There is no doubt that everyone wants a website with a large amount of content. Once the content gets to a certain size, then it is time to integrate a search plugin. Using the Google search button is fine, but it is limited in how many times it can be used in its free version. Once that number is reached, there is a cost involved.
1. Search in Place
This is a very easy to use plugin that comes very close to the Google search style. The great thing about this plugin is that it updates the search box as you are typing. It is predicative and that means that if someone has a general idea of what they are looking for and starts typing, they are likely to start seeing what they want before they even finish the first word. This helps with hard to find and hard to spell data. It is a great plugin that you can have up and running within minutes.
2. Better Search
This is one of those plugins that we install on each and every WordPress within minutes of installation. It replaces that default search engine and is quicker and more responsive. It has many of the same features as Search in Place, but there are just some people that prefer this plugin. There is no putting your finger on any of the features, but there is simply a great feel and look to the way that this plugin works that makes it a favorite of many people. Like we said, there is a small list of plugins that we install the moment that we put together a new WordPress site and this is near the top of that list.
3. WP E-Commerce Predictive Search
If you have an E-Commerce site, then this is a great plugin that works very well within almost any E-Commerce framework. Once it is installed, there is little that you need to do to get it running and keep it running. There is a strong predictive engine in this search plugin and you want to make sure that your RAM is at a decent level. It does not have to be enough to run the internet by itself, but do not pick that cheapest and weakest server out there. You will like how this plugin works and you will love the fact that your products are indexed into the predictive engine. That can mean a lot of additional sales of products that may link to the product that the client is initially looking for.
4. Search API
This is a rather complex set of API calls that can allow you to develop various search functions within WordPress. It is filled with uses and it is almost unlimited in what you can do with it. You will need to come into this with a little knowledge about development. You will not need to do any coding per se, but you will need to read the documentation and be able to gather from that information the resources to work with the API. If this sounds daunting to you, then choose another plugin.
