Search Update Webmasters User Group

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Search UpdateWebmasters User Group

• by Kevin Paddock, DTS Search Administratorsearch
  Master_at_dts.ca.gov

State of California Webmasters User
Group Wednesday, November 29, 2006
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Search Update

• Dessert First
• Clarifications
• The new Google search URL
• Site search free or not?
• Keymatch Project Update
• Other Cool Features

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Questions?
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Clarifications

• Base URL for new search
• http//search.ca.gov
• The form code published is for state-wide search
  (CA search) only
• The Form code
• Code not intended for site search
• But you are very clever and know how to use
• the query operator -- site
• the URL parameter -- sitesearch
• the URL parameter outputxml

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Search CA Form Code

• ltform action"http//search.ca.gov/search?"
  method"get"gt
• ltinput name"site" value"ca_all" type"hidden"
  /gt
• ltinput name"client" value"ca_x" type"hidden"
  /gt
• ltinput name"output" value"xml_no_dtd"
  type"hidden" /gt
• ltinput name"proxystylesheet" value"ca_x"
  type"hidden" /gt
• ltpgt
• ltlabel for"search" accesskey"s"
  class"hidden"gtSearch lt/labelgt
• ltinput name"q" size"25" maxlength"50"
  id"search" value"Search" onfocus"if(this.value
  'Search')this.value''" onblur"if(this.value
  '')this.value'Search'" type"text" /gt
• ltinput name"submit" titleSubmit search
  alt"Go" type"submit" value"Go" /gt
• lt/pgt
• lt/formgt

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Clarifications, page 2

• the site query operator
• .../search?qservices sitewww.dts.ca.gov
• works at www.google.com too
• get site search for free from google.com?
• get site search for free from google.com/coop/cse/
  ?
• our GSA behavior has been modified to...
• return either a confirmation message
• Yes! Your query produced 29100 results. Your
  site is indexed.
• or the standard error message
• Your search - sitewww.finewines.ca.gov - did not
  match any documents. No pages were found
  containing "sitewww.finewines.ca.gov".
• Why no results?
• DTS cost recovery model currently in place
  dictates that we recover costs for services. To
  achieve that objective, the behavior of this
  operator was modified.

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Clarifications, page 3

• the sitesearch URL parameter
• .../search?qservicessitesearchwww.dts.ca.gov
• returns results for indicated site only
• Whoopee! Site search for free! However...
• No department branding.
• No department control of results layout, colors,
  etc.
• No administrator console for customizations,
  accessing features, collections configurations,
  etc.
• No DTS support.
• not deterred by these drawbacks? Try...

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Clarifications, page 4

• the outputxml URL parameter
• .../search?qservicesoutputxmlsitesearchwww.dt
  s.ca.gov
• Whoopee! Site search for free!
• No UI. Returns an XML object of search results
  (think web services) for site indicated by the
  sitesearch value
• Create your own layout using server-side
  scripting
• Static pages web site? Sorry.
• You dont really care about GSA features accessed
  via the admin console.

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Clarifications, page 5

• What will DTS do?
• If you want supported site search now, DTS offers
  this service for less than the cost of purchasing
  a GSA or GSA-mini.
• eServices is researching the situation allow
  free site search to all departments or continue
  with the current pay-for-service model and alter
  the sitesearch parameter too.
• DTS Site Search Service description
• Seehttp//www.dts.ca.gov/custguide/DTS_Customer_G
  uide.htm
• Email searchMaster_at_dts.ca.gov for PDF version.
• Why does sitesearch work but site does not?
• The behavior modification steps to prohibit
  free site search were not completed before DTS
  was instructed to hold off further
  modifications until a decision is made.
• Recommendation dont start using sitesearch
  for production search. Wait till we have an
  decision.

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Questions on Clarifications?
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Keymatch Project

• Keymatch Update
• 117 entered so far (migrated updated from K2)
• Entire list is or will be viewable at
  www.eservices.ca.gov
• or email searchmaster_at_dts.ca.gov for a copy
• Should all State web site machine names (or
  aliases), entered as sole search term return the
  associated web site homepage as a Keymatch?
• abc ? www.abc.ca.gov
• dhs ? www.dhs.ca.gov
• dot ? www.dot.ca.gov
• caltrans ? www.dot.ca.gov

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Keymatch, example
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Keymatch List - example
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Keymatch

• Should all State web site machine names (or
  aliases), entered as sole search term return the
  associated web site homepage as a Keymatch?
• If yours is not already listed and you want it
  added
• make your request to...
• searchmaster_at_dts.ca.gov
• send requests in CSV file format.
• see previous Search Update PPT for fields and
  descriptions

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Other Cool Features

• Related Queries
• Interactively suggest alternative queries
• Search term (keyword or keyphrase) driven
• Associates alternative words or phrases with
  specified search terms.
• Related Queries appear as links at the top of the
  results list
• Clicking the link, submits a new query, like
  spell suggest
• You could also try...
• Related Query request format
• Search Terms Relates to
• ccc conservation corps
• Email your requests as a list in CSV format
• ? ccc,conservation corp

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Other Cool Features Related Queries
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Other Cool Features

• Query Expansion
• Query expansion enables the search appliance to
  automatically add extra terms to a user's search
  query, in order to return additional relevant
  results.
• Two Types
• Stemming
• searches for engineer will include engineers
• Automatic Synonyms
• searches for FAQ will include frequently asked
  questions
• Both types support blacklists
• GSA includes a QE list of 20,000 synonyms (mostly
  stems)
• Currently disabled due to a bug in the GSA.

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Questions?
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Thanks for Watching

• Contact
• Kevin Paddock, Search Administrator
• DTS 464-4233
• searchMaster_at_dts.ca.gov