Supercharging Search in OpenSearch: Harnessing User Behavior insights for Continuous Improvement

“Organizations invest significant resources in building and optimizing their search systems, relying on OpenSearch to deliver the most relevant results. However, while search queries may return top results, this only tells part of the story. Critical details are often missing—such as which product a user selects, whether they add it to their cart, or if they are satisfied with the results. These insights are vital for improving the search experience, yet they are not captured by the search system itself.

In this session, I will demonstrate how to go beyond basic search results by capturing user behavior, including the specific searches they perform, their interactions with search results, and events such as time spent on the search page and the products they select. By feeding this data into an analytical engine, we can continuously learn from user behavior and adjust the search system accordingly.

This approach gives organizations a complete view of their users’ actions, enabling them to understand what works and what doesn’t in the search experience. It helps track essential metrics like how long users stay on the search page, which products catch their attention, and how their interactions align with overall satisfaction. With these insights, organizations can fine-tune search relevance, optimize product recommendations, and ultimately improve the user experience.

To illustrate this process, I will use OpenSearch in an open-source environment, providing a live demo that showcases how these techniques work in practice. By the end of the session, you will have a clear understanding of how capturing user behavior data can drive more relevant search results and enhance the overall user experience in your system.”

Aruna Govindaraju

Amazon Web Services

Aruna Govindaraju serves as a Specialist Solutions Architect for Amazon OpenSearch, bringing extensive experience in both commercial and open-source search technologies. Her expertise in search relevancy and user behavior analytics has driven significant improvements in customer search implementations. Based in Rhode Island, she partners with customers worldwide to optimize search experiences through data-driven insights.