Soka University
Success story
How Soka University Took Control of Internal Search—No Developers Needed
This case study shares how Soka University of America transformed its search function with AddSearch, eliminating developer reliance and making information accessible across multiple domains.
2-3x the Click-Through Rate and Better Search Insights
AddSearch’s built-in analytics, enhanced by ESAB’s own Google Analytics setup, gave the team visibility into top-performing search terms, no-result queries, and click-through rates (CTR).
“It was a smooth process overall, and the team was very helpful.”
Alexis Tice, Web Content Strategist at Soka University of America
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Soka University of America: Cultivating Tomorrow’s Leaders Through Education
Soka University of America (SUA) is a private liberal arts college in Aliso Viejo, California. Guided by Buddhist principles of peace and respect for life, they focus on academic excellence and diversity to prepare students for a complex world.
SUA offers both Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees. These programs use a unique liberal arts education model that empowers students to learn across disciplines. They encourage existing and prospective students to explore various digital resources.
However, considering the amount of information available scattered across various digital platforms, it became impossible for people to find and benefit from these resources. To address this issue, SUA needed a search solution that integrated multiple domains and allowed their internal team to make independent changes.
SUA’s Approach to Solving Search Fragmentation
Before AddSearch, SUA’s internal search engine didn’t meet expectations. Their website content was spread across various domains, making it difficult for users to find information.
This led to three key challenges:
- Poor user experience: users had difficulty finding relevant information.
- Limited control: the web team relied on developers for adjustments, slowing down updates.
- Inconsistent results: the search tool didn’t fully meet the university’s needs.
SUA wanted to reduce their reliance on developers and take control of their search experience. With AddSearch, they could fine-tune results, adjust settings, and optimize search performance—all without technical expertise.
Alexis Tice, SUA’s Web Content Strategist, worked closely with the AddSearch team to bring their ideal search experience to life. Armed with mock-ups, she provided a clear vision, and AddSearch’s support team guided her through implementation.
“It was a smooth process overall, and the team was very helpful.”
Alexis Tice, Web Content Strategist at Soka University of America
This collaboration created a search interface that worked well and matched SUA’s branding.
How AddSearch Transformed SUA’s Search Experience
Previously, visitors had to search multiple platforms separately to find what they needed. With AddSearch, all relevant information is available in a single search experience.
Here are the key impacts AddSearch made.
Federated Search for Unified Content Discovery
AddSearch’s federated search enabled Soka University to pull content from different sources into one search—something their previous solution couldn’t do.
“One of the key features that drew us to AddSearch was the ability to unify search results across multiple domains.”
Martin Beck, Executive Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications at Soka University
Customized Search for a Better User Experience
SUA’s team improved user engagement by customizing internal search with AddSearch’s flexible search installation:
- They used promotions and pinned results to help prospective students explore their academic options more easily.
- The team used search tuning to “tweak the dials” to refine results and highlight priority content.
Better Internal Search with Smart UX Features
Together with AddSearch, SUA implemented these UX improvements for an improved user experience:
- Smart search suggestions that help users quickly find what they need.
- Category tabs to organize results into ‘Programs,’ ‘News,’ and ‘Faculty’ for more structured navigation.
These changes made accessing information easier for students, faculty, and applicants.
AddSearch: a Powerful, Low-Maintenance Search Solution
The SUA team saw immediate improvements after implementing AddSearch, crediting these wins to their website’s new internal search engine:
- Comprehensive content search across various domains.
- Full control for the web team and no need for developer assistance.
- Better search navigation with improved user experience elements.
With AddSearch, Soka University’s website search went from a fragmented, developer-dependent system to a user-friendly experience that requires little maintenance.
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