What are the alternatives to Google Site Search?
Google Site Search was the most easier, ad-free and convenient tool for businesses to integrate search functionality into their business websites. Here, visitors can use this functionality to allow visitors to search the contents on the website. Google used to charge a monthly fee for this service. Businesses did not need to develop their site searching system to facilitate users with the website search functionality.
However, Google decided to discontinue Google Site Search in April 2017 and introduced a new tool called Custom Search Engine (CSE). Now, businesses are facing a dilemma to whether to continue with this new site search tool or look around to find other alternatives for custom website search functionality tool.
Thankfully, there are many other website custom search alternatives available in the market that can serve the core purpose. In this post, we will discuss Google Custom Search Engine and other Google custom search alternative to give you some insights about which alternative to choose for your website.
Google Custom Search Engine
Google Custom Search Engine is a powerful engine that allows developers to create custom and user-friendly search engines for visitors to search for anything on the website and external content.
There are some valuable benefits of this search engine. First, it is a free tool with basic features. Furthermore, developers can decide which pages from the website or other websites can be indexed by the search engine. Also, it is very easy to integrate and implement the search service using a JSON API.
However, there are some challenges that you need to know before you decide to choose Google Custom Search Engine. First of all, Google AdSense places ads when any search is performed and the search results are shown. Admins can prevent some types of ads, but the control is restricted. Also, the amount to block ads is $5 per 1000 queries. It is not advisable to spend too much if your site has heavy traffic regularly. Furthermore, visitors might find these ads annoying and can create privacy concerns. It might hurt your business reputation and brand image.
If you are looking for some alternatives to Google Site Search Engine, we have discussed some of them to choose wisely.
Cloud-based services
Some cloud-based site search solutions might serve the core purpose of your business website. There are two most popular cloud search options are Amazon’s CloudSearch and Microsoft’s Azure Search. One of the most important benefits of these cloud-based solutions is that they can be customized as per your requirements and are highly scalable. They support for multiple languages and have other important features such as AI-powered search suggestions and auto-correction.
However, there are some technical issues with these cloud-based search services as they require a supervisor to ensure that everything runs smoothly and also they cost high. Recommending these solutions to small and medium-sized businesses is not wise.
Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions
Another Google custom search alternative for businesses is to go for a SaaS solution that can perfectly fit with the requirements of these businesses. These solutions offer almost all the benefits of any cloud-based solution and at the same time, don’t cost more for upkeeping and functioning.
Some of these SaaS solutions we recommend are:
Swiftype
In a short time, Swiftype has earned a reputation across the globe due to some unmatched benefits it offers. Big brands such as Samsung, TechCrunch and AOL have adopted this solution which is a major reason why it is popular. It is easy to use and integrate and has a deep analytics dashboard that functions excellently. Nonetheless, it is a costly solution. Even the cheapest package is costlier than the other alternatives available in the market. It is advised to go for other alternatives which offer all the features that Swiftype offers.
Expertrec Custom Search Engine
Expertrec is a site search solution that can offer what you are looking for. It is a fully customizable site search solution with zero ads. It has a simple interface and offers a pleasant experience to the visitors. It can be set up quickly and easily and can serve the core purpose brilliantly. Expertrec can also search contents within PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel and other file formats to bring exact results for customers.
Moreover, it is easy and quick to set up and has no ads to annoy your valuable customers. It can be integrated across all major CMS platforms such as WordPress, Joomla and Drupal. It also supports more than 30 languages. Also, the search user interface is mobile and another device friendly. Users can also perform voice searches with Expertrec.
Conclusion
Your visitors must find contents on your website easily and quickly. Businesses spend hefty amounts on digital marketing practices to bring customers on their websites. It is important to convert these visitors into customers by offering them a pleasing experience when they are on the website. A customized site search solution can play a pivotal role to achieve this goal. Choosing a powerful site search functionality is what you need to increase your conversions and in turn, revenues and sales.
