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Shop Searches Report Documentation

Menu Location: Reports > Website > Shop Searches

Access Level: Manager and above

Last Updated: 2026-03-01

Overview

The Shop Searches Report tracks what customers search for on your website's shop/product pages. This valuable data reveals customer intent, unmet needs, product gaps, and search optimization opportunities.

Primary Functions:

  • View most common customer search terms
  • Identify products customers can't find
  • Discover product gaps and opportunities
  • Optimize search functionality
  • Improve product naming and categorization
  • Guide new product additions

Page Layout

Header Section

  • Report Title: "Shop Search Analytics"
  • Date Range Selector: Choose analysis period
  • Search Type Filter: Successful vs. zero-result searches
  • Export Button: Download search data

Summary Dashboard

  • Total Searches: Count of search queries in period
  • Unique Search Terms: Distinct search phrases
  • Zero-Result Rate: % of searches finding nothing
  • Average Results Per Search: Mean products returned
  • Top Search Term: Most frequently searched

Search Terms Table

Rank Search Term Search Count Avg Results Zero-Result % Trend
1 organic chicken 342 8 0% ↑
2 grass fed beef 298 12 0% →
3 gluten free bread 156 0 100% ↑
4 strawberries 145 15 0% ↓

Zero-Result Searches

  • Separate section highlighting searches that found nothing
  • Indicates product gaps or search issues
  • Sorted by frequency

Click-Through Analysis

  • Which search results customers click
  • Conversion rate from search
  • Popular products from search

Understanding Search Data

Metrics Explained

Search Count:

  • Number of times this term was searched
  • Higher count = higher customer interest
  • Indicates demand level

Avg Results:

  • Average number of products returned for this search
  • Too many (50+): Customers overwhelmed
  • Too few (0-2): Limited selection or search too narrow
  • Just right (5-15): Good balance

Zero-Result %:

  • Percentage of times this search found no products
  • 100% = always finds nothing (product gap!)
  • 0% = always finds products (working well)
  • High % = search or product naming issue

Click-Through Rate:

  • % of searchers who clicked a result
  • Low CTR = results not relevant
  • High CTR = good search relevance

Conversion Rate:

  • % of searchers who purchased
  • Measures search effectiveness
  • Low conversion = improvement opportunity

Filter and Analysis Options

Date Range Selection

Preset Ranges:

  • Last 7 Days: Recent trends
  • Last 30 Days: Monthly patterns
  • Last 90 Days: Quarterly analysis (recommended)
  • Last Year: Annual trends, seasonality
  • Custom: Specific period

Search Type Filters

All Searches:

  • Complete view of customer search behavior

Successful Searches:

  • Searches that returned at least 1 product
  • Shows what's working

Zero-Result Searches:

  • Searches that found nothing
  • Highlights gaps and issues
  • Most actionable data

High-Intent Searches:

  • Searches followed by purchase
  • Shows buying triggers
  • Valuable for marketing

Other Filters

By Customer Type:

  • New customers vs. returning
  • Wholesale vs. retail
  • Different search patterns

By Device:

  • Mobile vs. desktop searches
  • Optimize for primary device

By Time:

  • Day of week patterns
  • Hour of day patterns
  • Seasonal variations

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Identify Product Gaps

Goal: Find products customers want but you don't offer

Steps:

  1. Set Date Range: Last 90 Days
  2. Filter: Zero-Result Searches
  3. Sort by Search Count (highest first)
  4. Review top 20 zero-result searches
  5. For each high-volume zero-result term:
    • Do you carry this product but search not finding it? → Fix search/naming
    • Do you not carry this product? → Consider adding
  6. Prioritize by search volume
  7. Research suppliers for high-demand gap products
  8. Add new products addressing top gaps
  9. Monitor if searches now find results

Example:

  • "gluten free bread" - 156 searches, 0 results
  • Action: Add gluten-free bread product
  • Result: Capture this demand, increase sales

Use Case 2: Optimize Product Naming

Goal: Help search find products that exist but aren't being found

Steps:

  1. Filter: Zero-Result Searches
  2. Identify searches for products you DO carry
  3. Example: "grass fed beef" searches find nothing, but you have "Pasture-Raised Beef"
  4. Edit product:
    • Add "grass fed" to product name or description
    • Add "grass fed" as searchable keyword/tag
  5. Test search again
  6. Verify search now finds product
  7. Monitor if zero-result rate decreases

Result: Existing products now discoverable

Use Case 3: Improve Search Relevance

Goal: Ensure searches return relevant products

Steps:

  1. View successful searches (found products)
  2. Check "Avg Results" column
  3. If too many results (30+):
    • Search too broad
    • Improve search algorithm weighting
    • Add filters to refine results
  4. If too few results (1-2):
    • Search too narrow
    • Broaden search to include related products
    • Add synonyms and alternate spellings
  5. Test improvements
  6. Monitor Click-Through Rate (should increase)

Use Case 4: Guide Marketing Content

Goal: Create content around what customers search for

Steps:

  1. Review top 20 search terms
  2. These are topics customers care about
  3. Create content:
    • Blog posts about popular searches
    • Product guides for common searches
    • Recipe ideas using searched items
    • FAQ pages addressing searches
  4. Optimize content for SEO with these terms
  5. Link content to relevant products

Example:

  • High searches for "organic chicken"
  • Create: Blog post "Guide to Organic Chicken: What to Know"
  • Result: Attracts organic traffic, educates customers, drives sales

Use Case 5: Seasonal Product Planning

Goal: Understand seasonal search patterns

Steps:

  1. Set Date Range: Last Year
  2. Group by month
  3. Identify seasonal search spikes
  4. Example: "pumpkin" searches spike in September-October
  5. Plan inventory and marketing around these patterns:
    • Stock up before seasonal spike
    • Feature products in seasonal search terms
    • Create seasonal promotions
  6. Prepare for next year's season

Result: Capture seasonal demand effectively

Actionable Insights

High Search Volume + Zero Results = Product Opportunity

Priority Action:

  1. Sort by zero-result searches, high volume
  2. Research if you can source these products
  3. Add products that make business sense
  4. Communicate to customers you now carry these

High Search Volume + Low Click-Through = Relevance Issue

Priority Action:

  1. Search results not matching customer intent
  2. Review top results for this search
  3. Adjust search algorithm or product categorization
  4. Add better product descriptions
  5. Feature most relevant products first

Successful Search + Low Conversion = Product or Pricing Issue

Priority Action:

  1. Customers find product but don't buy
  2. Check: Product pricing competitive?
  3. Check: Product descriptions compelling?
  4. Check: Product reviews positive?
  5. Check: Out of stock frequently?
  6. Address identified issues

Export and Analysis

Export Options

CSV Export:

  • All search terms and metrics
  • Import to Excel for deeper analysis
  • Share with marketing team

Top 100 Report:

  • Most popular searches only
  • Focus on high-impact terms
  • Quick reference guide

Zero-Result Export:

  • Only searches finding nothing
  • Action-focused report
  • Product development pipeline

Troubleshooting

Low Search Volume

Check:

  1. Is search feature prominent on website?
  2. Are customers browsing categories instead?
  3. Is site navigation intuitive (less need for search)?

Solutions:

  1. Make search bar more visible
  2. Add search prompts/suggestions
  3. Low search volume might be positive (easy navigation)

All Searches Show High Results

Check:

  1. Search too broad (returning everything)
  2. Keyword matching too loose

Solutions:

  1. Tighten search algorithm
  2. Improve relevance ranking
  3. Implement filters to narrow results

Zero-Result Rate Very High

Check:

  1. Search functionality broken?
  2. Product catalog not indexed properly?
  3. Customers searching for things you don't carry?

Solutions:

  1. Test search functionality
  2. Reindex product catalog
  3. Review zero-result terms, add missing products
  4. Improve product naming and tagging
  • Products - Update product names and descriptions
  • Shop Searches Configuration - Configure search settings
  • Bestselling Results - Compare search popularity to sales
  • Love/Hate Report - Customer product preferences

Best Practices

Regular Monitoring

  1. Weekly review: Check top 10 searches
  2. Monthly analysis: Deep dive on trends
  3. Quarterly action: Address top zero-result gaps
  4. Annual planning: Use for new product roadmap

Search Optimization

  1. Add synonyms: "chicken breast" and "chicken breasts"
  2. Include common misspellings: Auto-correct to correct product
  3. Tag products thoroughly: All relevant keywords
  4. Use customer language: Not just formal product names

Product Naming

  1. Descriptive names: Include common search terms
  2. Avoid jargon: Use customer-friendly language
  3. Include key attributes: Organic, grass-fed, gluten-free
  4. Test variations: A/B test product name changes

Content Strategy

  1. Create content around popular searches
  2. Optimize SEO with search terms
  3. Guide customers through educational content
  4. Link to products from content

Quick Reference Card

Task Action/Location
Find top searches View Search Terms Table, sort by count
Identify product gaps Filter: Zero-Result Searches, high volume
Check search effectiveness Review Zero-Result % and CTR columns
Export for analysis Export button > CSV
Find seasonal patterns Date Range: Last Year, group by month
Optimize product names Find zero-result for existing products, update names
Guide new products Top zero-result searches = opportunities
Improve search relevance Low CTR searches need better results

FAQs

How often should I check this report?

Monthly minimum to catch trends. Weekly during new product launches or website changes.

What's a good zero-result rate?

Under 20% is good. Under 10% is excellent. Over 30% indicates significant gaps or search issues.

Should I add every product customers search for?

No. Prioritize by: 1) Search volume (demand), 2) Profitability, 3) Mission fit, 4) Supplier availability. Add high-demand, profitable, feasible products.

Can I see which customers searched for what?

Some systems allow this for customer service purposes. Privacy policies may restrict. Typically aggregate data only.

Do misspellings count as separate searches?

Yes, each variation is tracked separately. Use this to add common misspellings as synonyms in search configuration.

How do I improve click-through rate?

Ensure top results are most relevant, add product images to results, write compelling product titles, feature promoted products for popular searches.

Can I see mobile vs. desktop searches?

Most systems support device filtering. Mobile users may search differently (shorter terms, more visual).

What if customers aren't using search at all?

Low search volume can be positive (intuitive navigation) or negative (search not visible). Test user experience to determine which.

How do I correlate searches to purchases?

Look at "Conversion Rate" column (if available) or export search data and purchase data, join by customer/session ID.

Should I optimize for all search terms?

Focus on top 20-50 searches (80/20 rule). These drive majority of search traffic. Long-tail searches have minimal individual impact.

Change Log

2026-03-01

  • Initial documentation created
  • All sections completed following template structure

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.