WordPress search analytics- Tracking site search on your WordPress site can deliver great insights into your customers’ minds. Fortunately, you can easily monitor your WordPress search queries using Google analytics in a matter of a few minutes. Here are the steps to follow. The prerequisite is that you should have integrated Google Analytics to your WordPress site.
There are also a few search engines for WordPress sites that give search query analytics by default.
Set Up Google Analytics
- Install google analytics (if you have not installed refer to this article on how to install google analytics in WordPress).
- Click on Admin
- Click on view settings.
Enable site search tracking.
Query Parameter setup
Enter the query parameter. Usually, for WordPress sites, the query parameter is “s”. Make a search query and see what your query parameter is. The term between ? and = is your query parameter. In the below image “s” is the query parameter.
Enable site search categories
If you have WordPress categories filter in your search results page, you can add the category parameter. It is usually “cat” for WordPress sites. In the following image as you can see the category parameter is “cat” since the category chosen is “Garden-stand” and the query parameter is “s”.
Enable strip query parameter and category parameter from URL
That’s all!. Now within a couple of days, your WordPress site search metrics will be available.
Search terms
To see the search terms, use the google analytics search bar to search for site search. Click on Behavior-> search terms-> Search terms.
Google Analytics
Now you can see your site search analytics data. Your WordPress search terms will be available in the column name: “Search term” and the count will be available in ” Total unique searches”.
Add Expertrec Search to your website
If you still haven’t added a search box on your WordPress site you can add a custom search form plugin. With plugins, you have the option of either using the search box provided by it or you can build search form in WordPress. Search plugins offer various options like search users by custom field and search by title. Try adding a google search box in WordPress and use that to search blogs or search content. The location or placement of the search box on your page also plays a crucial role in determining if your website users have an easy time navigating or searching for information on your website. Generally, the search box should be present in the header section of your website. Read more on WordPress header search box. Most search engine plugins give you the option to show search results on a full-screen search page. You can change search results page in WordPress. To show results on a separate (your own) page you need to add a search results page code for it to work.
