What to change
Internal search results often rearrange existing pages rather than adding a useful standalone answer. Review a sample with the content owner and decide which results are simply navigation states. Ask the supplier to implement that distinction without blocking the permanent articles beneath it. The audit should identify specific route patterns and examples, giving editors a clear reason for the choice instead of a blanket ban on search functionality.
A worked example
Illustrative example
Illustrative test: Search for two synonymous terms and inspect whether both create nearly identical pages. Imagine internal searches for parking and car parking create nearly identical results lists. The permanent directions guide supplies the actual answer. Your content owner approves a consistent policy for the temporary search lists, and the supplier demonstrates that the directions guide remains reachable. A visitor can still search normally, while the public discovery arrangement favours useful maintained content rather than multiplying near-identical navigation states.
What this means for your practice
Your website's own search can create many addresses for slightly different searches. Those addresses may show almost the same list of guides without providing a standalone answer. Decide with the content owner which pages deserve to represent the practice in external search. The useful distinction is between a permanent guide that answers a question and a temporary list that helps someone browse. Ask your supplier to apply that distinction consistently while keeping the internal search usable. Review a few real searches and follow through to their articles. Removing or restricting the temporary lists should not make the underlying guides harder to reach or remove useful content simply because it appears in several result lists.
How to check the result
Query routes follow one documented policy and permanent useful pages remain accessible.
A mistake to avoid
Do not remove the useful underlying articles while controlling search variants.
Turn reading into a next step
Your action checklist
Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.
Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.
Use project decisions only, without personal, patient or confidential details. Entries stay in this page and are not submitted to Kay & Co. Copy or download before leaving; this page does not save your notes.
Further reading
These sources provide background for the topic. The practice examples and checklist are illustrative planning suggestions from Kay & Co.
Related guides
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