Set up search for site visitors

What is the portal environment?

If we are operating in a stand-alone environment, use the Default Search collection to start working immediately with Portal Search. If we are operating in a cluster environment, remote search service must be installed and configured before Portal Search can be used. Remote search service enables all nodes of the cluster to equally access the same search service.

What keywords, categories, and metadata do we want to specify for searching?

Predicting specific search terms and keywords to index is an important first step when we are setting up the site for search by site visitors. Oftentimes, the prediction of search terms, metadata, and keywords to be indexed depends upon current industry and marketing trends for your specific business. Content authors can set keywords and metadata terms for a specific page. We can also enable searching of the words used in the body of the content instead of keywords or metadata associated with content items.

How do we want to return search results when a site visitor runs a search?

The results of a search on HCL WebSphere Portal collections are displayed in the Search Center by default. The Search Center is wired together with the search form in standard themes included with HCL WebSphere Portal. However, use the Search Results page template to create a search landing page that displays a list of search results when a site visitor runs a search query. The search landing page created can be placed anywhere in the site. Search results are automatically displayed on the new search landing page instead of in the Search Center.

Do we need to index documents of various formats, such as PDFs?

If so, install and configure Document Conversion Services (DCS). This third-party software is included with HCL WebSphere Portal. DCS converts various types of documents into a format that can be consumed and processed by the search engine. DCS is needed in order for attachments to be indexed and appear in search results.

Which search service suits the business and website needs?

Portal Search is available for immediate use, though we can also provide advanced search features on the website using IBM Content Analytics with Enterprise Search. Additionally, we can integrate search on the website with third-party search engines if we have a license for that third-party search software. Your website's specific environment and search needs determine which search service the website requires.

Parent Build the website