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If you’ve gone to an ecommerce website in the last decade, there’s a good chance you’ve used a site’s internal search. Web designers have gotten wise to the fact that many customers know exactly that they’re searching for and don’t want to browse through products to find it. That’s why most sites, nowadays, have an internal search bar.

Your customers are using internal search. Why aren’t you?

We know internal searches are great for customer satisfaction and navigability, but the benefits are just as good on the back end. Sneaking a peek at your customers’ site-specific searches is a great way to know what they’ve come for, what their interests are, and how best to tailor your site design and marketing to fit their needs.

How to do this

Luckily, finding out what customers are looking for isn’t difficult. First, you need to make sure that site search has been enabled for your account. To do so:

1. Log into Google Analytics
2. If you haven’t done so already, click “New Version” in the top right of the screen
3. Click the Gear Icon to the right of the Nav Bar
4. Select the “Profile Settings” sub-tab under the “Profiles” tab
5. At the bottom of the page, under “Site Search Settings,” select “Do track Site Search”

Next, you’ll need to enter your Query Parameters. Query Parameters are the portion of a search-generated URL that lets Google Analytics know the link came from a search. You can usually identify query parameters because they are the word immediately after the question mark in a URL. So, for example, in an URL that reads

“http://www.OurGreatCompany.com/searchadv.aspx?SearchTerm=christmas” 

the query parameter would be “SearchTerm”. In Google Analytics, you can add up to 5 parameters, each separated by commas. Be sure to click “Apply” when you’re finished.

Once Site Search has been enabled, it’s just a few more clicks. View your stats by doing the following:

1. On the left sidebar, click on “Content”
2. In the drop-down menu, select “Site Search,” and then “Overview” (for starters)

What you’ll find

The resulting screen will display many different pieces of information regarding how your customers are using internal site search on your website. Information on things like "Search Refinements" and "Search Depth" can give you an idea of how well-arranged your site is (can customers easily find what they want, or does it require multiple attempts?).

You can also select different options under “Site Content” (at the bottom of the page) to view information on things like what categories your customers are searching within as well as what page they're on when they first begin to search. If you’re interested in refining your Google Analytics search even further, you can select “Usage,” “Search Terms,” or “Pages,” back on the left-hand sidebar to get even more detailed information.

Keyword search data

However, one of the most valuable pieces of information Google Analytics is able to offer can be found in the lower right corner of the “Overview” screen. It's a table that should look something like this:

Why is this so important? The table tells you, in descending order, which keywords are searched for most often via that internal search bar. So, if it’s October, but Google Analytics tells you that three out of the top five searches have to do with holidays, it’s probably a good idea to start putting holiday items on your site. Similarly, if the top two most searched product categories both involve “stockings” (as in this example), it might be wise to advertise “stockings” on your homepage or someplace equally visible, since easy access to the most coveted products is likely to draw the most revenue.

By analyzing Google Analytics for patterns and clues about what visitors are looking for, you’ll be better prepared to arrange your site in a way that meets their needs. This is a smart way of dealing with your customers on their own turf – and coming out ahead in the end.