Help with synonyms

[pbirch38]

We recently started using synonyms and synonym groups in our project. We have successfully improved search results for users who search for variants of the work "401k" by creating groups like 401k=401(k)=401-k. I've now created a group for variants of the word "e-file" ( efile=e-file), but when I search for efile (which is not in the help), I get 0 search results. I have tried creating a directional synonym instead, but that doesn't work either. Does anyone have any ideas?

[roboHAL]

pbirch38, there are certain instances where synonyms will be of no help. I'd be surprised if your 401K synonyms works given the parenthesis. Typically special characters - and a hyphen is one of them - will produce undesirable results. Other considerations are the html tags in which the text appears. For instance if you have something like "e-file" Still other considerations are spaces. For example, logon and log on when using the synonyms feature will not work. So what to do? Glad you asked. Here is what I have done when all else fails. And this does work.... Create a hidden div class in the stylesheet. Then insert text, using the text editor, directly above the </body> tag in your topic. This way the text is physically in the topic, albeit the user does not see this (under normal circumstances unless they do a view page source). For instance, have a look at what I've done to handle variations with log in and log out.

<div class="hidden">log in</div>
<div class="hidden">logon</div>
<div class="hidden">log on</div
<div class="hidden">sign in</div>
<div class="hidden">sign on</div>
<div class="hidden">signon</div>
<div class="hidden">log out</div>
<div class="hidden">log off</div>
<div class="hidden">sign off</div>
<div class="hidden">sign out</div>

[pbirch38]

Thank you so much for your reply. I think I read about this when I was researching search optimization--it's essentially using hidden text in a topic to improve search results (if I am reading your reply correctly).

[roboHAL]

You’re welcome pbirch38. You are reading/understanding this correctly. Besides helping to facilitate finding results in cases where intended synonyms are not found, you could also use this technique to “manipulate” search results ranking.

[ghillerson]

Oops. Posted to wrong forum. Deleting