The Situation
A VP Commerce or VP Merchandising at an operator where search is the primary discovery channel — but nobody has formally evaluated whether it is working. Query logs exist but are rarely analyzed. Vendor-default relevance settings were set at implementation and never tuned. Synonym lists are incomplete. No-result rates are high for predictable query patterns, and the team has no structured evidence to prioritize fixes or justify investment.
The Value
By analyzing actual query behavior against relevance outcomes, this engagement produces a prioritized improvement plan grounded in how your customers actually search — quick wins surface immediately, and structural gaps requiring platform or indexing changes are scoped separately for follow-on investment.
How It Works
- Query Log Analysis & Configuration Review — volume distribution, no-result and zero-click rates, and top-query performance analyzed against current relevance configuration.
- Facet, Navigation & Personalization Assessment — facet and filter structure evaluated against browse behavior; personalization and A/B testing infrastructure assessed.
- Platform Limitation Analysis — where relevance gaps trace to platform constraints rather than configuration, findings feed a broader platform evaluation.
What You Get
| Deliverable | Description | Value to You |
|---|---|---|
| Query Log Analysis Report | Statistical breakdown of search behavior and no-result/zero-click rates | Establishes the demand-side baseline — what customers search for and where discovery fails |
| Relevance Assessment | Evaluation of current relevance configuration against curated test query sets | Identifies where vendor defaults diverge from your catalog and customer intent |
| Facet & Navigation Review | Structured evaluation of facet design, filter logic, and navigation taxonomy | Surfaces discovery gaps that push customers to search when browse should suffice |
| Synonym & Stemming Gap Inventory | High-volume query patterns with missing or incorrect synonym/stemming coverage | Enables quick configuration wins with immediate conversion impact |
| Prioritized Improvement Plan | Ranked list of improvements by effort and estimated conversion impact | A sequenced action list executable without further analysis |
Typical Duration
2–3 weeks. A single-platform operator with centralized configuration and accessible query logs completes in 2 weeks. Multiple storefronts or query log access requiring data engineering support typically require 3 weeks.
Why Now
Search is typically the highest-conversion path through a commerce experience — customers who search convert at 2–3x the rate of browsers. Every point of no-result rate and every relevance miss on high-volume queries is measurable, recurring revenue impact, and the gap compounds as catalog and campaigns change without re-audit.
Grounded in Real Experience
Grounded in a decade at Art Technology Group (ATG), where Tony built deep expertise in enterprise commerce search and solution engineering, helping close significant search-driven deals across the Americas and Europe.
Ready to Talk?
Schedule a call to discuss whether Commerce Search & Discovery Audit is the right starting point for your organization.
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