Targeting Broad Queries in Search
Source: https://codeascraft.com/2015/07/29/targeting-broad-queries-in-search/ Author: Etsy Engineering
Summary
Etsy’s approach to handling “broad” or “head” queries — high-volume, ambiguous queries like “necklace” or “bag” that have many valid interpretations. These queries require diversity and exploration rather than precision.
The Problem
Broad queries cover a huge semantic space. A user searching “necklace” might want:
- Gold vs. silver
- Minimalist vs. statement
- Budget vs. luxury
- Handmade vs. manufactured
Standard relevance scoring fails here — there’s no single “best” document.
Approach: Diversity Over Precision
For broad queries, Etsy shifted objective from “find the best matching item” to “show a diverse, representative sample of the space.” Techniques:
- Query classification: identify whether a query is broad/head vs. navigational/specific
- Diversity injection: ensure results span multiple interpretations
- Thermodynamic analogy: use entropy-based metrics to measure and optimize for result diversity (see How Etsy Uses Thermodynamics for Search)