Ultraseek Search Engine Customization

Search Customization

Add a customized search engine to your web site.

The North Star search engine output can be customized to mirror an agency's Web design. Examples include:

http://search.state.mn.us/bridges/ http://search.state.mn.us/health/ http://search.state.mn.us/moea/ http://search.state.mn.us/mnplan/

View a few of the sites highlighted above. Each uses the customization features differently. For instance:

Some of the sites use a header and footer for navigation and branding
Some sites have a side navigation bar; others have the search engine built directly into their Web page
North Star and Foundations will help with a search interface for your agency
Use of the search engine is free to Minnesota state agencies.

To start the process of adding a search feature to a site, you will need to:

Determine whether the site really requires this search feature
Know the site addresses (URLs) that will need to be searched
Recognize which graphics are required for design -- do they match what are already used on the site?
Decide if additional graphics need to be developed
Gather the graphics on your site, determine the layout (type color, font usage, etc.) and plan how the search results should be viewed. Note that the page display is faster if graphics are included from Foundations rather than linked from your site
Contact Eileen Quam to obtain a custom search interface for your Web site.

Updated December 9, 2005