What your customers’ search behavior really tells you

Why Behavior Matters More Than Contact Info: Analyze Your Search 

Most e-shops already collect plenty of customer data: email addresses, past orders, and purchase frequency. But that only tells you who the customer is – not what they want.

Only their actions bring the crucial insight: what they search for, what they click, what catches their interest – and what drives them away.

What you can learn from behavior on your site

1. How customers navigate your e-shop

Behavioral data (data about what users actually do) – helps you understand:

• which products customers view,
• how often they revisit the same page or category,
• how long they stay on each page,
• when and why they abandon their cart or leave the site.

Example: A customer visits the “running shoes” category three times but never adds anything to their cart. Maybe they couldn’t find the right type, a key filter was missing, or product details weren’t precise. With this data, you can tweak the product selection or improve the site’s usability so they complete the purchase next time.

2. What customers type into the search bar

The on-site search bar is like a window into your customer’s mind. They type in what they want – in their own words. That might include typos, slang, or terms used on a competitor’s site.

If you know:

• what people search for (including misspellings and synonyms),
• which queries lead to no results (zero results),
• what they click on vs. what they ignore,

…you get a clear picture of what customers expect – and where your site is falling short.

Example: People search for “organic bathroom cleaner,” but your product is listed as an “eco-friendly sanitary solution.” Result? Zero matches and a lost order. Simply adding a synonym can make the product visible and solve the problem instantly.

What Search Ready can reveal

Search Ready is a smart search tool built for e-commerce. It does more than return results – it shows you exactly how customers behave during search and pinpoints where your shop is losing conversions.

Here’s what Search Ready tracks:

• search terms people use – including typos, slang, and non-native languages,
• how many results are shown and how relevant they are,
• which results get clicks and which are skipped,
• which queries return no results at all,
• how customers filter or refine their searches.

How to turn this data into business results

1. Rename products to match real customer language

Shoppers use everyday words. If they search for “winter softshell” and your product is called “Women’s Alpine 7500 Jacket,” they won’t find it – even if it’s in stock. Add common synonyms or adjust product descriptions to match how your customers actually speak. You’ll increase both visibility and conversions.

2. Adjust filters and sorting based on real behavior

If users frequently filter by size “S” or color “beige,” it makes sense to show those options first. Likewise, adjust default sorting based on what people actually click – not just what your system ranks as “most relevant.”

3. Fill content gaps and expand your offer

Repeated zero-result searches are a goldmine. If customers search for a “1000 CZK gift card” and find nothing, even though you offer gift cards (just without the value in the name), all you need is a minor text update. If users continue searching for items you don’t carry, it might be time to expand your product line.

4. Fine-tune your search to shorten the path to purchase

The more customers modify their query, the more likely they are to become confused or unsatisfied. Maybe the first results weren’t clear or helpful. Search Ready helps you identify and fix those friction points, so users find the right product faster – ideally with one search and one click.

Customers may not say it, but their search behavior does

Most customers can’t explain why they didn’t make a purchase. But their search behavior reveals the answer. On-site search is one of the richest sources of insight you have – and one of the easiest to act on.

Try Search Ready

Want to find out what your customers really want – and why they sometimes don’t convert? Search Ready provides detailed insights into how users search and behave. Gain a competitive edge by turning your search function into a high-performance sales tool.

‍Get in touch.