A vertical search is different from a broad search engine, in which it focuses on only a portion of web content. They are sometimes also referred to as specialized or topical search engines, because they are designed to target a specific, pre-determined segment of web content. The vertical niche area can be related to genre, media category, or topicality. They tend to be more efficient and offer users greater control over what results their search results display.
A search vertical is most effective when used with a website that already has a vertical focus. In this case, the search vertical creates a new vertical within the existing mainframe website and redirects the user to another page. This is most commonly done when multiple connections to a given site are required.
Some of the options for search verticals in SharePoint are: news, podcasts, sports, weather, finance, and personal productivity. In order to provide users with a means of navigating these areas more easily, sites have been created that offers a “sitemap” or a series of links leading to the appropriate page. A sitemap is the basic graphical representation of a site. It represents the location of a particular webpage and often includes links that take the user directly to the original site’s home page, a side bar, or an index.
There are a number of advantages associated with the use of search verticals within SharePoint. The most noticeable advantage is that it pulls content from multiple sources, allowing users to search for relevant information from a number of sources. Because of this, users can tailor searches to more closely match their search criteria. For example, a user may want to search for news within the United States. Using a vertical directory provides the link and allows the user to search the news from multiple sources. This is particularly useful when searching for international news, as multiple news agencies often publish international news around the same time and are often listed in one place.
Another advantage associated with the use of search engines like Google is that websites that list in these search engines like to make sure that they are included in the overall meta-data and SEO packages. Sites that do not list in the search engines like Google’s SEO Packages are often considered to be less relevant and receive lower ranking. By listing in Google and other major search engines, SEO services gain higher rankings for better rankings.
One final advantage of the vertical approach to Search Engine Optimization is that it improves the overall search experience. Users have greater control over what they are searching for, which greatly reduces the amount of wasted search results. Users can also search for specific information and target their search experiences to specifically show them what they want. As well as making the search experience more relevant and efficient, search verticals also makes information easier to find. This results in better customer satisfaction as users are more likely to be satisfied with the search results that are returned to them.
