Using analytics to understand customer search behavior, we used a strategy pattern to return the right search strategy for each on-site search for a big boost in sales.
18. We love that the structure of your data is part of your Solr environment (schema.xml) And the way you query against that data is part of your app SFBay Apache Lucene/Solr Meetup - Jan 2010 Brian Doll :@briandoll
19. on-site search is not as varied as we had thought SFBay Apache Lucene/Solr Meetup - Jan 2010 Brian Doll :@briandoll
20. Surprisingly, lots of people search like this: Piano SFBay Apache Lucene/Solr Meetup - Jan 2010 Brian Doll :@briandoll
21. What if we applied a strategy pattern to our search queries? SFBay Apache Lucene/Solr Meetup - Jan 2010 Brian Doll :@briandoll
22. “Instrument” searches could get their own strategy. “Artist” searches could get their own. … SFBay Apache Lucene/Solr Meetup - Jan 2010 Brian Doll :@briandoll
23. Make sure your default search is working well first! Subtle changes to our algorithm provided a 32% increase in per-search value, with some phrases seeing an increase of over 3000%! SFBay Apache Lucene/Solr Meetup - Jan 2010 Brian Doll :@briandoll
25. And then we have an algorithm to help determine which strategy we should apply to an incoming search request: [redacted] SFBay Apache Lucene/Solr Meetup - Jan 2010 Brian Doll :@briandoll
26. Implementing these strategies provided an 86% increase in per-search value. We can now fine-tune individual categories of searches, as well as specific phrases. SFBay Apache Lucene/Solr Meetup - Jan 2010 Brian Doll :@briandoll
27. Rule of thumb: Don't try to please everybody. Please the people who make you money. Tuning your search algorithm is an endless game, but if you focus on pleasing customer X, it'll cost you. SFBay Apache Lucene/Solr Meetup - Jan 2010 Brian Doll :@briandoll
28. In order to make all this happen, we relied heavily on two tools: SFBay Apache Lucene/Solr Meetup - Jan 2010 Brian Doll :@briandoll