How To Create A Custom Search Engine For Your Own Website

There are many ways you can create a custom search engine for your website. Now that having a functioning search system is absolutely integral for a website in this day and age. And it doesn’t matter if you’re running a blog, online store, business site, or anything else.

Your website needs to have a way for visitors to find the content they are looking for. With the internet as saturated with content as it is, you can’t afford to lag behind when it comes to features. In fact, just having a search system isn’t enough these days. And with people so accustomed to Google, you need a very well-designed one at the very least.

Without a good search system in place, you are inevitably going to push many of your visitors away. This is going to have a significant impact on your Bounce Rate and consequently, your SEO. Fortunately, there are a ton of amazing methods to help you out in that case.

What Is A Custom Search Engine?

Besides personalized search engines like Bing, you too can create a custom search engine for your site. A custom search engine is a commonly used tool by webmasters and web developers to allow visitors to search within their websites. These tools are handy when the site is so large.

They are also useful if there’s a need to find information quickly without having to access the navigation system. And by all means, web developers can build their own search engines too. By using the built-in search technology in their content management systems (CMS) like WordPress.

Not only that but they can even use core search technologies from established search providers like Google. Whereby, the Google custom search engine is by far the most popular. Simply, because it allows search results to be easily prioritized or restricted. Based on customized settings specified from a control panel.

Related Topic: How SEO Ranking in SERPs is Done for Sites to Rank High

But several intrinsic features manage how the custom search engine responds from within the particular intranet. While the control panel provides the freedom to modify settings to fine-tune the search results as per the user’s request. As a webmaster, you should know that there are many search engine elements that are customizable.

For example, the search box and results page will have the theme and styling of the website as well as the usage of search features. Such as refinements, autocomplete, and promotions to enhance the users’ search experience. But, it all depends on your site appearance and layout.

Above all, as soon as you create a custom search engine, it’s linked with Google Analytics to understand the users’ behavior better. And with Google AdSense, additional site revenue is earned from these custom search engines.

How Is Custom Search different From Google Web Search?

In most cases, there is an option to set the custom search engine to search the entire web. Like a regular search on ‘www.google.com. But, more often, there are some differences that you can easily note. For instance, when you create a custom search engine for your site, it only emphasizes your results over others on the web.

As a result, it doesn’t offer features such as personalized results that Google Web Search features. Although there can be a subset of results from the Google index if more than ten sites are included. You should also know how a custom search engine affects the performance of a website.

In that case, Custom Search Engine builders can influence web search results. Labels in Google Custom Search change Google’s classification of web pages and help define query refinements that appear above the web search results. Let’s consider WordPress, for instance.

While the default search function that comes with it is functional, it’s nothing to write home about. Not only is it lacking in speed and flexibility, but it also has a generic and boring look. But, with the right plugin, you can have a search system for your site that is not only faster and more accurate but also more engaging as well.

How To Create A Custom Search Engine That’s Effective

In reality, a good custom search allows customization of a search engine by deciding which sites to include in search results. It also provides a way to customize how search results are presented. This allows alteration in the manner in which pages are ranked, enabling emphasis on some pages over others.

Unique information at the top of the search results can offer aspects such as query refinements above page result listings. Once a custom search has been set up, these changes can be made using a control panel or XML files can be created to define how the custom search engine works.

Google Custom Search Engine, allows the addition of one or more entire websites, pages, or parts of websites along with sources for the search engine. The pages shown in search results are based on the ranking algorithm that Google uses in its web search.

While a relatively simple custom search engine can be set up, you can also add keywords to the search engine. Thus, boosting individual pages on results if it contains the query terms or keywords that you select. In addition, a customized Google search engine provides ways to change how the search results appear.

Related Topic: How Keyword Stuffing Affects Site SEO | 5 Solutions to Use

For example, it allows people to set up context files that describe the structure of custom search engines and define how they behave. Subscribed links can also be used to set up snippets for specific queries. Particularly, queries that are defined either through a control panel or context file.

Promotions created for specific queries might move up a specified page in search results. This is useful in making announcements, promoting products, services, events, and discovering content. Custom Search also can create query refinements for search results that appear above those results by creating refinement labels for sites.

If someone performs a relatively broad search, labels associated with sites in the search results may appear above the results, and that can help searchers drill down to pages about specific topics. For example, if someone searches for ‘diabetes,’ query refinement would show search results of sites labeled with similar terms.

Such as ‘Treatment’, “Symptoms”, “Diagnosis”, and “Causes”. of diabetes. And in the end, all those refinements would match the labels used. Below are more factors that make a custom search engine system good for your site and your visitors.

Fast, Visible, and Accurate

To start with, it’s the fact that they are very fast, visible, and accurate sort of site search bars. And this one goes without saying! Keeping in mind, making your visitors wait too long is a surefire way to drive them away from your site.

A good search plugin will ensure that the search is fast enough that nobody gets bored. Similarly, if the search system fails to provide accurate results then there is no point to it. So, make sure that whenever you add a custom website search system, it’s easily accessible.

It should also be extremely clear where the search box to your visitors. Otherwise, your site visitors are going to go somewhere else. They might assume you don’t have one at all or decide that it’s not worth the hassle to find. Regardless, it is extremely important that the search bar is clear and easily distinguishable.

Phrase Searching & Search Logs

It is also important that a good search system is able to effectively search for phrases. Through phrase searching, visitors can easily narrow down their search results. By specifying how they want the words to appear. And as a result, people will have an easier time finding what they’re looking for.

You can gain a much better understanding of the visitors of your website if you know what they search for. If you understand what your users want, you will be able to cater to their needs much more effectively. Search logs are much more useful than you might have thought.

Effective Sorting and Filters

Sorting and filters can be of great help when it comes to narrowing down the search results. When they are well-designed, sorting and filters can not only help your visitors narrow down the results but also provides a way for them to engage with your site. What about clear and concise results?

When your visitors are served the results of their search, it needs to be immediately clear and easy to parse. For online stores, all the relevant information about the product should also be visible. And that’s the greatest role of a good custom search system for online shops.

Which Are The Methods To Create A Custom Search Engine?

Of course, Yes! As I mentioned, there are so many ways to create a custom website search system. By using Programmable Search Elements or even Plugins, for instance. But, many webmasters know how to tweak these steps using the first method. 

If your web presence is not based on a content management system, or if you’re simply looking for an alternative to a CMS search bar, you can turn to search engine providers such as Google, DuckDuckGo, Startpage by Ixquick among others. These services provide local search engines for websites in the form of a free search box implementation code.

The integration process for all search boxes is as follows. You’ll first register with a search engine provider (not necessary for all providers). And then, a search box is configured on the provider’s website. Last but not least, the HTML code snippet can be integrated into your website’s source code.

Your chosen search engine will become available as soon as the web crawler has indexed your online project, including subpages. The most common method is the Google Programmable Search Engine method.

1. How To Add A Custom Google Search Engine

A Programmable Search Engine enables you to create a search engine for your website, your blog, or a collection of websites. You can configure your search engine to search both web pages and images. Not to mention, you can even fine-tune the ranking, and customize the look and feel of the search results.

You’ll also be able to invite your friends or trusted users to help you build your Programmable Search Engine. And the best thing of all, you can even make money from your search engine by using your Google AdSense account.

With Programmable Search Engine Components, you can embed search boxes and search results pages in your web pages. Or any other web applications using HTML markup. And these Programmable Search Engine elements consist of components that are easily rendered.

Related Topic: What is an Anchor Text? & How is it Best SEO Optimized?

These features are based on settings stored by the Programmable Search server, along with any customizations you make. Whereby, all JavaScript is loaded asynchronously. Allowing your webpage to continue loading while the browser fetches the Programmable Search Engine JavaScript.

To enumerate, with these tools, you can use HTML markup to add a Programmable Search Element to your page. And each element consists of at least one component. Such as a search box, a block of search results, or both. The search box accepts user input in any of the following ways.

Either as a search query typed in the text input field, a query string embedded in a URL, or a programmatic execution. And in addition, the block of search results accepts input in the following ways. A query string embedded in a URL or a programmatic execution.

Things To Do With A Programmable Search Engine

As you create a Custom Search Engine for your website using the Programmable method, you should also know how to use it accordingly. In that case, there are two main use cases for Programmable Search Engine. First, you can create a search engine that searches only the contents of one website (site search).

Secondly, you can create one that focuses on a particular topic from multiple sites. Then, you can use your expertise about a subject to tell Programmable Search Engine which websites to search, prioritize, or ignore. And because you know your users well, you can tailor the search engine to their interests.

With a programmable search engine, you can:

• Create Programmable Search Engines that search across a specified collection of sites or pages
• Enable image search for your site
• Customize the look and feel of search results, including adding search-as-you-type autocompletion
• Add promotions to your search results
• Leverage structured data on your site to customize search results
• Associate your search engine with your AdSense to make money whenever users click on the result page ads.

You can read and learn more about Programmable Search Element Control API from Google Developers. As well as the Summary of Programmable Search Engine Offerings in detail.

How A Custom Google Search Engine Is Added

The first necessity is a Google Account to sign in or create a new account if there isn’t one already. Upon creating an account or logging in, access the Google Custom Search Management home page and follow the below quick steps to configure a custom search:

1. Go to the Google Custom Search home page for the option “New Search Engine,”
2. Describe it by adding a Name, Short Description, and then select the main Language,
3. These settings can be changed if need be on the ‘My Search Engine’ page.
4. Next is to add the sites needed in the custom search and this requires the search engine to be defined.
5. Any site URL, self, individual page URL’s or entire site URLs will work just fine,
6. Additional URL formatting can be specific wildcard patterns that include results for certain parts of the site.

For example:

Consider a site case like https://examplesite/subdirectoryName and there are different editions available. From Free edition (with ads on the search results page) to Paid edition with optional ads on results pages.

And with both, there is an option to use Google AdSense to Monetize from the result pages. All this comes with configuration settings from the AdSense for Search Program. To do this,

1. You’ll need to agree to the Terms of Service by checking the box and clicking the ‘Next’ button,
2. The style should be selected, and the custom search engine section tested to see if it works correctly,
3. If you’ll not be happy with the results, you can revert to the previous page and edit the site accordingly,
4. For the code to implement Custom Search on the website, the ‘Next’ button needs to be checked,
5. Thereafter, Copy and Paste the code to the website where your ‘Custom Search Engine’ should appear.

The easiest way to get started with a Programmable Search Engine is to create a basic search engine using the Control Panel. You can then download the key XML files you need to modify to customize your search engine programmatically.

2. StartPage & DuckDuckGo Search Box

Don’t want to use Google? The Dutch company, Ixquick, provides an alternative to the market leader with its own search bar, StartPage. The greatest advantage of this search engine is that it provides anonymized Google results. As with Google, it’s possible to integrate a StartPage search box into your own website.

Although it does allow users significantly fewer customization possibilities. Another advantage is that you can generate an embed code for StartPage without having to register with Ixquick. There are also 13 prebuilt templates, which can be adjusted to fit. You can also define whether the results should be opened in the same window and the page that users should be directed to.

DuckDuckGo is another search engine provider that avoids collecting personal user data. And it’s therefore enjoying increasing popularity within the internet community. As with Google and StartPage, you can easily implement a DuckDuckGo search bar with an html code.

This can be configured and taken to use in your own source code without the need to register with DuckDuckGo. In addition, DuckDuckGo also offers users the possibility to customize the size, the background color, and the prefilled text of the search box.

3. How To Create A Custom Search Engine Using Plugins

There is a multitude of possibilities when it comes to integrating a search bar on your web project. With many website operators using native search functions. Like those provided by all major content management systems (CMSs) like WordPress.

Yet, another popular option is implementing search boxes from leading search engine plugin providers. Website operators using CMSs such as WordPress, Joomla!, Drupal, and TYPO3 can take advantage of the websites’ own full-text search functions. These can usually be activated with just a few clicks, without having to manually insert code or script into the source code.

If the CMS doesn’t offer a search bar among its basic features, there are a number of plugins developed by the community that you can use to extend your range of functions instead. Some of the plugins you can use as a webmaster to create a custom search engine include:

1. ACF: Better Search
2. Advanced Woo Search
3. Ajax Search Lite
4. Ivory Search
5. Better Search
6. Relevanssi
7. SearchWP
8. Reactive Search Pro
9. Ajax Search Lite
10. Swiftype Site Search

In addition to the above plugins, there are a lot of great search plugins for WordPress, each with its own different strengths. Just take care and consider carefully before picking one for your site. You can let us know if you’ll have more so that we can add them to this list.

4. How To Create A Custom Search Engine Using A Search Script

It’s also possible to create a custom search engine with PHP script, although this is a less popular option. In other words, a PHP script is yet another option when it comes to generating a search engine for your website.

Although this solution may indeed grant website operators a large amount of freedom, there is also a far greater margin for error. For example, problems may arise if a script is overwhelmed with an ever-increasing volume of data. And if the web host’s script runtimes are limited. Or if the search bar developers stop making new versions.

Outdated or poorly programmed PHP scripts can also present a considerable security threat. Website operators should therefore use external service providers in order to avoid overloading their websites with a search function and so that it continues running smoothly.

For the sake of simplicity, you’ll be strictly focusing on HTML, PHP, and SQL and ignoring CSS! For your information, in this article, you can read and learn more about how building a custom search engine using PHP and MySQL is done.

Takeaway,

Whenever we hear ‘Search Engine’, one automatically thinks of ‘Google’, ‘MSN Search’, or Yahoo Search. However, as seen around the Internet, these are not the most common. Since there are millions of private custom search engines with the overriding purpose of relevancy.

It fulfills a need perfectly for someone searching for specific information and helps negate or eradicates irrelevancy. Relevancy is crucial for search engines to be in the game, charge advertisers, prevent traffic from moving to competition, and conduct a healthy business.

Related Topic: What Is Keyword Density? How to Use the Keywords Right

If your website contains a catalog of articles and multimedia content, you should make sure that your users are able to find exactly what they’re looking for, quickly and easily, with no hassle. This means your site’s central features should include an intuitive navigation menu and an intelligent custom search engine function. As this significantly increases a website’s usability.

To understand more about how you can create a custom search engine for your site and how it can help your website or business, you can Contact Us for further guidance. You can also share your thoughts, opinions, suggestions, and questions in our comments section. We’ll be so glad to help you out!