"Boosts" can be a loaded topic when tuning search. The basic idea is to raise the relevancy score of a document in some circumstance. The details of search boosting can be a "black hole" where engineers disappear for hours or days. This blog post is an example.
Site Search Boost Features
SearchStax Site Search simplifies this picture by offering two kinds of boost features: Ranking boosts and Rule boosts. Both are multipliers applied to partial relevance scores during matching.
- Ranking: Site Search can apply a boost multiplier to the partial relevance score contributed by a field. It can also calculate a partial relevance score from a formula and then apply a multiplier.
- Rules: Site Search rules are activated by a trigger phrase found in the query. If the phrase is present, the rule can apply a Ranking multiplier to a field, or calculate a relevance score from a formula and boost it.
Ranking boosts respond to the content of matching documents. Rules are triggered by key phrases in the query string.
Examples
This section presents a few examples of ranking and rules.
If a user searches for a document's exact title, you can give title matches more influence by boosting the title field.
Users might search with terms that differ from your site's preferred terminology. You can slightly boost Overview pages when they're likely to help with those searches.
If a user includes Overview in the query, you can use a rule to filter the results to pages with Overview in the title field.
You can also use a rule to boost those pages instead of filtering the results.
Ranking boost multipliers are 1 by default. In Ranking, enter the boost value directly. Decimal values are supported. Adjust boost values based on the search results you observe. See Ranking for supported ranges.
After you change boost values, scroll down and select Publish.