= Analyzing Site Search Using Google Analytics =

You have probably heard that Google Analytics can provide important information about the success your end-users are having with your website.

However, did you also know that you can use Google Analytics to track what your users are searching for on your site?


== Common Analysis Tasks ==

=== What search terms are my end-users using? ===

 * Find out what terminology your end-users are naturally using so that you can update your content or add them to a ''synonyms'' file.

 * '''Steps:'''
  1. Go to: [[www.google.com/analytics]]
  1. Select the '''Website Profile''' where your site search is located.
  1. Specify and apply the appropriate date range (hint: you can specify today's date to get results within approximately 1 hour after a page view has occurred).
  1. Drill-down on the left hand navigation dashboard to: Content -> Site Search -> Search Terms
  1. Select a search term to view the '''Start Page''' and '''Destination Page''' where the term(s) were used.

=== Are my end-users having difficulties with a particular page? ===
 * Examine the web pages where your end-users are choosing to begin a search. Chances are that these pages need more information or clarity, so that end-users will not be required to search.

 * '''Steps:'''
  1. Go to: [[www.google.com/analytics]]
  1. Select the '''Website Profile''' where your site search is located.
  1. Specify and apply the appropriate date range (hint: you can specify today's date to get results within approximately 1 hour after a page view has occurred).
  1. Drill-down on the left hand navigation dashboard to: Content -> Site Search -> Start Pages
  1. Select a web page to view the '''Search Terms''' that were used.

== Terminology ==

||'''Term'''||'''Definition'''||
||Site Search|| In Google Analytics this refers to search operations conducted on a specific website or web property. In many cases this is a search system implemented on the website that is using Google Analytics. However, it can also refer to the use of a Google Customer Search engine configured for that website.||
||Search Terms|| Keywords or phrases entered by end-users conducting searches on a website.||
||Start Page|| The actual full pathname of the web page where an end-user search was initiated.||
||Destination Page|| The actual full pathname of the web page where an end-user landed after they follow a search result link.||
||Website Profile|| In Google Analytics this refers to a profile for a specific website or part of a website that contains standard and custom reports that have been configured for analysis.||

{{attachment:ga-site-search-terms.png}}