Sitecore Search Split Testing: How to Improve Your Search Results

A good search experience helps users find what they need quickly. In Sitecore Search, you can improve search results by using split testing (also called A/B testing).

Split testing allows you to compare two different search settings and see which one works better. You can test different ranking rules, filters, or layouts to learn what helps users the most. By checking key metrics like click-through rates and conversions, you can make better decisions and improve your search performance.

In this article, we will explain how to set up split testing in Sitecore Search, which metrics to track, and how to get useful results.

Split testing is available for widgets in Sitecore Search. To create your first split test, you need to add a new variant for a widget with different settings. These settings can include filters, visitor context rules, boost rules, blacklist settings, and other widget options.

To do this, go to your widget and click "Add Variant". Then, enter a name for the variant. For example, if you create a variant that applies a visitor context filter for users in Italy, you can name it "Italy Users".

After creating variants, you need to add rules for them. These rules define how each variant works. As mentioned before, you can use different settings.

For example, I chose only a Visitor Context rule with a filter by country. This means the variant will apply only to users from a specific country.

After creating a new variant, you will see that 100% of the traffic still goes to the default variant.

Now, let’s fix this! (Just kidding. 😊)

To start split testing, go to the Split Testing section and click "Add Split Test".After clicking, you will see four steps to create a split test:

1. Setup Split Test – Define the test settings.
2. Add Variations – Choose the widget variants to compare.
3. Set Schedule – Decide when the test will run.
4. Review – Check all settings before starting the test.

Step one: Set up name for our test.

Step two: Need to choose variants that will participate in the test. And set up traffic for each variant. I have only two variants and I split the traffic 50/50.

Step three: Set up schedule.

Step four: Review our test setting.

After creating the split test, it will have the status "Draft". To start the test, you need to publish everything you created. When the test is published, its status will change to "Active". You will also see that the traffic distribution has changed.

What Happens Next?

Now, we need to wait for users to search and interact with our widget.

After some time, Sitecore Search will collect analytics. You can view the data in two ways:

• Open the Analytics menu.
• Click the Analytics button inside the split test.

This data will help you understand which variant performs better and choose the right variant for performing user experience.

Conclusion

Sitecore Search Split Testing is a powerful way to improve search results and user experience. By creating different widget variants and testing them, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize search performance.

With real-time analytics, you can see which settings work best and continuously refine your search strategy. Split testing helps ensure that users find the most relevant content quickly, leading to better engagement and higher conversions.

By using Sitecore Search Split Testing regularly, you can keep improving your search experience and stay ahead in the digital world.