Better search: Tip 1 - Use multiple terms

Dec. 4, 2016, 11:03 a.m. by HelenMcNally

http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=53787&picture=rainbow-corridor

We've recently updated our search algorithms, so you're going to get fewer tender results when you search, but those results will be more accurate. That's good news, until you get the dreaded "no results" page.

So here’s a tip on how to broaden your search.

Whilst you might call something by a certain name, are you sure that buyers are using the same terms? You might be looking for cleaning services, but some buyers might decide that they’re looking for janitorial services. In t...

Better search: Tip 2 - Drop the quotes

Dec. 4, 2016, 11:02 a.m. by HelenMcNally

http://deathtothestockphoto.com

We've recently updated our search algorithms, so you're going to get fewer tender results when you search, but those results will be more accurate. That's good news, until you get the dreaded "no results" page.

So here’s a tip on how to broaden your search.

If you searched for a word or a couple of words that brought up no results, there are a couple of things you can do, firstly if you used quotes around a search term remove them. Our search is strict, so if you enter the search term...

Better search: Tip 3 - Combine with category

Dec. 4, 2016, 11:02 a.m. by HelenMcNally

YuMaNuMa [CC BY 3.0 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/yumanuma/5421234992) via Flickr

We've recently updated our search algorithms, so you're going to get fewer results, but those results will be more accurate. That's good news, until you get the dreaded "no results" page.

So here’s a tip on how to broaden your search.

Use the CPV classification in the advanced search to locate opportunities across a whole category.

Categories allow you to explore the area that interests your business, they're a good way to identify the words that are commonly used by buyers in your i...

Better search: Tip 4 - Narrow your search

Dec. 4, 2016, 11:02 a.m. by HelenMcNally

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Veteran_Affairs_backlog_%282012-08-09%29.jpg/1024px-Veteran_Affairs_backlog_%282012-08-09%29.jpg

We've recently updated our search algorithms, so you're going to get fewer results, but those results will be more accurate.

To narrow down your results even further, here are some tips on how to get more relevant search results.

In our search results, we include results that are related to your search terms, but are not an exact match. For example, search for ‘consulting’ and you’ll see tenders for ‘consultation’ and ‘consult’. This usually makes o...

Better search: Tip 5 - Location search

Dec. 4, 2016, 11:01 a.m. by HelenMcNally

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Traquair_House_Maze.jpg

We've recently updated our search algorithms, so you're going to get fewer results, but those results will be more accurate.

To narrow down your results even further, here are some tips on how to get more relevant search results.

If you run a local business, you won’t want to see results from all over the country, just ones that are in your area. Our location search means you can restrict your search results to your area.

However, buyers aren’t always very good at explaining wh...

Better search: Tip 6 - Search for a specific buyer

Dec. 4, 2016, 11:01 a.m. by HelenMcNally

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Pebbleswithquarzite.jpg/1024px-Pebbleswithquarzite.jpg

We've recently updated our search algorithms, so you're going to get fewer results, but those results will be more accurate.

To narrow down your results even further, here are some tips on how to get more relevant search results.

Sometimes you might want to see the tenders from a specific buyer, for example, when you know that a specific Government Department is about to advertise something relevant to you.

We use a strict search for buyer names, which means we only show results where the ...

Better search: Tip 7 - Search for types of buyer

Dec. 4, 2016, 11:01 a.m. by HelenMcNally

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Old_skool.jpg

We've recently updated our search algorithms, so you're going to get fewer results, but those results will be more accurate.

To narrow down your results even further, here are some tips on how to get more relevant search results.

If you want to sell to a certain type of buyer, say local government or NHS Trusts, you can use the buyer search to restrict your results.

Some broad search terms will help you restrict your search to certain types of buyer.

To find local government buyers, searc...

Why transparency is good for government and its suppliers.

Dec. 1, 2016, 9:55 a.m. by ian.makgill

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lemons_(5836497465).jpg