Welcome to Part 2 of our new synonym series (here’s Part 1 in case you missed it).
To review, a synonym is a word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word, and in the context of search, they’re words that could be swapped for each other. There are also synonyms that work in one direction only, like “car” and “sedan”; all records for “sedan” would need to match a query for “car” but not the other way around.
A dynamic synonym, applied in search functionality, goes a step further: it’s a term that’s automatically adapted to reflect search context and user interactions. That means search results that could change based on real-time data.
In ecommerce, shoppers have many choices for search terms, and some of their words and phrases could easily turn out to be synonyms. For example, if you’re checking out options for your next set of wheels on a car-buying website, do you start to enter “jalopy” (probably not), “hardtop”, “motorcar”, “station wagon”, “hatchback”, “pickup truck”, “roadster”, “sedan”, “compact”, “subcompact”, “convertible”, or maybe none of that and just a Japanese, German, or American model name?
There’s a good chance the search engine is going to run across some synonyms while dealing with that one.
Regardless of the complexity, AI-driven synonym understanding helps ensure that all goes smoothly in a search. Search algorithms equipped with synonym understanding can expertly assess the ways people describe the same item. They can also detect regional differences and colloquialisms (“Did you just search for a coupe, and I see that you’re in the UK? Let’s see, that’s a passenger car…”).
Dynamic synonyms are automatically generated by algorithms, which feature:
Dynamic synonym functionality:
Automatic synonym integration in search functionality bridges gaps that can negatively impact search results, translating to:
With manual synonym designation, content managers and system administrators can designate which words and phrases should be considered interchangeable. But having a human involved doesn’t always achieve the desired results. Here’s why:
Traditional search engines are challenged by ambiguous and context-dependent terms. Consider the scenario of “apple”. Without context, the search engine doesn’t know whether they’re referring to the fruit, a technology product, or something else entirely.
In contrast, dynamic synonyms excel at clarifying search queries by analyzing contextual clues, user intent, and real-time data. In an AI-powered search algorithm, whether people are searching for apple pie recipes or the latest iPhone, they’re more likely to receive relevant results. This capability enhances the relevance of search results and creates a seamless search experience.
You can use AI-driven tools to automatically suggest and refine synonyms based on real-time data. Here’s the simple process with Algolia:
Looking for the best search solution, one with the ability to add dynamic synonyms? With Algolia’s AI-powered algorithms, your shoppers’ every search query can hit the bullseye. When you’re ready for great results, just let us know and we’ll get you into gear.
Jon Silvers
Director, Digital MarketingPowered by Algolia AI Recommendations