An internal search engine is a must for any medium-sized website. There are several approaches you can take to this element. The search engine could be content-only or site-wide.
A search engine, obviously, helps people find the information or page they are looking for.
Here are some things to keep in mind when creating a search engine for your site.
Input field
Of course, when creating a search engine, you should make the input field stand out and clearly visible against the background on which it is located. You could also put text in the field “How can we help?” or the more direct “Search”, or the question “What are you looking for?”. In the text, you could also suggest relevant searches that users could type.
The search field could auto-complete searches that have already been started. The auto-complete search should be consistent with any results already available on your site. For example, if a user types “A” and there are posts on your site that start with that letter, you could suggest a few of the post titles.
You could also include links to pre-selected searches that users can click on and perform the search without typing.
Button (optional)
More and more people know that they have to press Enter to perform a search, but a visible button would certainly make the search engine easier to use, especially on mobile devices.
Previous searches (optional)
If the search engine is an important element of your website, you could show users their recent searches so that they can, if necessary, repeat them and find the information they need.
Visibility
The search engine should be directly related (visually) to what users are searching for, as well as where they are doing it. In other words, if the search engine is for your entire site, it should be placed in a context that suggests this. If the search engine only appears on the blog, for example, users will assume (and rightly so) that it is only for that purpose.
Global search engines look best in the main menu.
