October 2022 Newsletter
Summary
System improvements update (SERP redesign faceted search, JS indexing), hiring update, Google Analytics 4.
Long-Awaited Improvements Update
We’re Getting Closer!
We have some exciting updates to share about our upcoming features!
Search Engine Results Page Redesign (USWDS Makeover)
We revisited our designs and refreshed them with user testing findings, as well as a component for the faceted search experience. We are currently exploring ways to support a React-based frontend in our current application. You can see the updated designs below!
For the header, we will support the Basic and Extended USWDS components with simplified header links, and for the footer we will support the Slim Footer and Identifier USWDS component.
Faceted Search
We now index the following metadata fields. Please consider adding them to your page templates to enhance discoverability:
- Audience (dcTermsAudience, meta audience)
- Tags (dc.subject, dcterms.subject, dcterms.keywords, meta keywords, article:tags, article:section)
- Content Type (dc.type, dcterms.type, og:type)
- Date (article:published_time, dc.date, article:published_time, dcterms.created, dc.date.created)
- Domain
- File Type
We also will support three custom, Search.gov specific metadata fields to provide more flexibility. Feel free to contact us at search@gsa.gov if you’d like to add these fields.
We are now working on searching and filtering using this new content. The functionality will be available in our Results API first. It will be added to our hosted search engine results page after the full USWDS redesign is rolled out. At that time you will be able to configure the filters for leveraging the metadata fields mentioned earlier.
Javascript Indexing
We have tested indexing of Javascript-based pages and will be ready to release this into production within the next few weeks! Domains will need to be opted-in to this new functionality, so please reach out to our team if you’d like us to start indexing your content with rendered Javascript.
We’re Hiring!
Join Our Team as a Search Experience Designer
We’re looking for a new team member to lead our search experience and indexing processes, and we hope you will apply today. The post is open until filled, and applications will be reviewed as they come in.
Role title
Search Experience Designer - Search.gov
- Our Search Experience Designer position is a blend of UX design, Service design, Product design, and even some Content design.
- You’ll get to work with teams across government, helping them design and create the right search experiences for their audiences’ needs.
- You’ll work with our development team to design features that address searchers’ and agencies’ evolving needs.
- You’ll analyze governmentwide search data and turn those insights into new features nobody has thought of yet.
- It’s important work, and we have fun doing it!
We’re hiring at the GS-13 or -14 level.
Apply for GS-13 here: https://join.tts.gsa.gov/join/tts-designer13/
Apply for GS-14 here: https://join.tts.gsa.gov/join/tts-designer/
This is a term-limited appointment, with renewal options up to 8 years.
If you apply, please mention Dawn McCleskey, as the person who referred you.
In your resume, please make sure your work with technology, information/data/knowledge management software, user research and needs assessment, solution design, writing, and communication strategy (content design), etc., is clear so the HR screeners can see a match between your experience and the job posting language. We don’t have visibility or input into the screening process, unfortunately. Good luck!
Universal Analytics is Going Away
Prepare to Use Google Analytics 4
Starting July 1, 2023, standard Universal Analytics properties will stop processing new hits. If you still rely on Universal Analytics, we recommend that you prepare to use Google Analytics 4 going forward. Read more about this change.
We have heard that data will not transfer from Universal Analytics to GA4, and also that the reporting in GA4 isn’t fully implemented yet. So our colleagues from DAP have recommended that we all add the GA4 tag to your pages as soon as possible to begin collecting data there, but that the robust UA reporting would be best to use until GA4 reporting has more time to evolve.
Thank You!
Review/Update Your Contacts
We want to thank everyone who took the time to go over their search site accounts and review/update their contacts’ information. Having this information up-to-date is really helpful to our team. Thank you!
Release Notes
Want to learn about the latest features, fixes, and focuses of the Search team? We post monthly Release Notes on our website.
While it’s not visible yet, we’re excited about our progress on faceted search, indexing improvements, and of course maintenance and security.