Chasing the Tail of Search Engine Details
July 24, 2012
Details, details, what do users want? In order to run a successful business, that is the question that the entrepreneur of today must have answered. Siteimprove’s article “Create an Annual Search Cycle to Stay One Step Ahead of Your Users,” advises site administrators that the best way to catch results is to chase them.
Siteimprove actually encourages admins to double check the functionality of their platform, and:
- Examine the most popular search terms for each month
- Fill terms into an Excel table where you place the months side by side. It’s best to remove plural endings, synonyms, etc.
- Sort the terms alphabetically for each month. This will create an overview and help you distinguish between the terms to see if they appear in most months, or only in a few months.
- Ensure terms are easily identifiable which are specific to that month/or quarter.
We have all seen a pet chase their tail, but they don’t know what to do when they catch it. Chasing users to physically create a company overview can provide insight into anticipated results, but a good internal search engine already does that. An efficient program can create search term rules, store information and provide quick links for results in order to ensure users are finding exactly what they’re looking for.
Siteimprove seems to be running in circles to compensate for the possibility of an inefficient program. Is the system so bad that the users are chasing the search administrator like a pet chasing his tail?
Jennifer Shockley, July 24, 2012
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