On-site search is an essential part of a well-performing ecommerce website. On average, businesses that introduce an ecommerce site search notice doubled conversion rates.
Tracking and analyzing key on-site search metrics allows you to be sure that your search is performing at its best.
Why should you do it? And what metrics should you look at?
Why is ecommerce search metrics tracking crucial for business success?
As an ecommerce business owner, you should allocate some time daily to track the key metrics of your on-site search.
First, metrics tracking provides data-driven insights into search performance. You must know how is your search performing to decide if (and what) changes are needed.
Then, daily search performance allows you to make data-based improvements. For instance, if you notice the relevance of search results drops, you can look for options to improve the relevance (like adding synonyms, typo-correction, and other methods).
Last, businesses that track their search performance stay ahead of the competition. Gain a competitive advantage by providing a superior, ultra-relevant search experience.
The key 3 on-site search metrics you should track
#1 Search query volume & trends
The first metric to track is the search query volume and trends. As a shop administrator, you should know what products your users are most interested in.
Check what search queries trend the most and evaluate how well you supply the demand.
For example, if you notice a new market trend (f.e., people start searching specifically for purple clothes), update your stocks accordingly. It can help you meet the demand, deliver the product variations your users are looking for and enjoy a spike in sales.
Similarly, you can get ideas for expanding the product assortment. If you sell jackets but your customers search for scarves, you can include them as a new product. It can help you upsell more relevant products and increase average order value.
#2 CTR
The second metric to track is the click-through rate (CTR). CTR measures the percentage of users who click on a search result out of all users who performed a search.
A low CTR can indicate that the search results are irrelevant to the user’s query or ineffectively presented.
If this happens, you should improve the CTR of search results. There are multiple ways you can do that. For instance, you can add synonyms (so users find sports footwear in both cases - sneakers and running shoes).
You can also enhance search relevance with typo correction, did-you-mean functionality, auto suggestion, and similar advanced search features.
#3 Search queries with zero results
The final metric to track is the number of zero-result searches. This number means that the user’s search query did not return any results nor match any products on your website.
If you do not have the products the users were looking for, this metric will give you insights into the areas where your site’s product offerings may be lacking. Based on the numbers, you can expand your product assortment to provide the products your users expect you to have.
If you have the products the users were searching for, use these insights to improve your search relevance. Apart from the methods mentioned before, make sure to update product titles and descriptions so the search engine has more content to run a search on.
By improving the products available on your site, you can reduce the number of zero-result searches and provide a better experience for your customers.
LupaSearch - AI-driven ecommerce search that helps you track metrics
Not all default ecommerce search engines provide clear-cut reports to understand your search performance. For that, you need a dedicated, AI-driven ecommerce search solution like LupaSearch.
LupaSearch offers a real-time, in-depth overview of search trends and insights, so you can immediately make informed business decisions.
If you need to increase the relevance of your search results, LupaSearch supports all the most demanded features of an advanced ecommerce search.
Businesses that started collaborating with LupaSearch noticed up to an 8X increase in their conversion rates.
Schedule a free demo with LupaSearch product consultants, and let’s have a productive conversation.