This document is for technical users and customers of Connect 211 who want to know what’s happening behind the scenes when users interact with the Search Bar.
Search Modes
Our Search Bar works in one of two modes, selected automatically based on user actions. When users select a suggestion then the Search Bar goes into “Suggestion Mode”, which is typically a taxonomy search. Otherwise if the user searches on the text they enter without selecting a suggestion, then the Search Bar stays in “Keyword Mode”.
Suggestion Mode
Most searchers select a suggestion; this is the behavior we encourage as it will trigger a Taxonomy query behind the scenes, which will almost always return more specific results.
Types of suggestions in addition to “taxonomy” are on the roadmap. For example, offering certain organization names as a suggestion is a frequent request.
Taxonomy Query
Most suggestions that users select trigger a query type of taxonomy and search taxonomy codes behind the scenes.
I&R data is typically not keyword optimized. The best way to find accurate results is to find the right taxonomy/category that fits a given need. As a start, we offer all taxonomies as suggestions while users are typing. Most of our work optimizing the search engine is around adding synonyms and other features to this search. Our goal is for users to bring their own language to the search engine and find the right help.
Keyword Mode
If users perform a search without selecting a suggestion, then they will perform a simple keyword search against all resources. Fields searched include:
Service Name, Alternate Name, Description
Location Name, Alternate Name, Description
Organization Name, Alternate Name, Description
Taxonomy Name and Description