Search results pages: make site search find things

Key takeaways

A good search results page repeats the query in an editable box, ranks the most useful match first, shows a clear title and short summary for each result, and offers filters only when there are many results. Most site search fails on relevance, not design: results ranked by date, or matching only exact words, send visitors back to the menu or away.

• Repeat the query in an editable search box.
• Rank by relevance, not date, with key pages boosted.
• Show a clear title and summary for each result.
• Tolerate spelling mistakes and common synonyms.

What should a search results page show?

The results page should confirm what was searched, show how many results, and present each result so visitors can judge it without clicking. Nielsen Norman Group's guidance on search stresses that users scan result titles and snippets to decide, so those must be specific.

• The query in an editable search box.
• The number of results.
• Page title as the result heading.
• A short summary or matching extract.
• The type of page, such as service, guide or product.

• How clear website navigation improves user experience
• Does your website need a search bar?

Why does relevance matter more than design?

If the best page appears tenth, a well-designed results page still fails. Many default site search tools rank by date or by keyword count, so an old blog post beats the service page. Boost key pages, such as services and prices, for their main terms, and check the top results for your most common queries.

Should results have filters?

Only when there are many results of different types, such as products, guides and services. A simple filter by type or category helps; a panel of options on a site with 30 pages does not. Show filters after visitors search, not before.

• Product filters and faceted navigation for small shops

How do you handle spelling and synonyms?

Visitors misspell and use different words for the same thing. Good search tools correct common spelling mistakes and let you add synonyms, such as 'boiler service' for 'boiler maintenance'. Use your search data to find the words visitors use that your pages do not.

• Site search data: what visitors type tells you
• Search autocomplete: suggestions that get visitors there

Does speed matter?

Yes. Results that take several seconds to appear make visitors think search is broken. Keep search fast, show a loading state if needed, and avoid reloading the whole page for every filter change.

• Slow site search and filters: when finding takes too long

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: searching 'prices' on a service site returns 14 blog posts that mention prices, newest first, and the price page eleventh. Boosting the price page for that query and showing page types in the results puts the answer first.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Search results checklist

• Query repeated in an editable box.
• Relevance ranking with key pages boosted.
• Clear titles and summaries.
• Spelling tolerance and synonyms.
• Filters only when there are many results.
• Fast results.

• No-results pages: rescue visitors whose search failed
• Utility navigation: login, basket and search, out of the way

Next step

Search your own site for your five most important terms and note where the right page appears.