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Search Engine Best Practices 

Oct 31, 2016 12:36 PM

When performing a Search on the CA Spectrum Knowledge Base, I have noticed that it is sometimes difficult to find exactly what you are searching for.  As part of a Six Sigma Project to improve the Search Engine Results, I have identified some Best Practices that can be used if you are not getting the results you are looking for.

 

 

Search Engine Best Practices

 

1. Searches should be done on a single specific error (if available)
Example:
ERROR TRACE at CsIHPrtIPLS.cc
This example will return 1 result

 

2. Searches should be based upon a selected few keywords that illustrate what the problem is.
Example:
Spectrum crash out of memory

Will return 20 results from the Spectrum Knowledge Base

 

3. A large number of returns can be filtered even further using Components, Year or Sort By :
Use Components – When you want to find a KB article regarding a specific component of Spectrum
Use Year – To filter out older solutions and to show only new solutions
Sort By – Shows all results, but lists them in order based upon what is chosen.
Date (Newest)
Date (Oldest)
Relevance

 

4. When searching, search without using quotes, as the current search engine does not support quotation marks and will not return any results.
Example:
NEW_SpectrumUtil.war (Permission denied)
Will return a single result with a possible solution
“NEW_SpectrumUtil.war (Permission denied)”
will not return any results at all.

 

5. Avoid using common words that are not part of the keywords
Example:
Webservices integration
will bring up a single result
Entering
How can I integrate CA Spectrum using webservices for a third party application
Will bring up no results


6. Use the – sign to exclude results from the search
Example:
If I perform a search on
Spectrum crash
It returns 83 results
If I perform a search on
Spectrum crash -memory
It returns 50 results (anything with -memory is excluded from the results).

 

7. Searches containing logical AND will return results only if all words are included in the results
Example:
SpectroSERVER AND dss
Returns 45 results
SpectroSERVER AND dss AND location server
Returns 21 results
SpectroSERVER AND dss AND location server AND firewall ports
Returns 1 result

Without using AND
SpectroSERVER dss
Returns 50 results
SpectroSERVER dss location server
Returns 23 results
SpectroSERVER dss location server firewall ports
Returns 4 results

 

8. Use logical OR to return results with either terms
Example:
Spectrum EEM OR OneClick EEM
Returns 6 results
Spectrum EEM OneClick
Returns 20 results

 

As Google has the ability to search multiple sources such as the CA Communities, CA Online Product Documentation, IT Blogs, etc… as well as correct misspelled words, it can be useful to perform searches using Google if you are not receiving the expected results.

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