Benefits of Internal Search/Site Search Tracking for SEO

Internal search tracking provides valuable insights into how users are interacting with your website’s search function. By understanding what users are searching for, you can gain valuable insights into your website’s navigation, content strategy, and overall user experience. This can help you improve your SEO in a number of ways:

• Identify gaps in your website’s navigation: If users are searching for terms that are not well-represented in your navigation menus, it may indicate that your navigation is not intuitive or users are unable to find what they are looking for. By tracking site searches, you can identify these gaps and improve your navigation to make it easier for users to find the information they need.
• Identify content gaps: If users are searching for terms that you don’t have content for, it’s a sign that you may need to create new content to meet their needs. Tracking site searches can help you identify these content gaps and develop content that is targeted to the keywords that users are searching for.
• Improve the relevance of your landing pages: When users conduct a search, they are typically looking for something specific. By tracking site searches, you can see which landing pages are being displayed for particular search terms. This can help you ensure that your landing pages are relevant to the search queries that are driving traffic to them.

Steps to Set Up Internal Search/Site Search Tracking in GA4

There are two main methods for setting up internal search/site search tracking in GA4:

• Using Enhanced Measurement:
  • Enable Enhanced Measurement in your GA4 property. This will automatically track site searches if the search term appears in the query parameter of your website’s URLs (e.g., “?q=search_term”).
  • This can be found in the admin section of Google Analytics 4, via Data Streams, Enhanced Measurements and then clicking on the settings cog and then ‘show advanced settings’ under site search.
  • In the Site Search section of your GA4 settings, you can specify the query parameter that is used in your website’s URLs to capture the search term.
  • You can also enable tracking of additional query parameters that may be included in your website’s search URLs

• Using a Custom Dimension (if Enhanced Measurement doesn’t work):
  • If your website’s search function does not use query parameters, you can set up a custom dimension in GA4 to track search terms.
  • You will need to create a custom JavaScript snippet that captures the search term when a user conducts a search on your website.
  • This custom JavaScript snippet can then be used to populate a custom dimension in GA4.

Example: Creating a Custom JavaScript Snippet for Site Search Tracking

Here’s a scenario: Let’s say your website’s search function doesn’t use query parameters in the URL. Instead, when a user conducts a search, the search term is displayed within the search bar itself or in a separate search results page URL.

In this case, to track these search terms in GA4, you’ll need to create a custom JavaScript snippet that captures the search term when a user submits a search.

Steps to Create the Custom JavaScript Snippet:

1. Identify the Element Containing the Search Term: Use your browser’s developer tools (e.g., Inspect Element) to identify the HTML element that displays the search term after a user submits a search. This could be the search input field itself or an element within the search results page that shows the search term.
2. Capture the Search Term: Within the custom JavaScript snippet, you’ll need to write code to capture the value of the identified element. The specific code will depend on the element type and how the search term is displayed on your website. Here are some common examples:
   • If the search term is displayed within the search input field:JavaScriptvar searchTerm = document.getElementById("searchInput").value; Use code with caution.content_copy
   • If the search term is displayed in a separate element with a specific class name:JavaScriptvar searchTerm = document.querySelector(".search-term").innerText; Use code with caution.content_copy
3. Send the Search Term to GA4: Once you’ve captured the search term, you can use the Google Analytics Data API to send the search term data to a custom dimension in GA4. This will require setting up a GA4 data stream and creating a custom dimension beforehand. Here are some resources to get you started with the Google Analytics Data API: https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/protocol/ga4

Important Note: Implementing custom JavaScript snippets requires some technical expertise. If you’re not comfortable with coding, it’s recommended to consult with a developer to create and implement the custom JavaScript snippet for your website.

How to Use Site Search Tracking Data to Improve Your SEO

Once you have set up site search tracking in GA4, you can use the data to improve your SEO in a number of ways:

• Analyse the most popular search terms: The data will show you the most popular search terms that users are entering into your website’s search function. This can help you identify the topics that users are most interested in. You can then use this information to optimise your website’s content and target your SEO efforts to these topics.
• Identify long-tail keywords: Site search tracking can also help you identify long-tail keywords that users are searching for. Long-tail keywords are typically more specific than short-tail keywords and can be a great way to target traffic from users who are further along in the buying journey.
• Evaluate the performance of your landing pages: The data will show you which landing pages are being displayed for particular search terms. You can then use this information to evaluate the performance of your landing pages and make sure that they are relevant to the search queries that are driving traffic to them.

By following these steps and using site search tracking data to improve your SEO, you can ensure that your website is meeting the needs of your users and ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).