Winning with attractiveness

The evidence for attractiveness as the superior metric for search performance is clear in the data. Our analysis reveals the influence that highly attractive results have on business outcomes across all major performance indicators.

Search results with higher attractiveness drive significantly more engagement, revealing a clear pattern in shopper behavior. High-attractiveness results — those in the top quarter of all results — achieve a 7% click-through rate, nearly doubling the engagement seen with lower-attractiveness results. This dramatic difference shows that when shoppers see results that genuinely match their preferences and intent, they're far more likely to click and ultimately purchase.

For retailers, this means that improving attractiveness scores isn't just about incremental gains — it's about fundamentally transforming how effectively their search function serves customers.

The relationship between attractiveness and performance reveals one of the most compelling findings in our research. Our analysis shows that for every 1-point increase in attractiveness score, click-through rates improve by 3.8%. This impact is extraordinary in the world of ecommerce, where improvements often come in unpredictable bursts. Instead, attractiveness provides a reliable lever for improving search performance: Retailers can confidently invest in attractiveness optimization knowing that each incremental improvement will drive measurable results. When we consider that higher click-through rates typically lead to more conversions, this predictable relationship becomes even more valuable — it creates a clear, reliable path to revenue growth through search optimization.

Consider a retailer with 1 million monthly searches and a 10% click-through rate. A 5-point increase in attractiveness provides 19,000 more product views each month. This isn't just about better metrics – it's about creating significantly more opportunities for purchases with every search.