Guided Search

Guided Search can grow page views per user and ad impression revenues too

Search is a popular part of any website experience.

Search activity can help capture user intent, and be used to re-target subsequent advertising campaign placement. A user looking for "holiday in Italy" is declaring an intent which can be used to optimise subsequent banner ad placement.

But - another way to grow revenues from search is to provide a five page view experience, rather than a two page view experience.

With Google and other internt search companies, people are used to a search page, and a results page. That is it. Extra page views are often due to the frustration of paging through several results pages, trying to find the thing they are looking for.

Instead of just relying on ranking algorithms, a Guided Search can offer navigational options to the left and right of the results page.

For example, looking for a University course, you could type in "Media studies" and rely on the search algorithm to find material about Media Studies rather than any sort of Studies. But Guided Search offers extra navigational options - perhaps a Full Time Course, or a Part-Time course. A choice of University courses. Just like buying items from an e-commerce shop, it is helpful to have browsing recommendations that filter down, or refine the search results. Each filter action helps the user to navigate and focus the enquiry, but creates additional Page Views every time too.

Guided Search combines navigational assistance to the user, with an incremental lift in page views and ad impression inventory.

Grapeshot, with its strong search heritage, provides Guided Search solutions that use either rigid categories to filter searches, or suggested keywords. Look at www.dooodle.com, and search for some current news topic. You will notice related words on the left hand side, and related categories on the right hand side. Both can be used to filter the search results and guide you to a selection of news.

Register for more information.