Key highlights
- The default WordPress search function has several limits in how it works and its relevance.
- Using third-party search options like Google Custom Search or Elasticsearch can enhance performance and support more users.
- A WordPress search plugin like Relevanssi, SearchWP or Ivory Search can significantly improve search results and provide better filtering choices.
- Changing the WordPress search with code gives you more options and better ways to manage how it works.
- Faster hosting, like Bluehost WordPress hosting, is very crucial for improving search speed, database queries and the overall user experience.
Introduction
A powerful search function is essential for any WordPress site, especially for content-heavy platforms like blogs, eCommerce stores and news websites.
However, WordPress’s default search is limited, often returning less relevant results. When users struggle to find what they need, they may leave your site, leading to higher bounce rates and reduced engagement.
Thankfully, there are many ways to improve WordPress search functionality. You can use a special WordPress search plugin; you can change how search works with codes. Furthermore, you can upgrade to better hosting.
In this guide, we will look closely at these methods. We will help you improve your WordPress search function.
Let’s dive in!
Understanding the default WordPress search function
WordPress comes with a built-in search feature, but it lacks many essential features that modern users expect.
By default, WordPress search function works by scanning post titles and content for keyword matches, but it does not consider content relevance, metadata or custom fields.
Some of the major drawbacks of the default WordPress search function include:
- Limited relevance ranking: Search results are displayed in reverse chronological order instead of prioritizing the most relevant content.
- No support for custom fields or taxonomies: Many WordPress websites use custom post types and fields, but the default search ignores them.
- Lack of filtering options: Users cannot refine their search by categories, tags or other criteria.
- Slow performance on large sites: The default search can be inefficient and resource-intensive, especially for websites with thousands of posts.
Because of these limitations, most website owners look for alternative solutions to improve their WordPress search functionality.
The good news is that there are several effective ways to achieve this, as we will explore next.
What are the best ways to improve the WordPress search function?
Using a WordPress search plugin
A simple and effective way to make search better is to use a WordPress search plugin.
Here are three great WordPress search plugins you may want to look at:
- Relevanssi
- SearchWP
- Ivory Search
These plugins are better than the regular search feature. They make search results more useful. They also provide options to sort and help with different types of content.
Let’s take a deeper look into them:
1. Relevanssi
Relevanssi is a popular and powerful WordPress search plugin.
It completely changes the usual WordPress search feature. It uses a better system for indexing that gives helpful search results.
Some key features of Relevanssi include:
- Full-text search indexing: Relevanssi looks at post content, titles, previews, custom fields and taxonomies. This makes searches more thorough.
- Fuzzy matching: It looks for close matches even if there are spelling errors or changes.
- Customizable weighting: You can choose how different parts of the content (title, tags, custom fields) influence search rankings.
- Check PDFs and attachments: Useful for sites that have important documents or files to download.
Relevanssi offers both a free version and a paid version. The paid version has extra features. These include search filtering based on user roles and support for several sites.
2. SearchWP
SearchWP is a leading search plugin for WordPress. It improves the way you can customize your search.
You can make your search algorithm better. You can choose what gets indexed and how the results are ranked.
Key features of SearchWP:
- Indexing custom fields and eCommerce data: This is useful for WooCommerce stores that want better product search options.
- Keyword stemming and synonym support: It helps people find results even if they use different versions of a word.
- Works well with which builders: It works great with Elementor, Divi and several other popular page builders.
- Live search insights: This helps website owners see what users want. They can adjust their content to fit these needs.
SearchWP is a good choice for people who want more say in how the search feature on their website works.
3. Ivory Search
Ivory Search is a simple WordPress search plugin loaded with features. It offers smart search forms, many filter options and immediate search that uses AJAX.
Key features of Ivory Search include:
- Different search forms: Create various search forms with unique settings for different sections of your site.
- Leave out certain content: Choose which posts, pages and categories appear in search results.
- Live AJAX search: Provides fast search suggestions while users type.
- WooCommerce support: A good choice for online shops that want to improve product search.
Ivory Search is a helpful plugin. It works well for both new and skilled users.
Read more: 7 Best Multi Currency WordPress Plugins
Customizing WordPress search with code
For developers or advanced users, modifying WordPress search with custom code provides greater control over search results. Using WordPress hooks like pre_get_posts, you can:
- Exclude unnecessary content such as outdated posts or certain categories.
- Prioritize key post types like WooCommerce products or portfolio items.
- Implement keyword weighting for improved relevance by giving more importance to titles over body text.
For example, the following snippet prioritizes WooCommerce products and blog posts while excluding outdated content:
function customize_search_query($query) { if ($query->is_search && !is_admin()) { $query->set('post_type', array('post', 'page', 'product')); } return $query; } add_filter('pre_get_posts', 'customize_search_query'); This ensures that only posts, pages and WooCommerce products appear in search results.
Implementing third-party search solutions
If your website has a lot of content or needs strong search features, you can use third-party search engines like Google Custom Search and Elasticsearch. They offer good solutions.
These platforms offer:
- Lightning-fast indexing and search speeds.
- Advanced relevance algorithms.
- Scalable infrastructure for large sites.
Read more: How to Add Google Search to Your WordPress Website in 3 Easy Steps
Enhancing search with better hosting
Even the best WordPress search plugin or custom search changes cannot make up for poor hosting. It can slow down how well the WordPress search function works.
A good hosting setup makes sure that search queries run fast. This helps make the user’s experience better and keeps them engaged with the site.
Bluehost WordPress hosting is designed to improve how well websites perform. It makes sure that sites work well, even when there is a lot of traffic and tough searches.
Bluehost is officially recommended by WordPress as a hosting provider. They have fast servers, great caching and database optimization. This helps to provide super quick search results.
Whether you have a blog, a business site or an online store, Bluehost makes sure that searches give good results fast.
How Bluehost improves WordPress search performance:
- Faster database searches: Bluehost uses MySQL to make sure that search results show up fast.
- Built-in caching and CDN: This cuts down response times and makes content-heavy websites run faster.
- Scalability: Manages more visitors without slowing down search speed.
- Improved safety: Automatic updates, SSL certificates and malware shields keep the site working well.
- Expert support anytime: WordPress experts are ready to help fix any performance problems.
- WooCommerce optimization: Improves product search by using better indexing and filtering choices.
Choosing Bluehost for WordPress hosting gives you a fast, safe and dependable search feature. This helps keep users interested and boosts how well your website performs.
Final thoughts
A well-optimized WordPress search function makes the user experience better. It helps keep people interested and allows visitors to find content that fits their needs faster.
The standard search feature in WordPress has limits. However, if you use a WordPress search plugin, change the search settings or add third-party solutions, you can make your search results faster and more precise.
However, even the best search tools won’t work well if your hosting isn’t set up for good performance. If you want a faster WordPress search function, it’s important to switch to a reliable hosting provider.
Bluehost WordPress hosting is made for good performance. It gives you fast speed, strong security and scalability. This helps your website give the best search experience.
Get started with Bluehost WordPress hosting!
FAQs
You can add a search bar to your WordPress site using the built-in WordPress search bar widget. Go to Appearance > Widgets and drag the search widget to your sidebar or footer. If you prefer a block editor approach, you can insert a search block anywhere on your page using the WordPress block editor.
To create a custom search page, you can modify the search page template in your WordPress theme. Most themes have a search.php file that controls how search results appear. You can edit this file or create a new one to enhance search functionality add filtering options, or improve search relevance.
Yes, you can replace the basic WordPress search with Google Search by integrating Google Custom Search. This improves search accuracy and provides more relevant results. Simply create a custom search engine using Google’s tools and embed the search bar on your website.
If you want to include a search block on a particular search page or any custom page, use the WordPress block editor. Navigate to the desired page, click on the “+” button and add the search widget. This allows visitors to easily find content from anywhere on your website.
A slow site search is often caused by poor hosting, unoptimized queries, or an inefficient WordPress theme. You can improve search speed by using a fast WordPress hosting provider like Bluehost, optimizing your database and using a search plugin like SearchWP or Relevanssi. Additionally, creating a custom search page with better indexing and filtering options can enhance performance.
