimisations, I offer ecommerce consultancy services focused on conversion rate optimisation and technical improvements.
Get in touch to discuss how we can improve your site’s search functionality and overall performance.
