Introducing Semantic Search for Optimizely Graph

Friday, October 6, 2023 | Headless Graph
Surjit

Surjit Bharath

Director of Hidden Foundry

Optimizely Most Valued Professional (OMVP), Subject Matter Expert (SME), CMS and Commerce certified

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Introduction to Optimizely Graph and Semantic Search

Optimizely unveils Optimizely Graph, its next-generation search functionality, designed to replace the existing Search & Navigation feature. The new system will become the standard for onboarding new Content Cloud customers. A standout feature of Optimizely Graph is "Semantic Search," which employs Artificial Intelligence to delve into the deeper context of search queries, transcending the limitations of traditional keyword matching. Excitingly, Semantic Search is available NOW, offering immediate enhancements to user search experiences.

 

A Closer Look at Semantic Search

Semantic Search aims to decipher the intent and contextual meaning behind a user's search query, thereby providing results that are not only relevant but also intuitively aligned with the user’s needs.

Imagine a user inputs "refreshing summer beverages" into the search bar. Traditional search algorithms might rigidly seek exact keyword matches, potentially excluding results that lack the specific words "refreshing," "summer," and "beverages."

In contrast, Semantic Search, empowered by AI, interprets the underlying intent of the query. It might suggest "lemonade," "iced tea," or "cold coffee," recognizing these as contextually appropriate for refreshing summer drinks, even without direct keyword matches.

This example underscores Semantic Search's ability to comprehend user intent, offering more pertinent and contextually suitable results, thereby significantly enhancing user experience.

 

Key Insights and Recommendations

  • Understanding Semantic Search: This innovative feature comprehends the deeper meaning or context of a search query, offering results that may not exactly match the keywords but are contextually relevant. For example, a search for "cold drink on a hot day" could suggest lemonade or cola, even without those specific keywords, thanks to the AI’s contextual understanding.

  • Neural or Vector Search: Also known as neural or vector search, Semantic Search acts as an extension that enhances full-text search by grasping the semantic context of queries.

  • Implementation Advice: Activating Semantic Search within Optimizely Graph is user-friendly. By simply modifying existing queries and adding _ranking: SEMANTIC, users will immediately notice the enhanced, contextually relevant search results.

  • Usage Recommendation: Due to its advanced, context-aware capabilities, Optimizely advocates for using Semantic Search as the default for all queries.

 

In summary, Optimizely Graph, with its enhanced Semantic Search functionality, promises to deliver results that are not only relevant but also contextually aligned with user queries, thereby elevating user experience and satisfaction by understanding and catering to the deeper meanings and nuances of their searches.

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