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Analytics best practices

Use search analytics to uncover what’s working—and what’s missing—in your store. These best practices help you turn data into action.

Updated this week

Track daily engagement trends

Watch for patterns in the daily search and collection engagement charts. If you see sudden drops or spikes, check for:

  • Catalog or site changes – Cross-check with Shopify reports or Google Analytics

  • Seasonal trends – Look for calendar-related fluctuations

  • Marketing campaigns – A promo may have driven traffic or new search terms

  • Technical issues – Confirm that search and filters are functioning properly

  • Shifts in shopper behavior – New product interest may be emerging


Use search volume as a demand signal

The Popular searches and Popular categories reports can surface what your customers want—even before it shows in your sales.

If shoppers are searching for a product but not buying it, investigate:

  • Availability – Is it out of stock?

  • Product page – Are descriptions or images missing?

  • UX friction – Is the product hard to find or filter?

💡 Hint: Comparing popular searches with Shopify’s most sold items can expose hidden gaps or opportunities.


Align merchandising with search insights

If you spot high-interest products that don’t convert well, consider:

  • Stock levels – Restock or promote products with search demand

  • Pricing strategy – Compare price points to your best sellers

  • Product data quality – Add attributes, reviews, or better photos

  • Synonyms and typos – Make sure common terms always return relevant results


Improve low-performing searches

Use the Zero result searches and Zero engagement searches reports to fix blind spots in your search experience.

  • Add synonyms to high-volume zero-result queries

  • Expand product metadata so more products match

  • Identify product demand you’re not yet serving

💡 Hint: These reports can reveal missing keywords, poor indexing, or demand for products you don’t yet stock.


Optimize the no-results page

Your no-results page text is customizable under:

Configuration → Search and collection pages → Result page texts → No result message
(Also check the “Empty collection message” just below.)

You can also:

  • Promote top-selling products on the no-results page

  • Display related keywords or categories to help shoppers continue exploring

💡 Hint: Use helpful messages like “Check your spelling” or “Try searching with fewer words.” Add contact info so shoppers can ask questions—turn lost searches into new conversions.


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