Site search — the search functionality embedded within an organization’s public-facing, branded website — is a critical part of the marketer’s toolkit. When properly optimized, marketers can use the data gleaned from site search to better understand and make meaningful improvements to the customer journey. Using this data, marketers can also adjust their marketing strategies and content plans.

Yet too often, such data is lost or inaccessible due to technology gaps in the native Content Management System (CMS) and Digital Experience Platform search tools so many organizations use. And with 75% of organizations using multiple CMS or DXP solutions, the platform proliferation creates a fractured user experience.

While organizations report surface-level satisfaction around search tools, their abilities and identified knowledge gaps point to the need for a change, both in how they view site search and the tools they use to gather consumer insights. A unifying, third-party search layer is now a necessity rather than a luxury.

To further explore organizational sentiment around enterprise site search, CMSWire INSIGHTS partnered with SearchStax for the Enterprise AI Site Search Survey. We asked more than 500 respondents across marketing, digital experience and IT at enterprise organizations for their opinions on the current state of and satisfaction around their current site search tools. We found general satisfaction — coupled with a desire for a whole lot more.

Search Satisfaction vs. Outcomes When Using Native CMS/DXP Search

While many organizations say they are happy with their current site search capabilities, gaps emerge when digging deeper into responses. Nearly half of all survey respondents are using native CMS or DXP search. Of those, 49% are “very satisfied” with their current native built-in search capabilities. And yet. Only 17% of these respondents claim to have "no major gaps" with their native CMS or DXP search capabilities.

What’s going on? When asked about where the CMS or DXP native site search falls short of expectations, respondents frequently cite quality of results (47%) or limited AI or semantic capabilities (44%).

The need for AI capabilities is one of the biggest triggers to move from native to third-party search. Those who incorporate AI tools are actively leaving their competitors behind. Among those who have switched to third-party search, 67% moved specifically to unlock AI capabilities, while 61% switched to secure advanced analytics.

Of those respondents who’ve made the move to third-party search, 97% are satisfied with their onsite search capabilities.

How Site Search Drives Intent Detection

The research suggests that site search is a massive, high-intent signal. Search data uncovers intent that directly feeds into broader business strategies. 82% say search queries are very/critically important for understanding visitor intent. A further 56% of survey respondents agree that website visitors using the search bar are more likely to convert compared to those who don’t run a search.

For those using intent to drive strategy, search results can influence a number of business processes, everything from journey understanding to product enhancements and content planning.

AI Enablement: The Next Phase of Enterprise Site Search

As we’ve seen, advanced capabilities are highly desired among organizations who lack the ability to gain insights from their current site search tools. AI capabilities are the top trigger that gets organizations to switch from native to third-party search.

AI is not only transforming the way people search, but also changing the way brands can show up for their website visitors by answering questions in natural language to mirror their experiences with LLMs. The market is eager for generative AI, with 48% of organizations citing AI answers as a highly desired missing capability.

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The next several years will be defined by organizations that use AI to boost their current site search capabilities. Many will prioritize AI-related digital experience initiatives over the next two years.

Everyone says AI is the future of search. However, fewer organizations are fixing data quality, establishing ownership or choosing the right platform. The smartest organizations recognize that AI requires guardrails to stay on brand and remain compliant. Guided by pragmatic IT teams, 80% of IT leaders deem human-in-the-loop oversight as critically or very important.

Organizations Have a Mandate to Modernize Enterprise Search

With organizations dealing with changing customer behavior and fast-paced technology, they can’t settle for enterprise site search that’s simply “good enough.” Complacency masks performance issues and delivers a fractured user experience. The cost of “good enough” is lost visibility into customer intent, weaker engagement and missed revenue opportunities.

Site search is a significant, high-intent signal that feeds directly into business strategies, user experience enhancements and increased conversions. Organizations with a competitive advantage recognize its position as an intent signal and take steps to capitalize on it.

On the other hand, organizations risk losing intent signals and conversion opportunities if they treat site search like a basic utility. To unlock the full potential of every search click and turn site search into strategic advantage, organizations should empower their marketing and digital experience teams to shape outcomes with this signal. Marketers are closest to the audience's needs, yet are often blocked by IT bottlenecks or unclear analytics. It's a liability when marketing can't touch the search experience without filing a ticket.

56% of survey respondents are cleaning up their data and moving away from native CMS or DXP tools. In the future, organizations with AI-powered search will deliver stronger digital experiences that serve core audiences and leverage intent data to build conversion engines for internal teams.

SearchStax can unify your enterprise site search experience. Read the full results of this research at searchstax.com, and connect with the company on LinkedIn and @SearchStax.