How to know if search is hurting your e‑shop — and how to turn it into a growth engine

Your customer knows what they want. Help them find it — or lose them.

That’s the power of internal search.

If it works well, it takes the customer straight to their goal, boosting satisfaction, conversions, and revenue.

If it fails, it’s a problem—a big one.

It sends the customer to a dead end; from there, it’s just one click to your competitor.

You’ve probably experienced it yourself. A customer types “white t-shirt” and finds nothing because the item is listed as “ice top” in your database. Or they see twenty irrelevant results. Their frustration costs you sales.

So, how can you tell when your search is broken? And what can you do about it?

3 Metrics that tell you more than a gut feeling

Modern tools like Search Ready provide detailed insights into search behavior. You know precisely what your customers are looking for — and, more importantly, how your site responds. The three key metrics you should monitor like a hawk are:

• CTR
• Exit rate
• Conversion rate from search

If those terms sound technical, unfamiliar, or abstract, don’t worry, keep reading. Like our modern search engine, Search Ready, we know plain language.

1. CTR – who actually clicked?

CTR (Click-Through Rate) tells you how many users clicked on a result after entering a query.

A low number means a major red flag.

Maybe your results aren’t relevant. Perhaps they’re confusing. Or maybe they just don’t look trustworthy.

Example: A customer searches “gifts for grandma” and sees only a random mix of products that don’t appeal. They click on nothing. And leave. But maybe they would have clicked — and bought — if your results were better arranged.

2. Exit rate – who left after searching?

When your customers get frustrated, they close the tab, leaving your e-shop completely. The exit rate tracks exactly that. The higher the number, the more serious the issue.

From the customer’s point of view, it’s logical: I searched and found nothing—I’m leaving.

From the e-shop’s point of view, it’s brutal, especially if you paid for that visit via a campaign and lost them at the final step.

The exit rate shows that your search is fundamentally flawed. Maybe it loads slowly, returns no results, sorts randomly, or throws errors. It’s time to rethink and optimize.

3. Conversion rate from search

This is the most straightforward metric: does search lead to purchases?

A search user is usually more motivated to buy than someone just browsing.

AddSearch says these users have a 2–3x higher conversion rate. If that’s not the case on your site, something’s broken. Maybe your filters aren’t helpful, the results are poorly sorted, or critical information is missing.

From data to decisions: how to know what really works

Data is a great starting point — but it’s not enough on its own. To improve results, you need to act on it. That’s where A/B testing comes in.

How to do it in practice?

• Choose a hypothesis — e.g., “Highlighting free-shipping products increases CTR.”
• Create two versions of your search results — one standard and one with the change.
• Randomly split your visitors into two groups.
• Track differences in CTR, conversions, and exit rate.

Our modern search engine, Search Ready, provides all this data and functionality without the need for extra analytics tools. You can test ranking methods, recommended products, and display formats.

Best part? You’re in complete control — set priorities, add rules, and track real-time changes.

The hidden gold: queries with zero results

Beyond metrics and testing, one more invaluable source is actual customer queries.

With Search Ready, you get a complete overview, including searches that returned zero results, and those are often the most valuable.

What to do with them?

• Analyze “zero results” queries — maybe the customer looked for something you sell under a different name.
• Add synonyms and metadata—the customer wants a “white T-shirt,” but you call it a “snow tee.” Link them.
• Understand intent — some users want a specific item (“iPhone 13 Pro Max 128 GB”), others browse for ideas (“gifts for men”). Each needs a different response.
• Adapt to natural language — people no longer search “lightweight women’s running shoe price.” They type “best running shoes for women.” Your search must understand the meaning, not just words.

Search isn’t a detail. It’s the engine of your e‑shop.

A good search engine isn’t just a technical add-on. It’s a salesperson, a guide, and a consultant all in one.

It helps customers quickly find what they’re after, boosts the chance of purchase, saves time, and—most importantly—drives revenue.

Bad search costs money. A good search makes it.

Want to improve your search?

With Search Ready, you get complete control over your internal search.

You can track data, test changes, and fine-tune results based on customer behavior.

And that means the search will stop slowing your e-shop down — and start powering it up.