Shoppers Who Search on Ecommerce Sites Drive Nearly Half of Online Revenue, According to New Constructor Study

But search quality matters! Highly attractive results — factoring in shopper context, preferences, history and more — have double the click-through rate of less attractive ones

SAN FRANCISCO, March 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The results of search results are in! Retailers seeking to maximize ecommerce revenue should focus on the search bar, according to a new study from Constructor.

Shoppers who engage with search have an outsized impact on ecommerce revenue — far more than their browsing-only counterparts. This highlights the importance of delivering quality experiences that turn searchers' high intent into action.

Constructor's report, "Beyond Relevance: The Data-Backed Case for Attractiveness as the New Standard for Ecommerce Search Performance," analyzes 609 million online shopper searches — responsible for $9.8 billion in revenue — across 113 global retail sites between October and December 2024.

From click to cart to conversion

Even though searchers make up a minority of site visitors, they have a huge impact on online sales. According to the research, on average:

• Searchers make up 24% of ecommerce visitors
• Yet, they drive 44% of total site revenue
• They generate 45% of sites' add-to-cart activity and 42% of conversions
• Searchers convert at 2.5X the rate of non-searchers

"When searchers are shown the right product, they're much more likely to buy," Constructor CEO Eli Finkelshteyn said. "Retailers can — and should — capitalize on this by creating prominent, engaging and cohesive search experiences, and serving up results that are meaningful to each individual shopper."

Driving impact across industries

Search behavior and prevalence vary across retail sectors. For example, general merchandise retailers — whose vast catalogs often contain millions of items — see higher search engagement, as customers navigate the extensive selection. Across all areas of retail, though, searchers consistently drive a disproportionate share of sales.

Health & beauty 

• Searchers make up 25% of ecommerce traffic — but drive 55% of add-to-cart activity and 57% of site revenue.
• Searchers have an add-to-cart rate of 49% (more than double that of non-searchers at 23%) and conversion rate of 17% (nearly triple that of non-searchers at 6%).

Apparel 

• Searchers account for 21% of ecommerce traffic — but generate 34% of add-to-cart activity and 33% of site revenue.
• Searchers have an add-to-cart rate of 37% (vs. non-searchers at 22%) and conversion rate of 13% (more than double that of non-searchers at 6%).

General merchandise

• Searchers represent 41% of ecommerce traffic — yet drive 63% of add-to-cart activity and 61% of site revenue.
• Searchers have an add-to-cart rate of 30% (compared to non-searchers at 21%) and conversion rate of 15% (more than double that of non-searchers at 7%).

Home

• Searchers make up 14% of ecommerce traffic — but contribute 39% of add-to-cart activity and 42% of site revenue.
• Searchers have an add-to-cart rate of 30% (nearly triple that of non-searchers at 11%) and conversion rate of 11% (nearly triple that of non-searchers at 4%).

Specialty & hobby

• Searchers represent 26% of ecommerce traffic — yet generate 57% of add-to-cart activity and 49% of site revenue.
• Searchers have an add-to-cart rate of 25% (more than double that of non-searchers at 12%) and conversion rate of 12% (triple that of non-searchers at 4%).

Serving up relevant-only results won't do!

Simply having a search engine isn't enough, though: The quality of the search experience matters.

With 68% of online shoppers stating ecommerce search needs an upgrade — and 42% reporting that results are technically relevant to their queries, but not things they'd want to buy — there's an opportunity for retailers to do better. The data supports moving beyond "relevance" to "attractiveness" as a primary search metric.

"Returning results that are relevant to the query is just the beginning — the real goal is connecting people to what they actually want to buy," Constructor CEO Eli Finkelshteyn said. "Let's say two shoppers go to a site and search for 'men's jeans.' Chances are, though, they're not looking for the same thing. Yet traditional keyword-based engines don't distinguish. They match the word 'jeans' and deem all types relevant — putting the burden on the shopper to wade through."

"But by prioritizing attractiveness, retailers can show each person the jeans most likely to appeal to them," Finkelshteyn continued. "Maybe one person prefers slim fit, dark-wash, premium brands — so those in their size rise to the top of results. Doing this is a win-win: Shoppers have a better experience and find what they want faster, and retailers are more likely to make a sale."

Constructor's study shows how attractive search results — which consider an individual's history, preferences and shopping patterns; in-session context; product performance data; inventory; product and regional seasonality; and more — outperform others:

• Double the clicks: Highly attractive results — measured by Constructor as results closely optimized for conversion — have nearly double the click-through rate of those with low attractiveness (those that are less-optimized to drive conversions).
• Optimization opportunities: For every 1-point increase in a search result's attractiveness, click-through rates rise nearly 4%. (Constructor's proprietary scale measures degrees of attractiveness, based on a search result's probability to convert.)

For more information on optimizing for attractiveness, as well as more data from Constructor's "Beyond Relevance: The Data-Backed Case for Attractiveness as the New Standard for Ecommerce Search Performance" report, please see http://info.constructor.com/beyond-relevance-report.

About Constructor
Constructor is the only search and product discovery platform tailor-made for enterprise ecommerce where conversions matter. Constructor's AI-first solutions make it easier for shoppers to discover products they want to buy and for ecommerce teams to deliver personalized experiences in real time that drive impressive results. Optimizing specifically for ecommerce metrics like revenue, conversion rate and profit, Constructor generates consistent $10M+ lifts for some of the biggest brands in ecommerce, such as Sephora, Petco, The Very Group, home24, Grove Collaborative and Fisheries Supply. Constructor is a U.S.-based company that was founded in 2015 by Eli Finkelshteyn and Dan McCormick. For more, visit: constructor.com

SOURCE Constructor