We’ve received a lot of feedback from Online Support users asking for enhanced search capabilities. On September 20, 2015, EMC Online
Support implemented a Google search appliance (GSA) which lets us leverage the power of Google to extend our search capabilities on EMC Online Support.
What’s Different about GSA Search?
- We’re now seeing smaller results sets – but it’s more targeted information with greater relevancy than before.
- We’re able to configure search to return the kinds of results we know users seek on a regular basis. Results are weighted with a focus on more relevant and more recent content appearing first. Of course, you can still sort results by date and by title, but relevancy is our first concern. We’re also seeing a wider mix of content that’s a better match than before.
- We have wildcard search functionality, where you can use an asterisk as a multi-character wildcard to broaden your search.
- If you want to narrow your search to exact terms, you can put double-quotes around your search terms.
- If you’re searching for something that does NOT include a term or character, you can use the minus sign (or hyphen) just like in Google.
- We also have updated our help and search tips in case users need a little extra help.
The most important thing to remember is that although this is a Google search appliance, the behavior is not going to mimic Google 100%. The search engine we all know and use so often has the benefit of learning about user behavior for many years, and they’ve updated their algorithms accordingly over time.
And we’re already seeing improved search results and more targeted behavior, so that means we’ll be even better in the future.
What’s staying the same?
For the time being, our interface has not changed.
Users still have access to the Advanced options, where you can search for exact combinations of words, as well as exclude terms. Some of the functionality you’d get from quotes, the minus sign, and Boolean operators can also be used in the Advanced Options settings.
We also still provide access to the same comprehensive content as before – tens of thousands of documents, downloads, knowledgebase articles, and community discussions, and more.
What kind of changes will be happening in the future?
Users will also be seeing some changes to the UI in the coming months, which will make search even more user-friendly and intuitive.
With the Google search appliance, we can continuously tune our content to improve relevancy over time. So results sets will get even better.
We’re constantly looking for ways to improve our customer service at EMC, so we encourage search users to contact us by commenting below, to let us know how we’re doing – and how we can improve.
Happy searching!
Kay Stoner
Principal Program Manager – Search Lead, Online Support
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