The legal sector is among some of the most competitive landscapes. Finding ways to become even more competitive in this environment has been challenging for even the biggest legal players. One area of growth has been the digital space, particularly in improving the customer journey and providing vital information at speed and consistently.
The clients we work with have been able to leverage a key advantage known as internal website search.
What is an internal website search?
An internal website search, which is also referred to as an on-site search or site search, is a feature within a website that permits users to search for specific information or content present on that website. It allows users to easily find relevant resources, such as documents, articles, products, pages, people or other information by entering keywords or phrases into a search bar. Although there are numerous ways to accomplish tasks, it's important to note that not all methods are equally effective.
What kind of search is possible with a composable website?
- Business Rules (hierarchy search): In the legal sector, particularly for law firms, clients often request partner seniority for on-site search, especially for customer journey purposes. This request typically involves implementing business rules or a hierarchy-based search approach to prioritise search results based on partner seniority or other relevant criteria.
- Natural Language Processing (NLP): Natural Language Processing technologies enable search engines to understand and interpret natural language queries, allowing users to search using everyday language rather than specific legal terminology. This is particularly useful for clients who may not be familiar with legal terminology but still need to find relevant legal information. NLP can also help improve the accuracy of search results by identifying synonyms, related terms, and contextually relevant content.
- Predictive Search Suggestions: Predictive search suggestions provide users with real-time suggestions as they type their search queries, helping to speed up the search process and guide users towards relevant content. For law firms, predictive search suggestions can help users discover commonly searched topics, relevant case law, or frequently accessed resources, improving the overall search experience and increasing user engagement.
- Integration with Legal Research Databases: Many law firms rely on external legal research databases such as LexisNexis, Westlaw, or Bloomberg Law to access comprehensive collections of legal documents, case law, and statutes. Composable websites can integrate seamlessly with these databases, allowing users to search across both internal and external resources from a single interface. This integration enhances the depth and breadth of search results, providing users with access to a wealth of legal information from trusted sources.
- Semantic Search: Semantic search technology goes beyond keyword matching to understand the meaning and context of search queries, enabling more accurate and relevant search results. Semantic search can identify relationships between terms, recognise concepts, and infer the user's intent based on the context of their query. For law firms, semantic search can help users find relevant legal precedents, statutes, and commentary by analysing the semantic structure of legal documents and identifying key concepts and relationships.
By leveraging these advanced search capabilities, law firms can empower users to find relevant legal information quickly and accurately, enhancing productivity, decision-making, and client satisfaction.