Sufficient consensus
Interactive information retrieval studies search as a sequence of queries, results and reformulations rather than a single lookup. Session analysis, exploratory search and query reformulation are its core topics.
Real search behaviour is iterative and it is well documented.
What the result pages leave out
These belong to the subject. People ask about them. They are missing from the agreed coverage.
- Content for the second query. Sites are built for the entry query. The reformulation that follows it usually lands on somebody else's page.
- Learning during the search. The searcher at query three knows more than the searcher at query one and needs a different text.
- The dead end. Sessions that end without an answer are the most informative ones and the least examined.
- Sessions across days. A decision can take three weeks of occasional searching. Session metrics cover minutes.
- Handing over. A page that tells a reader what to search next keeps the relationship even when it cannot answer.
What people actually want to know
- What will this reader type next?
- What did they type before they got here?
- Where should I send someone whose question I cannot answer?
- How long does this decision really take?
A site that answers the next question, including the one that leads away, is the one people come back to.
More in human-computer interaction
Search user interfaceThe layout decides how much of your answer a person ever sees.Information foragingThe decision to stay is made before the first paragraph is finished.Visual hierarchyMost readers will see four things on your page.Eye trackingAttention is a prerequisite.SensemakingTen good answers to ten narrow questions can still leave someone unable to decide.Cognitive loadA reader who has to work to follow you has less capacity left for deciding.Usability testingA perfectly usable page can still be the wrong page.