No matter what blog you want to create with WordPress, it will have search functionality by default. Whether it is an information blog or an e-commerce blog, it should allow users to search (and find) specific information directly on your website. This will allow them to find the information they are looking for fairly quickly.
Discover our article on How to use user tracking on WooCommerce
Unfortunately, the default WordPress search widget leaves a lot to be desired.
Here are some of the areas in which the default search function of WordPress is missing:
- The search is too broad and leads to too many pages, many of them are less relevant
- Search results are sorted by date, not by relevance
- No option to use Boolean search operators like AND, OR, and NOT
- The excerpts from the displayed search pages often have no relation to the search terms
- The search terms are not highlighted in the returned results
- Spelling mistakes and typos are not recognized
- Limited reach - only looking for article titles and their content, not keywords, categories, etc….
See also: How to find out what your visitors are looking for on your blog
For a small blog this might not be a problem, but the more posts on your blog, the harder it will be for the default search widget to satisfy your users. So for blogs with hundreds of articles posted, it's downright unnecessary.
But before you start, take the time to take a look at How to install a WordPress theme, How many plugins to install on WordPress.
Then let's get to work!
Fortunately, there are a variety of plugins that offer a lot of enhanced search features and a better user interface.
1. Relevanssi
The Relevanssi plugin is my favorite for a search widget which is easy to use, it works flawlessly and has a lot of useful features. The basic version of Relevanssi is free and there is also a premium version available which works in Multisite and has other added features.
The Free Edition Pluginssi plugin includes the following features:
- Search results by relevance rather than by date
- Ability to partially match search terms
- Ability to search for "exact expressions"
- Creates custom snippets with the search term highlighted
- Search in comments, tags, categories and custom fields.
- Allows the adjustment of the length of titles, comments and tags
- Has a research journal
- Improve search with stop characters
- Integrates with WPML and Polylang
- Offers suggestions for spelling mistakes.
Read our 23 essential tools for success in blogging
The premium version also offers:
- The ability to search user profiles, pages, taxonomy and MySQL columns
- Adds fat to terms found when searching for Google and other search engines
- The ability to change operator on the fly
- It supports Multisite mode
How to appreciate the quality of a free WordPress plugin is an article to appreciate absolutely.
Not only does it report the results of its search in a more user-friendly format than the default WordPress search, but it is also faster - a must for big blogs.
Download | Demo | Web hosting
2.SearchWP
The SearchWP plugin is another highly recommended plugin that adds a lot of features to the default WordPress search. This plugin has many features similar to Relevansii and some extras, including:
- Indexing of PDF
- Integration with bbPRESS forums
- Use of additional search engines
- Exclusion of results or attributes
- Statistics Research
- Supports WordPress Multisite mode
- Boolean search
- Fuzzy
- Highlights the search terms
- WPML and Polylang integration.
A single blog license will set you back $ 29, which may seem like a good deal compared to Relevanssi, but the license requires renewal every year. It might still be a good choice for you if you need the functionality of indexing PDFs in your searches.
Download | Demo | Web hosting
to summarize
WordPress' default search functionality certainly needs to be reworked and we can only hope that this issue will be resolved in future WordPress core code updates.
But before that happens, we can continue to use the WordPress plugins available that deliver fast and accurate results for both small and large blogs.
Are you using WordPress' default search, or one of the plugins mentioned above? Is there another plugin you can recommend to us? Please share your ideas and suggestions in our comments section.
Discover also some premium WordPress plugins
You can use other WordPress plugins to optimize the search functionality of your blog or website.
We offer you here some premium WordPress plugins that will help you do that.
1. WP Instant Search & Auto Suggest
Le WordPress Plugin premium Instant Search & Auto Suggest lets you instantly get suggestions for posts, pages, and custom post types when searching your WordPress blog. It works with Visual Composer et Cornerstone.
The WP Instant Search & Auto Suggest plugin allows you get instant article suggestions, pages, and custom post types when searching your WordPress blog. It works with Visual Composer et Cornerstone.
Discover the 9 WordPress plugins to create layouts
Its features are among others: full screen search, instant search in custom post types, three built-in design styles, fully customizable through settings, works with Visual Composer et Cornerstone and more.
Download | Demo | Web hosting
2. Live Search and Custom Fields
LS&CF is a WordPress Plugin premium for those who want to add an awesome filter on the website. This plugin will help you create a catalog page to display, filter and search on your WordPress blog.
LS&CF is a WordPress Plugin Premium for those who want to add an awesome filter on the website. This plugin will help you create a catalog page to display, filter and search your WordPress blog.
Its main features are: instant real-time search in articles, search by taxonomies and categories, search by personalized fields, personalization of the main colors of your filter, etc…
Download | Demo | Web hosting
3. Live Search and Smart AutoComplete
Live Search and Smart AutoComplete is a premium WordPress plugin that will enrich the search functionality on your website. This WordPress plugin does not need any coding or insertion of shortcode. It works right after you activate and click on the first initialize button.
It also has few parameters, and if you want to change the type of post or taxonomies you want to index your search on. It works well on e-commerce websites, and perfectly supports auto-completion.
Download | Demo | Web hosting
Other recommended resources
We also invite you to consult the resources below to go further in the grip and control of your website and blog.
- 7 mistakes to avoid on your WordPress blog
- 10 WordPress Plugins For Social Sharing (2020)
- How to configure the CloudFlare CDN for your WordPress blog
- How to create an excellent CV: main details to know
Conclusion
Here ! That's it for this tutorial, I hope it helps you improve the search in your WordPress blog. Do not hesitate to share with your friends on your favorite social networks.
However, you can also consult our resources, if you need more elements to carry out your projects of creation of Internet sites, by consulting our guide on WordPress blog creation.
If you have suggestions or remarks, leave them in our section Comments.
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