Redirect Users to Optimized Category Pages Using Experience Search

This guide explains how to redirect users from broad or generic search queries (for example, “black dress”) to curated, higher‑value category pages (such as “Evening Dresses – New Collection”).

This tactic helps you align search-driven product discovery with merchandising and profitability goals by directing high-intent traffic toward high-margin, seasonal, or strategically important collections instead of default, relevance-only results.

When to use this tactic

This approach is particularly effective when:

• Generic queries tend to surface low-margin basics by default.

• You want search traffic to favor specific collections, launches, or inventory priorities.

• You need to influence discovery order without changing ranking logic or pricing.

• You want to move inventory through curation and placement rather than discounts.

Business Impact 

Redirecting Semantic Search traffic to optimized category pages enables you to:

• Control what sells first: Direct traffic toward collections that matter most to your business.
• Improve profitability: Boost discovery of high‑margin items without relying on price reductions.
• Support inventory goals: Accelerate turnover for new or slow‑moving collections.
• Create a better user experience: Help users quickly land on the content that is both relevant and desirable.

Step-by-step: Create a redirect experience in Experience Search

Step 1: Create a new experience and define targeting

1. In Experience Search, create a new experience.
2. In the Targeting tab, add the search terms or phrases that should trigger the redirect (for example, “black dress”, “evening dresses”).
3. You can enter multiple queries or paste in a list.

→ This ensures the redirect fires only when users enter the designated phrases.

Step 2: Create a new variation

1. Navigate to the Variations tab.
2. Select New Variation.

→ This variation will contain the logic that defines the redirect.

Step 3: Add custom JSON in the JSON tab

1. Open the JSON tab within the variation.
2. Add a simple key/value structure to prepare for the redirect URL:

{
  "url": "url"
}

→ This placeholder will be converted into a variable.

Step 4: Convert the URL value into a variable

1. Double‑click the second "url" string.
2. In the overlay prompt, select Convert to variable.

→ This enables you to provide a dynamic URL value to use during the redirect.

Step 5: Name the variable

1. In the variable settings panel, name the variable (for example, url).
2. Keep the type as Text.

→ This variable becomes the input for the destination page you want users to land on.

Step 6: Configure the strategy and add the redirect URL

1. Return to the Strategy tab of the variation.
2. Paste the target URL for the optimized category page you want to promote. For example:

https://www.yoursite.com/eveningdressesnewcollection/women