Let visitors search in their own words. Synonyms automatically connect related terms - like “lawyer” and “solicitor” or “course” and “unit” - so users see the right results, regardless of their preferred terminology.
How many different ways could someone search for the same thing? Often more than you think.
Synonyms is a configurable vocabulary control feature within Squiz Funnelback Search that ensures visitors find relevant results, regardless of wording. By mapping related terms, expanding acronyms, and correcting misspellings before ranking occurs, it reduces failed searches and improves discoverability.
Connect abbreviations with full terms so users find what they need either way. "LA" finds "Los Angeles" content, "CEO" surfaces "Chief Executive Officer" results, and "IT" connects with "Information Technology" pages.
Handle cases where users and your organization use different terms. Map "lawyer" to "solicitor," "financial aid" to "scholarships," or bridge internal jargon with user-friendly language that people actually search for.
Set up synonyms for frequent misspellings. "Goverment" automatically finds "government" content, "separate" connects to "separate," and other common typos deliver the right results.
Video: See how easy it is to set up synonyms. Captions and transcript available on playback.
Marketing teams set up and manage synonyms in minutes, no technical expertise required. See the intuitive process in action.
Wellington City Council used synonyms and other search features to improve its user experience. See how they made a difference.
Synonyms tell site search that different words can mean the same thing. For example, when someone searches for "lawyer," the system automatically includes results for "attorney" and "solicitor" too.
Users find relevant content even when they use different terminology. Instead of getting zero results because they searched for 'attorney' instead of 'lawyer,' they get the content they need. This reduces search abandonment and improves the overall user experience.
Unlike AI-generated answers in on-site conversational search experiences, synonym control ensures deterministic vocabulary alignment within keyword-based ranking.
In Squiz Funnelback Search, synonyms are configured by your marketing or content team through an intuitive interface. They can be created individually or imported in bulk via CSV and reviewed alongside search analytics to ensure terminology reflects real user behavior. This gives teams structured control over how language is interpreted across the search experience. You can create custom synonym pairs based on your search analytics, user feedback, or industry-specific terminology.
Some synonyms only work one direction. 'Mobile device' might include 'smartphone' results, but 'smartphone' shouldn't necessarily show basic mobile phones. Squiz Funnelback Search lets you set whether synonym relationships work one-way or two-way, keeping results precise without being restrictive.
Synonyms are widely used across industries with specialized terminology. Healthcare organizations bridge medical terms with everyday language (e.g., “heart attack” vs. “myocardial infarction”). Higher education institutions connect student-facing terms with official academic terminology. Government websites map citizen language to formal program names and department acronyms. Law firms link different legal terms that mean the same thing across jurisdictions. Synonyms help bridge vocabulary gaps between how organizations describe content and how users search for it.
Synonym rules are applied during query processing. When a visitor enters a search term, the system expands or maps related terms based on your configured rules before ranking signals are applied. This ensures consistent vocabulary alignment without changing your underlying content.
