What is Sitecore Search?

July 28, 2023

By Deepa Sannappa

Sitecore Search and the AI Revolution

Sitecore acquired the Reflektion technology to provide its users with an exceptional search experience through a more generalized content tool.

The Sitecore Search solution is designed to allow you to easily deliver faceted site search experiences to marketers in order to help them improve their ranking results. A new Sitecore search engine employs artificial intelligence to predict the search intent of users. Furthermore, it presents personalized results, making the search experience more personalized.

Headless content discovery is provided by Sitecore Search for extracting and indexing content, administering search management controls, analyzing results, and setting self-service. You can use Sitecore Search to develop engaging and predictive content search experiences across numerous content sources.

  • Visitor search
  • Analytics and tracking
  • Management of multiple indexes
  • Visitor profiles
  • Content profiles
  • Context and rules engine

The Evolution of Sitecore Search

Elastic Search

Elastic search was evolved in 2019. This search engine is an open source search and analytics platform designed to handle large amounts of data. The tool is commonly used for full text search, real-time analytics, and log data analysis.

Reflektion

Reflektion acquired elastic search, the technology behind which enabled AI powered search and personalization for e-commerce websites. Using elastic search as the foundation Reflektion was built.

In addition to optimizing product recommendation and email campaigns for unique shoppers, Reflektion optimizes all digital retail experiences. Reflection technology was integrated into Sitecore's platform to provide product search functionality.

Sitecore Discover

Sitecore Discover, a product that leverages AI and machine learning to provide users with personalized content and recommendations. The Sitecore Discover is built on top of Reflektion. With Sitecore Discover, you can create predefined shopping experiences across all e-commerce channels. Sitecore introduced Sitecore search, which allows users to search across all content within the platform.

Sitecore Search Components

Customer Engagement Consoler (CEC)

A business user can create rules, new content discovery experiences, and run test analytics on the platform. While developers can learn about the sitecore search APIs and test integrations.

Search and Recommendation Service

This tool can be used to build targeted AI-based search and recommendation for content. Customer Engagement Consoler allows to configure synonyms. Synonym boosts exclude and redirect rules.

Event service

By analyzing visited data, sitecore optimizes search results, recommendations, and creates valuable analytics.

Integrating with Sitecore Search

Content Information

Sitecore search implementation requires configure a source for the content. This can be configured by a crawler or use the integration API depending on the implementation. This can be done by Sitecore professional.

Visitor Information Analysis

It consists of website visitor tracking that visited runtime anonymous identification. This visitor information is essential for every Sitecore so it includes personalization rule, targeting data set generation and analytics. These capabilities help in improving visitor behaviour.

Search Experiences

Search experiences which integrates search and recommendation experiences with search bar like auto complete segregation results.

Sitecore Search Security

Security search handles data privacy and security in the following ways:

Content Index

Data acquired either through pushes from the customer’s software or by Sitecore search configures to Crawl or pull data from another application.

Visitor Data

The visitor’s click data is used in combination with the index data to personalize results against pre-defined Machine Learning models.

Analytics Data

Aggregations of data stored in Sitecore’s solution to power reporting tools within the Sitecore search product.

Summary

An AI-powered site search integrates content search and guided navigation into any website. By using AI-powered site search, brands can create custom search experiences across a range of digital assets. As a result of evolution capability organizations are able to deliver more relevant services to their customers.

Deepa

Deepa Sannappa

QA Analyst

Deepa is a QA Analyst who ensures that final products meet quality standards. She studied computer science and has a Bachelor of Engineering with over 5 years of experience in banking and e-commerce spaces. Deepa is passionate about yoga, meditation, and walking outside. She also enjoys solving puzzles. Overall she likes to engage in activities that energize both her body and mind.