Glossary:AI search
9 min.
What is AI Search?
AI Search (also known as AI Search or intelligent search) is a search technology that uses artificial intelligence to understand the intent behind a search query — rather than just filtering for exact keyword matches. It combines semantic language understanding with traditional full-text search (hybrid search) and delivers results that correspond to what the user means, not just what they type.
According to a study by Baymard Institute (2025), 68% of users leave a website if the internal search does not deliver relevant results — even though the product or information they are looking for exists on the page.
How does AI Search work?
Traditional website search works with keyword matching: The search term is matched against a database of page titles, texts, and tags. The problem is: "cheap family vacation at the beach" does not match a page that contains "beach hotel with childcare from €89/night" — even though that is exactly what the user is looking for.
AI Search solves this through several technologies:
1. Semantic Search (Vector-based)
The AI converts both the search query and the content of your website into mathematical vectors (called embeddings). Similar meanings are close to each other in vector space — so "cheap family vacation at the beach" and "beach hotel with childcare" are recognized as related, even without common keywords.
2. Hybrid Search
The best results arise from the combination of both approaches: Exact keyword hits (when the user enters a product name or SKU) plus semantic hits (when the user searches in natural language). branchly implements exactly this hybrid approach — the AI search delivers both exact and semantically relevant results in a single results list.
3. Intent Recognition
AI Search recognizes the type of request: Is the user looking for a product? Information? Instructions? Do they want to compare? This intent recognition controls which types of results are prioritized — product pages for purchase intent, blog articles for information needs.
4. Personalization and Context Filtering
Advanced AI Search takes into account the context: On which page is the user? What has he viewed before? In which language is he interacting? In branchly, the AI search becomes part of the entire AI layer — it shares data with the chatbot, advisor, and other modules, allowing search results to benefit from the entire visitor context.
5. Search Analytics
Perhaps the biggest difference from traditional search: AI Search provides analyzable data. What was searched? What was not found? Which search terms lead to drop-offs? This data is directly usable for content optimization, product strategy, and website architecture.
AI Search vs. Traditional Website Search
Feature | Traditional Website Search | AI Search (Hybrid Search) |
|---|---|---|
Search Method | Keyword Matching (exact or fuzzy) | Semantic + Keyword (hybrid) |
Language Understanding | None — searches for strings | Understands natural language and intents |
Result Quality | Irrelevant with synonyms, colloquialisms, typos | Finds relevant results even with imprecise wording |
Multilingual Capability | Only in the language in which content exists | Understands queries in 101+ languages, delivers relevant results |
Analytics | Hardly any — “Top search terms” at best | Detailed intent analysis, zero-result tracking, search paths |
Response Capability | Only provides links to pages | Can generate direct answers (generative search) |
Context | None — each search stands alone | Considers page context, language settings, previous interactions |
Integration | Stands alone | Part of a conversational AI platform (at branchly: connected with chatbot, advisor, etc.) |
Setup | Manual tag maintenance, synonym lists | Learns automatically from existing content |
A concrete example: When a visitor searches on a tourism website for “What can you do when it rains?”, a traditional search either returns no results or shows all pages that contain the word “rain.” The branchly AI search understands the intent (indoor activities in bad weather) and delivers relevant pages — museums, indoor playgrounds, spas — even if the word “rain” does not appear on those pages.
Why AI Search is Critical for SMEs' Websites
Your website content is better than your search
Most SMEs have good content — product pages, blog articles, knowledge bases, FAQ pages. But the internal search cannot tap into this content. Visitors search, find nothing relevant, and leave the page. This is not a content problem — it’s a search problem.
Search as a Conversion Lever
Users who use the internal search have, by definition, intent. They know what they want — they just need the right path. According to a study by Econsultancy, visitors who use the website search convert up to 4× more often than those who only browse. A good AI search converts this intent into results.
Search Analytics as a Marketing Goldmine
Every search query is a signal: “This is what your visitor is looking for.” No other tool provides such direct intent data. branchly automatically analyzes this data: Which products are most searched for? What questions do visitors ask that are not answered on any page? What content should you create? That is the difference between “we have search” and “we know what our visitors want.”
Multilingual Capability without Translation Effort
If your website only exists in German, but a French visitor searches for “solutions de chat pour entreprises” — the traditional search finds nothing. branchly AI Search understands the query across languages and provides the relevant German pages because it matches semantic meaning, not language.
AI Search in Practice
E-Commerce: Natural Language Product Search
A visitor types: “Red dress for wedding under 200 euros.” The AI Search understands: Product category (dress), color (red), occasion (wedding/formal), budget (max. 200 €) — and filters the catalog accordingly, without needing all these attributes to be tagged.
Tourism: Questions instead of Keywords
“What can you do in Regensburg with children?” → The AI search delivers family-friendly activities, playgrounds, museums with children's programs — even though “children” is not set as a keyword on the target pages. branchly is already implementing this search in tourism regions like Regensburg.
B2B: Accessing Technical Documentation
A current customer searches: “How do I integrate the API with my CRM?” The AI search understands that it’s about integration instructions and delivers the appropriate documentation page — not the marketing page “Our Integrations,” but the technical step-by-step guide.
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
What is AI search in simple terms?
AI search is an intelligent website search that understands what you mean — not just what you type. It uses artificial intelligence to recognize the intent behind search queries and deliver relevant results, even with imprecise wording, synonyms, or questions in natural language.
What is the difference between AI search and regular website search?
Regular website search matches search terms with page texts (keyword matching). AI search understands the meaning behind the query (semantic search) and combines this with exact matching (hybrid search). The result: more relevant hits, fewer zero-result pages, and the ability to answer naturally phrased questions.
What does "hybrid search" mean?
Hybrid search combines two technologies: classic keyword matching (good for exact terms, product names, article numbers) and semantic vector search (good for natural language, synonyms, questions). This combination delivers better results than either method alone, as it covers both precision and understanding. branchly uses this hybrid approach by default.
Can AI search provide direct answers as well?
Yes — this is called generative search. Instead of just providing links to pages, AI search can formulate a direct answer from the existing content. For example, at branchly, the AI search can directly respond to the question, "What are the opening hours?" instead of sending the user to the contact page.
How does AI search work with multilingual queries?
Semantic search operates on the level of meaning, not on the level of language. The vectors of "cheap hotel near the beach" and "günstiges Hotel am Strand" are closely aligned. branchly AI search understands queries in 101 languages and delivers relevant results from the existing content — regardless of the language in which the website content is written.
What data does AI search provide that regular search does not?
AI search provides intent data: not just "what was searched," but "what was meant." You can see: What intentions do visitors have? What products or topics are most frequently inquired about? Where are there zero results (content gaps)? Which search paths lead to conversions? At branchly, this data flows into the joint visitor analysis — together with chat, advisor, and form interactions.
How complicated is the setup of AI search?
At branchly, AI search is connected to your website and automatically learns from the existing content — without manual tag maintenance or synonym lists. The basic setup takes just a few minutes. For advanced configuration (result prioritization, custom design, catalog integration), you should plan for one to two weeks.
Do I still need a regular search if I have AI search?
No — AI search in hybrid mode completely replaces classic search. It continues to provide exact keyword hits (for users entering product names or SKUs), but it also adds semantic understanding for all other queries. There is no reason to operate both in parallel.
How does AI search affect the conversion rate?
Visitors who use the website search convert up to 4× more frequently than pure browsers, according to Econsultancy. AI search further improves this effect by delivering more relevant results — less frustration, faster path to the goal. branchly customers measure a 5–10% interaction rate on AI search (vs. industry average of 0.5–1%), and in embedded display, 45–50% (source: branchly customer data, 2026).
Is AI search GDPR compliant?
Like with AI chatbots: it depends on the provider. Search queries are personal data when linked to a session or user. branchly processes all search data in EU data centers (Microsoft Azure), is GDPR compliant, and meets the requirements of the EU AI Act. When choosing a provider, pay attention to: server location, data processing agreement (DPA), and anonymization options.
