The future of website navigation: from keyword to semantic search

The humble search bar has, since the very early days of the internet, been every site visitor’s first port of call for finding answers fast. But the way people interact online has changed dramatically.  Rather than guessing keywords and trawling results, visitors now want natural language, intuitive search experiences.

To meet these expectations, businesses and public institutions are moving beyond keyword-based tools. They’re adopting semantic search: a smarter way to deliver results that are more relevant, personalized, and aligned to how people actually speak.

In this blog, we’ll break down the difference between semantic vs keyword search. We’ll explore how conversational AI search is helping organizations deliver more meaningful results that understand context and reduce friction.

Skip ahead:

• The differences between keyword search and semantic search
  • Why semantic search matters now
• Semantic search technology and how Squiz does it differently
  • 1. Powered by Squiz Funnelback
  • 2. Understanding beyond keywords
  • 3. Data control that prevents hallucinations
  • 4. Built-in attribution and transparency
  • 5. Optimized for answerability and structure
  • 6. Continuous learning and tuning
  • 7. Implementation support that goes beyond the tech
• Semantic search use cases
• Your next steps

Keyword search works by matching user queries to exact or partial word matches in your content. If someone types "student visa", it looks for those specific words on your site. It’s fast and effective, but only if users type the “right” keywords and your content includes them.

The issue? People don’t always know the terminology your site uses. They might search for "study visa" and miss results tagged as "student permit". And when content is complex, keyword search can either flood users with too many results or none at all.

Semantic search, on the other hand, goes further. It interprets the meaning behind a query, using AI to understand natural language, synonyms, and user intent.

So instead of matching words, semantic search can connect the question “How do I apply to study in Australia?” to content about international student applications, even if none of those exact words are used.

It’s the difference between searching with rigid rules and searching with understanding.

Here’s a comprehensive table that compares each:

Users today expect more from search. They want:

• ChatGPT-like experiences embedded into websites
• Natural language input, not keyword guessing
• Direct answers, not 20 links to dig through

Keyword search can’t meet these needs on its own. Conversational AI search tools provide this context-aware, semantic search experience that understands user intent and delivers relevant answers in real time.

Not all semantic search tools are created equal. Many rely solely on natural language processing (NLP), a form of AI that helps machines interpret human language. While NLP can help match queries to content more flexibly than keyword search, it’s only part of the equation.

Without a powerful retrieval engine, natural language context alone won’t guarantee accurate, useful results. That’s where Squiz stands apart.

Squiz Conversational AI Search combines the linguistic understanding of NLP with enterprise-grade retrieval, customization, and guardrails. It understands intent and delivers accurate answers, not just surface-level summaries.

Here’s what sets it apart:

Our Conversational AI Search is built into Squiz Funnelback, a high-performance enterprise search engine. That gives your semantic search a foundation of fast, reliable, and scoped retrieval, ensuring that AI-generated answers are grounded in your most accurate and relevant content.

With advanced NLP, Squiz understands context, synonyms, intent, and phrasing, delivering natural responses that reflect how people actually speak. The result? Answers that feel personalized, not robotic.

Unlike generic AI tools that pull from the open web, Squiz search is confined to your trusted content. Only approved pages are indexed, so users get accurate, brand-safe answers, while you stay in control of what the AI can see and say.

And when a high-confidence answer isn’t possible, fallback behaviors kick in, like showing traditional search results or prompting users to rephrase their query. This ensures transparency and protects against AI overreach.

All AI responses include clear source attributions with links, helping users verify information and giving content teams full visibility into what’s being returned.

Squiz supports structured content markup (like schema.org tags such as ‘FAQPage’ and ‘HowTo’), semantic metadata, and clean formatting. This makes it easier for AI to summarize complex content accurately.

With analytics and conversation logs, Squiz gives teams visibility into what people are asking, how answers are performing, and where improvements are needed. You can refine content, adjust indexing rules, or update tuning - all with full admin control.

Squiz doesn't just provide the tool. We partner with you through a proven consulting framework that includes:

• Conversational readiness assessments to evaluate if your content and architecture are AI-friendly
• Content audits to identify gaps, structure issues, or outdated materials
• Pilot scoping and crawl strategy to limit risk and start small
• Ongoing monitoring and optimization to ensure long-term success

This guided approach helps government, higher education, and enterprise clients avoid common pitfalls and deliver conversational AI search experiences that are both safe and impactful.

Semantic search can transform digital experience across different sectors. Here are some examples of how organizations can put it to work:

• Higher education: Prospective students can ask natural questions like “When do classes start?” or “How do I apply?” and get instant, accurate answers about courses, dates, and admissions; without having to navigate a labyrinth of dropdowns and PDFs.
• Government: Citizens asking “What forms do I need to renew my license?” receive clear, AI-powered responses drawn from verified content. This reduces support center volume, improves accessibility, and strengthens public trust in digital services.
• Professional services: Clients or consultants looking for “risk compliance policy” are taken straight to the relevant clause, not buried in a 40-page PDF or lost in outdated intranet structures. The result? Faster access, better service, and lower internal friction.

For more details on the benefits of this technology for different industries, check out the blogs here.

With semantic search, your site doesn’t just return results; it delivers answers. Squiz Conversational AI Search (powered by Squiz Funnelback) brings this capability to your organization.

And to help you maximize the success of this AI implementation, we offer a dedicated consultancy framework that supports content readiness, smooth implementation of conversational tools, and continuous improvement over time.