How to Create a Custom WordPress Search Bar: The Ultimate Guide

After 15 years as a webmaster, I‘ve learned that most users find content through search. If your WordPress site‘s search isn‘t robust, you‘re missing out on conversions and growth.

That‘s why I always recommend installing a dedicated search plugin. It gives you more control and helps visitors instantly find what they need.

In this ultimate guide, we‘ll walk through how to create custom WordPress search forms step-by-step. I‘ll share my insider tips to help you optimize search on your site. Let‘s dive in!

The Problem With Default WordPress Search

The built-in WordPress search isn‘t bad per se. But it is limited compared to dedicated search plugins.

Here are some of the problems I‘ve noticed with it over the years:

• It only searches standard post types like posts and pages. This leaves out key content like products, menus, custom post types, etc.

• You can‘t customize the algorithm or change result rankings. New or popular content doesn‘t get priority.

• No advanced filtering options for visitors (by date, author, tags, etc).

• No "Did you mean?" suggestions or fuzzy matching. Typos just return no results.

• No analytics to see popular searches and optimize content.

These limitations lower conversion rates. Visitors can‘t find what they want efficiently, so they leave.

One study found that 61% of online shoppers will abandon a site if they can‘t find what they‘re looking for quickly.

Custom WordPress search plugins fix these issues. Next I‘ll compare the top options.

Top WordPress Search Plugins Compared

There are a few WordPress search plugins that stand out:

Plugin	Pros	Cons
SearchWP	Customize algorithm, advanced filtering, partial matches, stats dashboard	Paid premium version
Relevanssi	Free, synonyms, scrapes site for index	Less control over results
Algolia	Blazing fast indexed search via API	Complex setup, external API reliance

Based on experience, I recommend SearchWP. It strikes the right balance of control, features, and ease of use. The free version meets most needs, while premium unlocks stats, better filtering, etc.

The rest of this guide uses SearchWP in the examples. But the general principles apply to any dedicated search plugin.

Why You Need to Improve WordPress Site Search

Imagine this scenario:

A visitor lands on your site from Google looking for a specific product or blog post. But your default WordPress search shows irrelevant results like pages and categories first. Or worse – no results at all.

Frustrated, the visitor hits the back button and tries again on another site. You just lost a conversion and a potential lead.

By optimizing site search, you can turn that scenario into a success story. Visitors will find exactly what they want, down to the specific blog post or product.

Let‘s walk through how to do that using SearchWP…

Step 1: Install and Activate SearchWP

Installing SearchWP takes just a couple minutes:

1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins » Add New.

2. Search for "SearchWP" and click "Install Now" on the SearchWP plugin.

3. After installation completes, click "Activate" to enable the plugin.

Once activated, you‘ll see a new SearchWP menu in your dashboard. This is where we‘ll customize the search algorithm next.

Step 2: Customize the Search Algorithm

Now we can configure SearchWP to improve search relevancy site-wide.

Go to SearchWP » Settings » General, and enter your SearchWP license key if you have one. This unlocks premium features.

The key settings are in SearchWP » Algorithm:

• Indexing sources – Choose what content types get searched (products, pages, etc).

• Attribute relevancy – Set priorities for title matches, content matches, etc.

• Inclusion/exclusion rules – Whitelist or blacklist specific content from results.

Take time to tune these settings for your site. Prioritize title and keyword matches for most sites. Down-rank or exclude off-topic pages.

The defaults work well, but your custom settings really optimize search for visitors.

Step 3: Create Advanced Search Forms

The main search algorithm improves results site-wide. But you can further optimize search for different content with custom forms.

For example, create one that only searches products. Or make a form specifically for blog posts or special post types.

Building one is easy in SearchWP:

1. Go to Search » Forms » Add New

2. Give it a name and pick a layout style

3. Configure custom settings like sources, filters, design, etc.

4. Click "Save" to create the form.

Repeat to make more forms tailored to different content types. This laser targets search for visitors.

Step 4: Add Forms to Pages, Posts, and Widgets

Now that you‘ve created specialized search forms, add them where relevant:

Pages and Posts

In the block editor, add a "Search Form" block and pick your custom form. Visitors will see it on that page or post.

Sidebars and Widget Areas

Go to Appearance » Widgets and add a Search Form block widget. Configure it to show your custom search in the sidebar.

I like to add product search forms on category and shop pages. Blog search forms work well in sidebars. Get creative with it!

Pro Tip: Enable Live Search (Ajax)

Live search updates results dynamically as visitors type. It feels more responsive without needing page reloads.

The free SearchWP Live Ajax Search plugin enables this. Install it to augment your custom forms with instant live results.

Step 5: Review Search Analytics and Optimize

The best part about SearchWP is the data it provides:

Go to SearchWP » Statistics to see:

• Most popular searches
• Search conversion rates
• Searches with no results
• And more

Use these insights to improve your site‘s content for what visitors are searching for.

For example, if you see high demand for "best shoes for plantar fasciitis", you now know that‘s valuable content to produce.

Keep optimizing and customizing search over time. Treat it as an ongoing process, not a one-time task.

Advanced SearchWP Features to Boost Results

SearchWP has tons of options to take search to the next level:

• Partial matching – Show results that partially match search terms. Great for typos.

• Show closest match – When no results are found, display the closest one. Better than just saying "No results".

• Phrase searching with quotes – Allow exact phrase matches in quotes like "perfect shoes for nurses".

• Search shortcodes – Embed forms anywhere with [searchwpand].

• Custom sort options – Choose how results get ordered, like random, title descending, or custom.

Take advantage of these to really dial in search on your site. They can have a big impact on conversions and user experience!

Wrap Up

Optimizing WordPress search doesn‘t need to be hard or expensive. With a plugin like SearchWP, you get complete control with a customizable algorithm, advanced forms, and data-driven insights.

The days of lackluster default WordPress search are over!

I hope this guide helps you create the custom search forms your visitors need. Just remember – search is an ongoing optimization process, not a one-time fix. Keep tweaking and improving things over time.

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m happy to help fellow webmasters whenever I can.