I often hear people complain in frustration “SharePoint search should work like Google.” But this expectation isn’t technologically or even practically realistic.
We all know that search engines are one of the core capabilities of any intranet, because they allow users to find the documents they need quickly and efficiently. Search engines were created to interpret any query, with the idea that search results should closely match the intentions of the user.
Familiar and easy-to-use web search engines like Safari, Google and Bing efficiently and instantly put a universe of content right at our fingertips.
What these programs do for the internet, SharePointdoes for your company’s intranet. In fact, since the earliest days of SharePoint, the platform has offered a search engine to allow users to find content. Software programmers created a built-in search function so users would not have to buy a third-party search engine specifically for their intranet.
Advancementsin the search engine’s development have made it more powerful, with the result that it now compares favorably with other leading products on the market. Being the best doesn’t do any good though, if the content within the intranet is redundant, outdated, and trivial.
The Problems with SharePoint Search
Most organizations that we work with at Portal Solutions don’t hesitate to share that they have a problem with SharePoint search. Admittedly, the search function included in older versions of the SharePoint platform wasn’t up to scratch. But over the last few years, the search technology within Microsoft products has improved to a standard that is truly world-class.
Search engines involve complex technology that people who aren’t expert computer programmers may not at first fully understand. This can lead confused or frustrated users to look at the search issue in the wrong way. The question to ask is not “Why does SharePoint search not work?” but rather “Why is the SharePoint search experience not meeting my expectations?” As you will see, these two questions are very different.
How to Use SharePoint Search Effectively
If the search technology isn’t the problem, then what is? Well, it could be you. More specifically, it could be the way you manage your intranet and your content.
Many organizations have a hefty amount of redundancy in their content repositories, which means that the search function delivers outdated versions of content in search results. Instead of getting frustrated about these outdated results, consider using SharePoint’s programming tools to help keep intranet content up to date.
For example, by using versioning, you can ensure that recent copies of work stored on your intranet replace outdated ones. By setting expiration dates, you can have content that is too old to be useful automatically removed from search results.
About 30 percent of the content on your intranet provides value for users. The other 70 percent is noise. It is that noise that is likely causing your frustration with SharePoint search. Clear out your unwanted content to free search users from the daily hassle of wading through unserviceable data by requiring authors to periodically review their content, prompting them to update or remove it to cut down on the amount of redundancy in your system.
Final Thought
If your users regularly complain about their search experience, don’t be too hasty to blame the technology. You have to do your partto make search functionalities work the way you need them to as well as the way they were intended. The technology can only take you so far.
Keep your intranet streamlined and easy to search by clearing out content that is no longer relevant, so your users can enjoy a first-class SharePoint search experience.
