Jerri: Is there anything we haven’t touched on that would be important for people to
understand?Hoppe: SEO and site search are very distinct. However, one thing we haven’t discussed is how site
search can boost SEO purely by creating a better user experience. A web site that has advanced
site search helps build a loyal community of visitors by enabling people to easily find what they are
looking for on the site, and helping them explore and discover related content. It also helps recom-
mend content to users as it gets to know them, based on their previous search and site interaction
habits. By having a loyal base of users who come back to the site more and more, a web site should
increase its inbound links, which in turn will drive up SEO. Though this is an indirect benefit, it
is important to point out how search is becoming less of a “utility” for users and more of a way to
create rich, dynamic site experiences that keep people coming back.327
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