We live in a world where instant gratification has become the new norm. The old adage of “good things come to those who wait” has gone to the wayside, and in its place, “ask and ye shall receive.”
Consumers expect everything to be instant—from deliveries, to purchases, to email/text replies. And, thanks to sites like Amazon, Pinterest and Netflix, basic internet search functionality is no longer enough to meet consumers’ high-demand expectations. Now more than ever, consumers want, dare we say require immediate, relevant, personalized content on all their internet searches—something basic search falls short on.
So how can businesses keep up with these increasingly high demands to ensure they not only retain existing customers, but build a stronger, longer-lasting customer following and base? Well, that’s where the next generation of search comes into play…AI-powered search.
But before we get into the “new”, let’s first do a quick recap to explain the differences between old-school Basic Search and next-gen AI-powered Search.
Basic Search is just what its name implies…it’s search functionality at its most basic level.
Instead of looking through every single piece of data to find the exact terms used in a search query, Basic Search looks for terms in the metadata of the site (metadata being the summary and description of what is being used to organized, sort, and search for data).
Basic Search matches the text of your search term with the text of the site’s database—think text in the article title, its abstract, subject terms, author-supplied keywords, etc. It does not have the ability to automatically learn from data on users, their browsing history, or understand the intent behind searches and word use. Basic Search requires manual programming to factor in data input.
To net success, search engines need to be resourceful in their own right. They need to be “human” smart and understand user context, preferences and nuances. That’s where Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Powered Search comes in.
Performed in real time, AI-Powered Search is a branch of computing that mimics human intelligence by learning and adapting data input as it happens. It refines the information acquired by taking into account commonly misspelled words, past purchase history, and intent behind the language query—all without the need for human intervention.
Lucidworks goes on to define AI-powered search as, “the next generation of search result relevance that learns from user behavior in real-time as they’re searching to help bridge the gap between human and computer language.”
AI-Powered Search is crucial to creating a positive customer experience. It can help build a connection between user expectations/demands and search experience reality to generate higher user engagement and retention.
AI-powered search affords businesses the ability to give site visitors exactly what they want, when they want it, and how they want it. And, there’s no doubt that a happier, more satisfied customer is a happier, more loyal customer.
Algolia notes that “74% of people are likely to switch brands if they find a company’s purchasing experience too difficult, and with those who conduct searches, twice as likely to convert.”
By using a site search solution to make site content easier to find, you’ll be creating a better overall customer experience with greater customer satisfaction and higher user engagement.
Consumers expect that when they perform a search, they will receive exactly what they’re looking for… every time.
Using AI-Powered Search, you can meet those demands and create search solutions that dynamically learn from you, your content and your users. It will continually “wise up” and deliver on consumer search needs. Additionally, it can:
In the end, great search is all about improving discoverability to deliver the right results. Plain and simple. If you’re ready get AI-Powered, give Hileman Group a call. We’ll help you make it happen.
The original version of this page was published at: https://www.hilemangroup.com/Thought-Leadership/Hilelights-Blog/The-Power-Behind-AI-Powered-Search
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