Eric Dixon's Search Blog

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My blog covers search related topics for the SharePoint Online, SharePoint 2016, SharePoint 2013, FASTSearch for SharePoint 2010, and FAST ESP search engines.

With the wide availability of AI, a great way to enrich and improve your search experience is to...

Author: Eric Dixon - MSFT - Search PFE Date: 04/19/2018

SharePoint Search: – “Why are my results so bad?” Part 2 - PDFs vs. Office Documents

In a previous post, I discussed why search results can seem so bad.  Honestly, labeling results as...

Author: Eric Dixon - MSFT - Search PFE Date: 04/21/2017

SharePoint 2013/2016 Search: When standard architecture won't work for you

Customers often ask, "Will this search architecture work for me?"  What then follows is a screen...

Author: Eric Dixon - MSFT - Search PFE Date: 02/27/2017

Relevant Relevancy Changes in SharePoint 2013 Sept and Oct 2016 CUs

Two recent features were added to the Search Service Application that can have an impact on...

Author: Eric Dixon - MSFT - Search PFE Date: 01/04/2017

SharePoint 2013 Search: Even Better Best Bets with Exact Matching

First, full credit goes to Mikael Svenson and Petter Skodvin-Hvammen for the original solution. This...

Author: Eric Dixon - MSFT - Search PFE Date: 10/23/2015

SharePoint 2013 Search: How clicks change relevancy and rank scoring

If you've ever looked at rank log or the ExplainRank.aspx page, you may have noticed that term...

Author: Eric Dixon - MSFT - Search PFE Date: 09/03/2015

SharePoint 2013 Search: Full-Text Index and Context Weight Groups - What is wrong with my rank model?

Note (4/25/16): I've updated the recommended context listed at the bottom of this blog based on new...

Author: Eric Dixon - MSFT - Search PFE Date: 08/10/2015

SharePoint 2013 Search: People Search – “Why are my results so bad?” Understanding Relevancy, the Rank Model, Full-Text Index, Fuzzy Matching, and Social Distance

I’ve heard this question come up enough now that I think it warrants deeper examination.  Several...

Author: Eric Dixon - MSFT - Search PFE Date: 06/03/2015

SharePoint 2013 Search: Ranked Result Blocks – The Definitive Answer

I’ve been stumped for a long time on how Ranked Result Blocks really work. When creating a...

Author: Eric Dixon - MSFT - Search PFE Date: 04/02/2015

SharePoint 2013 Search: Managing Query Rules with PowerShell

One thing I've noticed about Query Rules, Search Admins are really good at creating Query Rules......

Author: Eric Dixon - MSFT - Search PFE Date: 03/19/2015

SharePoint 2013 Search: Data Normalization using Query Rules and Variables

SharePoint 2013 Search administrators have asked me several times, "How can I match the data...

Author: Eric Dixon - MSFT - Search PFE Date: 03/09/2015