Chapter 5: Setting Up and Configuring Microsoft Search


Microsoft Search is an enterprise-wide search solution that simplifies finding resources from all locations from a single search experience. We'll cover some basic setup and configuration tasks, such as adding bookmarks and Q&A results, as well as utilizing data to improve and enhance the user experience.

We'll specifically cover the following topics in this chapter:

• Creating an acronym
• Creating a bookmark
• Importing bookmarks in bulk from CSV
• Importing SharePoint promoted results as bookmarks
• Adding a location
• Adding a floor plan
• Adding a Q&A result
• Assigning the Search Admin and Search Editor roles
• Setting up the usage of Microsoft Search in Bing
• Using Search Insights dashboard reports

Technical requirements

This chapter is entirely based in the Microsoft Search admin center. There are no technical requirements beyond access as a global or search admin for completing all the recipes in this chapter.

Creating an acronym

Acronyms in Search allow your users to become familiar with the acronyms, or abbreviated terminology, specifically used in your organization. Since different organizations may use the same acronym for different things (for example, SPD could be SharePoint Designer or Sterile Processing Department), this can be helpful for users who may otherwise use Google and find the wrong meaning for your organization's context. In this recipe, we'll set HR as an acronym that expands to Human Resources.

Getting ready

You must be a global admin, search admin, or search editor to complete the steps in this recipe.

How to do it…

1. Go to the Microsoft Search admin center at https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home#/MicrosoftSearch or by selecting All Admin Centers | Microsoft Search from the left-side navigation menu of the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Select Answers | Acronyms from the top and left-side navigation menus, respectively...

Creating a bookmark

Bookmarks can be used to easily direct users to third-party apps and services at other URLs or top resources within your Office 365 environment. In this recipe, we'll create a bookmark to an external HR portal that will appear for users searching for PTO Request.

Getting ready

You must be a global admin, search admin, or search editor to complete the steps in this recipe.

How to do it…

1. Go to the Microsoft Search admin center at https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home#/MicrosoftSearch or by selecting All Admin Centers | Microsoft Search from the left-side navigation menu of the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Select Answers | Bookmarks from the top and left-side navigation menus, respectively:

   Figure 5.4 – The Answers | Bookmarks options in the Microsoft Search navigation menus

3. Click Add.
4. Enter a title, a URL, a bookmark description, keywords, and reserved keywords (unique to this result). You&apos...

Importing bookmarks in bulk from CSV

The previous recipe showed how to add a single bookmark to Microsoft Search. This recipe will show how you can import several at once using a CSV import.

Getting ready

You must be a global admin, search admin, or search editor to complete the steps in this recipe.

How to do it…

1. Go to the Microsoft Search admin center at https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home#/MicrosoftSearch or by selecting All Admin Centers | Microsoft Search from the left-side navigation menu of the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Select Answers | Bookmarks from the top and left-side navigation menus, respectively:

   Figure 5.7 – The Answers | Bookmarks options in the Microsoft Search navigation menus

3. Select Download bookmarks template (.csv) to get a CSV file with proper headings to complete. Open the downloaded file:

   Figure 5.8 – The Download bookmarks template link

4. Enter the details for each bookmark you intend...

Importing SharePoint promoted results as bookmarks

In the previous recipe, we imported bookmarks from a CSV file. In this recipe, we'll convert existing SharePoint promoted results into bookmarks in Microsoft Search.

Getting ready

You must be a global admin, search admin, or search editor to complete the steps in this recipe.

How to do it…

1. Go to the Microsoft Search admin center at https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home#/MicrosoftSearch or by selecting All Admin Centers | Microsoft Search from the left-side navigation menu of the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Select Answers | Bookmarks from the top and left-side navigation menus, respectively:

   Figure 5.11 – The Answers | Bookmarks options in the Microsoft Search navigation menus

3. Click SharePoint, then Import from SharePoint:

   Figure 5.12 – The Import from SharePoint option for importing promoted results as bookmarks

4. Wait for the import to complete, then refresh...

Adding a location

Adding locations to Microsoft Search allows your users to search for a specific building or location and get a visual card in the search results, resembling the following:

Figure 5.16 – Example location card result

In this recipe, we'll cover the steps for adding a location to Microsoft Search so that it'll show in the results.

Getting ready

You must be a global admin, search admin, or search editor to complete the steps in this recipe.

How to do it…

1. Go to the Microsoft Search admin center at https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home#/MicrosoftSearch or by selecting All Admin Centers | Microsoft Search from the left-side navigation menu of the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Select Answers | Locations from the top and left-side navigation menus, respectively:

   Figure 5.17 – The Answers | Locations options in the Microsoft Search navigation menus

3. Click Add.
4. Enter a location...

Adding a floor plan

Make it easier for employees to find conference rooms, meeting locations, facilities, and departments by adding your buildings' floor plans to Microsoft Search. This recipe will demonstrate how to add a floor plan as a Microsoft Search result.

Getting ready

You must be a global admin, search admin, or search editor to complete the steps in this recipe. You must also have added locations (see the previous recipe) before you can add floor plans for them.

Your floor plans should be in DWG format with room number labels, and Microsoft recommends one for each floor or wing.

How to do it…

1. Go to the Microsoft Search admin center at https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home#/MicrosoftSearch or by selecting All Admin Centers | Microsoft Search from the left-side navigation menu of the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Select Answers | Floor plans from the top and left-side navigation menus, respectively:

   Figure 5.21 – The...

Adding a Q&A result

Q&A results allow search administrators to provide FAQ-type content as prominent search results. For example, you might include a question such as When are benefits elections due? and schedule it to provide a clearly stated date of 3/31/2021 within the search results, with a link to more info on benefits enrollment. This reduces clicks for the querying user and creates a more dynamic user experience. Let's add a Q&A result to Microsoft Search.

Getting ready

You must be a global admin, search admin, or search editor to complete the steps in this recipe.

How to do it…

1. Go to the Microsoft Search admin center at https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home#/MicrosoftSearch or by selecting All Admin Centers | Microsoft Search from the left-side navigation menu of the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Select Answers | Q&A from the top and left-side navigation menus, respectively:

   Figure 5.25 – The Answers | Q...

Assigning the Search Admin and Search Editor roles

Individuals assigned the Search Admin and Search Editor roles can complete the recipes in this chapter and manage Microsoft Search on a day-to-day basis. In this recipe, you'll learn how to assign the search admin role to a user, and you can follow the same steps to assign the search editor role (swapping, of course, the role selected).

Getting ready

You must be a global admin or search admin to complete the steps in this recipe.

How to do it…

1. Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center at https://admin.microsoft.com.
2. From the left-side navigation menu, select Users | Active users.
3. Search for and/or select the user to which you're assigning the search admin role, and use the top menu's ellipsis icon to select Manage roles:

   Figure 5.30 – The Manage roles link available from the selected user's ellipsis menu

4. Expand Show all by category:
   

   Figure 5.31 – The Show all by category...

Setting up the usage of Microsoft Search in Bing

In this recipe, we'll discover how users in your organization can get internal results alongside their normal internet results when searching using Bing.

Getting ready

You must be a global admin or search admin to complete the steps in this recipe.

How to do it…

1. Go to the Microsoft Search admin center at https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home#/MicrosoftSearch or by selecting All Admin Centers | Microsoft Search from the left-side navigation menu of the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Select Configurations from the top navigation menu.
3. Click Edit beneath Change Microsoft Search in Bing settings:

   Figure 5.33 – The Change Microsoft Search in Bing settings Edit link

4. If it is not already toggled on, switch the Allow your organization to use Microsoft Search in Bing toggle to the on (blue) position:

   Figure 5.34 – The Microsoft Search in Bing toggle option

5. Click Save.

...

Using Search Insights dashboard reports

The Microsoft Search Insights dashboard only shows Microsoft Search in Bing data (see the previous recipe). This data can still be helpful, providing a glimpse into how your organization's users are interacting with internal results via Bing. In this recipe, we'll cover how to access this dashboard.

Getting ready

You must be a global admin, search admin, or search editor to complete the steps in this recipe.

How to do it…

1. Go to the Microsoft Search admin center at https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home#/MicrosoftSearch or by selecting All Admin Centers | Microsoft Search from the left-side navigation menu of the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Your default landing screen is the Insights dashboard. Here, you can filter top searches overall or by category:

   Figure 5.39 – The Microsoft Search Top searches drop-down options

3. You'll also find impression distribution by result type (seen...