Use Search Query Tool: How to Conduct Keyword Research Like a Pro

Search query tools are essential for anyone who wants to optimize their search results. These tools are designed to help users refine their search queries and get the most relevant results. With the right search query tool, you can quickly and easily find the information you need, whether you are searching for a specific keyword or trying to find answers to a complex question.

One of the most popular search query tools available today is the SharePoint Search Query Tool. This tool is designed specifically for SharePoint users and provides a range of advanced features that can help you get the most out of your search queries. With the SharePoint Search Query Tool, you can quickly identify search index issues and troubleshoot any problems that may be affecting your search results. Additionally, the tool provides detailed insights into the search results, allowing you to analyze the data and make informed decisions about how to optimize your search queries.

What is a Search Query Tool?

A search query tool is a software application that enables users to query a search index to retrieve information that matches specific criteria. Search query tools are commonly used in enterprise search, e-commerce, and web search applications.

Search query tools are designed to help users investigate the search index, identify search issues, and debug search problems. They provide a user-friendly interface for constructing and executing search queries, and they offer advanced features for filtering and sorting search results.

Search query tools are essential for developers, administrators, and power users who need to optimize search performance, troubleshoot search issues, and fine-tune search results. They allow users to perform complex searches that are not possible with simple keyword searches.

Some popular search query tools include the SharePoint Search Query Tool, Azure Search Explorer, and Elasticsearch Query DSL.

In summary, a search query tool is a powerful software application that enables users to execute complex search queries against a search index. It is an essential tool for anyone who needs to optimize search performance, troubleshoot search issues, and fine-tune search results.

How to Use a Search Query Tool in SharePoint Online

Accessing the Search Query Tool

To access the Search Query Tool in SharePoint Online, you will need to log in to your SharePoint site and navigate to the Search Center. From there, you can access the Search Query Tool by clicking on the “Settings” icon in the upper-right corner of the page and selecting “Site Settings”. Then, under the “Site Collection Administration” section, click on “Search Query and Site Settings”. This will take you to the Search Query Tool page.

Using the Search Query Tool

Once you have accessed the Search Query Tool, you can use it to investigate search index issues in SharePoint Online. You can specify search terms or property restrictions using Keyword Query Language (KQL) or FAST Query Language (FQL). KQL is a simple query language that supports basic query operators, while FQL is a more advanced query language that supports complex query operators.

To create a search query in the Search Query Tool, follow these steps:

1. In the “Query Text” box, enter your search terms or property restrictions using KQL or FQL.
2. In the “Select Properties” section, select the managed properties that you want to include in your search query.
3. In the “Select a Query” section, choose a query by selecting a result source. Result sources specify what content to get search results from.
4. Click on the “Test Query” button to test your search query and see the search results.

You can also use the Search Query Tool to investigate search index issues by checking the status of the search index and crawling logs. To do this, follow these steps:

1. In the “Search Administration” section, click on “Search Schema”.
2. In the “Managed Properties” section, select the managed property that you want to investigate.
3. Check the “Searchable” and “Queryable” checkboxes to ensure that the managed property is included in the search index.
4. In the “Crawled Properties” section, check the “Include values for this property in the search index” checkbox to ensure that the managed property is being crawled.
5. Click on the “Crawl Log” button to check the crawling logs and see if there are any errors or warnings.

By following these steps, you can use the Search Query Tool to investigate search index issues and ensure that your SharePoint Online site is providing accurate and relevant search results.

Advanced Features of the SharePoint Search Query Tool

The SharePoint Search Query Tool is a powerful tool that allows users to search for specific content within SharePoint. It comes with a range of advanced features that can help you optimize your search queries and find the information you need quickly and easily.

Query Syntax

One of the key features of the SharePoint Search Query Tool is its advanced query syntax. This syntax allows you to create complex search queries using a range of operators, such as AND, OR, NOT, and NEAR. You can also use parentheses to group search terms together and create more complex queries.

For example, if you wanted to search for documents that contain the words “marketing” and “strategy”, you could use the following query:

marketing AND strategy

You could also use parentheses to group the terms together:

(marketing AND strategy) OR (sales AND strategy)

This would return all documents that contain either “marketing” and “strategy” or “sales” and “strategy”.

Query Rules

Another powerful feature of the SharePoint Search Query Tool is its query rules. Query rules allow you to create custom search experiences for your users by promoting specific content, demoting irrelevant content, and even redirecting users to external websites.

For example, you could create a query rule that promotes a specific document or page to the top of the search results when users search for a specific keyword. This can be particularly useful for ensuring that users find the most relevant information quickly and easily.

Optimizing Your Search Queries

Finally, the SharePoint Search Query Tool also comes with a range of features that can help you optimize your search queries and improve the accuracy of your search results. For example, you can use the “Best Bets” feature to promote specific content to the top of the search results for specific keywords, or use the “Query Suggestions” feature to provide users with suggestions for related search terms.

Overall, the SharePoint Search Query Tool is a powerful tool that can help you find the information you need quickly and easily. By taking advantage of its advanced features, such as query syntax, query rules, and search query optimization, you can ensure that your users find the most relevant information every time they search.

Using the SharePoint Search REST API with the Search Query Tool

Overview of the Search REST API

The SharePoint Search REST API is a powerful tool that allows developers to retrieve search results from SharePoint. It supports both HTTP POST and HTTP GET requests and can be used in SharePoint Add-ins, remote client applications, mobile applications, and other applications. The API supports both Keyword Query Language (KQL) and FAST Query Language (FQL) queries.

Using the Search REST API with the Search Query Tool

The Search Query Tool is a helpful utility that allows developers to test and debug search queries against the SharePoint 2013/2016/Online Search REST API. It can be used to build HTTP GET/POST queries and format the different parameters. Here are some tips for using the Search REST API with the Search Query Tool:

• To use the Search Query Tool, download it from GitHub and install it on your computer.
• Once installed, launch the tool and enter the URL for the SharePoint Search REST API endpoint you want to query.
• Next, specify the query parameters using the tool’s interface. You can use the tool to specify the query text, select the search source, and set the client type.
• You can also specify what fields to search in the query text by using the “querytext” parameter. For example, you can search for documents that contain the word “project” in the title by using the querytext parameter as follows: querytext='project'&selectproperties='Title'.
• Use the Search Query Tool to test out your queries and troubleshoot any issues. You can view the raw query results in the tool’s interface and examine the response headers and body to understand how the API is responding.

In summary, the SharePoint Search REST API is a powerful tool for retrieving search results from SharePoint. The Search Query Tool is a helpful utility that allows developers to test and debug search queries against the API. By using the Search Query Tool, developers can quickly and easily build and test search queries and troubleshoot any issues that arise.

Other Tools for Working with Search Queries in SharePoint Online

If you’re looking for more tools to help you work with search queries in SharePoint Online, there are a few options available that can make your life easier.

GitHub Repository for the SharePoint Search Query Tool

One of the most popular tools for working with search queries in SharePoint Online is the SharePoint Search Query Tool, which is available on GitHub. This tool was created by Mikael Svenson, a SharePoint MVP and Principal Consultant at Puzzlepart, and it allows you to easily build and test search queries using a user-friendly interface.

The tool is available for download from the GitHub repository, and it includes a number of useful features, including:

• The ability to build complex search queries using a simple drag-and-drop interface
• The ability to preview search results in real-time
• The ability to save and load search queries for later use
• The ability to export search queries to a variety of formats, including CSV, XML, and JSON

Overall, the SharePoint Search Query Tool is a powerful and flexible tool that can help you get the most out of SharePoint Online’s search capabilities.

Azure Search Query Tool

Another tool that you may want to consider is the Azure Search Query Tool, which is available through the Azure Portal. This tool is designed to help you build and test search queries for Azure Search, which is Microsoft’s cloud-based search service.

The Azure Search Query Tool includes a number of useful features, including:

• The ability to build complex search queries using a user-friendly interface
• The ability to preview search results in real-time
• The ability to save and load search queries for later use
• The ability to export search queries to a variety of formats, including CSV, XML, and JSON

Overall, the Azure Search Query Tool is a powerful and flexible tool that can help you get the most out of Azure Search.

Whether you choose to use the SharePoint Search Query Tool or the Azure Search Query Tool, both options can help you streamline your search query workflow and make it easier to build and test complex search queries.