Marketing
AI search for your website and catalog
Replace basic keyword search with a search tool that understands meaning, typos and Greeklish, so "black summer dress" or "mavro forema" still finds the right products. Start by reviewing the searches that return no results, add synonyms and clean product data, then test the new search against your top 50 searches before switching it on for everyone.
Effort:
Medium
Time saved:
Often 20–40% less time on search fixes and stock questions (estimate)
The problem today
Visitors type what they need in their own words, with typos, missing accents or Greeklish, and basic site search often shows "no results" even when you stock the product. Large retailers already use AI search that understands meaning, not just exact words. For an SME, the simpler version is a ready-made search app or plugin for your e-shop, set up with your own synonyms and product data.
How it works, in plain words
It works like an experienced shop assistant who understands what a customer means, even when they misspell a word or type in Greeklish.
What goes in: your product titles, descriptions, categories and attributes such as color, size and material, plus a list of past searches on your e-shop.
What the AI does: it turns both products and searches into a kind of meaning map, so "καναπές", "sofa" and "kanapes" land close together and return the same items.
What a person checks: someone tests the most common searches, adds synonyms, pins important products and reviews the zero-result report every month.
What comes out: a search box that returns relevant products more often, and reports that show what shoppers want but cannot find.
It cannot fix missing product data, and it can only find what is already in your catalog.
How it could work for businesses like yours
Illustrative examples, not client case studies.
A 40-person home goods retailer in Marousi with a growing e-shop
Its search box returns nothing for common typos and Greeklish terms. The team would export three months of searches, fix titles and attributes for the 300 most viewed products, then test a meaning-based search tool on the top 50 searches. They would aim for fewer zero-result searches and track whether people who search add to cart more often.
An 8-person e-commerce agency in Thessaloniki managing WooCommerce shops
Clients keep asking why shoppers cannot find products that are in stock. The agency would add a review of zero-result searches to its monthly report and offer a standard synonym list in Greek, Greeklish and English. It would compare each shop's zero-result rate before and after the change.
A plumbing and electrical parts wholesaler in Volos
Trade customers search the B2B catalog by part numbers, brand names and the slang terms used on building sites. The wholesaler would add these terms as synonyms and let AI search match them to the right codes. A realistic first target could be faster reordering by regular customers, seen in fewer phone calls asking "do you have this?".
How to do it, step by step
Find your zero-result searches. Export the search terms from your e-shop or Google Analytics for the last three months. List the searches that returned nothing or made people leave.
Fix the product data first. Add clear titles, categories, colors, sizes and materials in Greek, and in English where you sell abroad. Good search cannot find information that is not there.
Choose a search tool that understands meaning. AI search compares the meaning of words, so "sofa" can also find "καναπές" and "couch" (this uses embeddings). Check that it handles Greek accents, plurals and Greeklish.
Add your own synonyms and rules. Teach it the words your customers use, such as brand nicknames or local terms. Decide which products to show first, like items in stock or the current season's range.
Test against your top searches. Run your 50 most common and 20 zero-result searches in the old and new search side by side. Switch over only when the new results are clearly better.
Review search reports monthly. Check new zero-result terms and searches with clicks but no sales. Each one hints at a missing product, synonym or description.
Tools to consider
Doofinder: e-commerce search plugin used by many European shops, with typo tolerance, synonyms and search reports. Caveat: test it on your own Greek and Greeklish searches, since language handling depends on the setup.
Algolia: fast, flexible search with AI features such as meaning-based results and personalized ranking. Caveat: getting the most from it usually needs a developer or agency.
Shopify Search & Discovery: Shopify's own app for synonyms, filters and product boosts. Caveat: it is more limited than dedicated search tools and works only on Shopify.
Data protection and GDPR
Site search mostly handles product data, but search logs can be linked to logged-in customers and their browsing. If the tool personalizes results, that is profiling, so your cookie banner and privacy notice must cover it and visitors must be able to say no. Choose a provider with a data processing agreement and EU hosting or lawful transfers. Keep search logs only as long as you need them to improve the search, and don't pass them to other tools without a clear reason. If you are unsure about personalization or cookies, check with your DPO or legal advisor.
Mistakes to avoid
Buying a smart search tool before fixing product titles and details, so it still finds nothing.
Ignoring Greeklish and missing accents, which are very common in Greek searches on mobile.
Setting it up once and never reading the search reports again.