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5 signs you need conversational AI search

Five indicators your organization is ready to upgrade and embrace the next stage of enterprise search evolution.
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Ed Braddock 16 Sep 2025

Banner titled “Key Takeaways” with three points: keyword search alone is failing as users expect instant answers; conversational AI search provides direct, plain-language answers from trusted content; and signs like user frustration, repeat queries, poor analytics, or competitors pulling ahead signal the need to modernize your website’s search experience.

Enterprise websites used to rely solely on keyword search. Users typed fragments like “student visa application” or “renew license” and hoped to find the right link. But expectations have shifted. Today, people want natural language answers, instantly, in plain words, and sourced from trusted content.

This is where conversational AI search comes in. Instead of showing a list of links, it works more like a knowledgeable assistant. Users ask questions in their own words, like ‘How do I apply for a postgraduate scholarship if I’m an international student?’ and receive a direct, plain-language answer complete with source links for verification.”

This means users no longer need to guess keywords or wade through link lists. Instead, they get fast, contextual answers that build confidence and keep them moving.

For organizations in complex and content-rich industries such as government, higher education, and professional services, this isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s becoming the baseline. The question is not if, but when to upgrade to AI search.

So how do you know when your current search isn’t enough? Here are five clear signals.

Skip ahead:

1. Are your users frustrated by dead-end searches?

When people can’t get what they need the first time, they often try rephrasing queries, scrolling through pages of results, or giving up altogether. Traditional keyword search makes them do the heavy lifting.

Signs to look for:

  • Users typing the same question multiple different ways
  • Complaints about “not finding what I needed”
  • High bounce rates from search results pages

How conversational AI search helps:

Instead of forcing trial and error, conversational AI search interprets intent. A student asking ‘How do I apply for postgraduate scholarships?’ receives a direct, accurate answer sourced from your content without needing to guess the right keywords. That keeps them engaged and moving forward.

2. Are support tickets piling up with repeat questions?

Many organizations see the same user queries over and over: “Where do I reset my password?”, “How do I pay my fees?”, or “What forms do I need?”

Signs to look for:

  • High volumes of low-level support tickets
  • Staff spending time answering repetitive FAQs
  • Support costs rising without better outcomes

How conversational AI search helps:

By handling routine questions automatically, conversational AI search frees staff to focus on complex issues. Our Conversational Search feature uses a built-in accuracy check and every answer is drawn only from your approved content. This means answers are reliable and on-topic, which in turn translates into a more efficient service delivery.

The image contains a rectangular banner with a light orange background and rounded corners. It features black text that reads, “For more details on what conversational AI search is and how it works,” followed by a blue, underlined hyperlink that says “check out this blog.”

3. Do your search analytics show high abandonment rates?

Even if users don’t tell you they’re frustrated, your data often does. Keyword-based analytics can show lots of failed or abandoned searches, but not the intent behind them. And if users start a search but abandon it, that’s a red flag.

Signs to look for:

  • Users dropping off after a search without clicking anything
  • Multiple variations of the same keyword clogging logs
  • Important content is there, but people aren’t engaging with it

How conversational AI search helps:

Conversational queries reveal what people really want, giving your teams visibility into failed queries, low-confidence answers, and emerging needs. That insight improves not just search, but your whole content strategy.

4. Are competitors offering faster, AI-powered discovery?

If rival universities, agencies, or firms offer smoother search, users will notice. Competing experiences set the benchmark.

Signs to look for:

  • Peer organizations offering chat-style search or AI summaries
  • Prospects or citizens commenting that your site is “hard to navigate”
  • Longer task-completion times compared to industry standards

How conversational AI search helps:

Powered by Squiz Funnelback Search, Squiz Conversational Search combines advanced information retrieval, answer validation, and natural language understanding. The result is faster, trusted answers that align with modern expectations, helping you match or surpass the competition.

5. Is your tech stack holding you back from modern search?

Many organizations run outdated or fragmented systems that can’t support conversational interfaces.

Signs to look for:

  • Reliance on multiple disconnected search tools
  • Inability to manage varied types of content, from FAQ webpages to public-facing PDFs
  • Heavy dependency on developers to make search updates

How conversational AI search helps:

Squiz Conversational Search integrates directly with Funnelback, which handles both structured and unstructured content. It supports low-code/no-code configuration, so non-technical teams can update search without developers. You get built-in governance tools, content audits, and monitoring tools, so your search evolves with you, not against you.

Next steps: How to act on these signs

Search is no longer just about results. It’s about delivering answers, fast, in the language people actually use. Conversational AI search is how you meet that standard.

If you’re seeing even one of these search modernization signs - user frustration, support load, poor analytics, competitive pressure, or outdated systems - it’s time to consider search modernization.

With Squiz Conversational Search, you don’t do it alone. Our consulting-led framework helps you:

  • Audit your current search performance
  • Prepare your content for answerability
  • Implement and test conversational AI search in a low-risk slice of your site
  • Monitor and optimize performance over time

The result is a search experience that feels human, stays accurate, and builds trust across every interaction.

Ready to explore how it could work for your organization? Book a 30-minute call with our team.

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