Imagine visiting a financial services website for various needs — from understanding investment options to learning how to submit a claim form or resolving a support query. You expect the information to be at your fingertips, whether you’re exploring opportunities, researching products, or seeking answers. But instead, you find yourself endlessly clicking through irrelevant pages, losing time and patience.
Now picture a different experience: as you type your query, the exact information you need appears instantly — whether it’s an in-depth article, a step-by-step guide, or a detailed product comparison. That’s the transformative impact of AI-powered search tailored to serve diverse customer needs. It turns frustrating journeys into seamless, intuitive experiences, meeting users where they are and guiding them to where they need to go.
At Sun Life, this isn’t just about technology — it’s about reimagining digital and client experiences to build trust and deliver value. With AI at the core, they’re ensuring every search interaction feels personalized, purposeful, and productive, no matter the client’s goal.
Jessica Caldeira, Global Digital Marketing & Marketing Technology Manager, Sun Life, joined us at the recent The Importance of Search on an End-to-End DCX webinar to discuss her perspective.
Understanding the Importance of Site Search in Digital Transformation
Site search is often an underestimated tool in the arsenal of digital transformation. While it may seem like a basic feature, its impact on client experience, employee satisfaction, and overall digital strategy is profound.
As Coveo’s Kerri-Anne Beech, Product Marketing Manager, Website, points out: “Site search is not just about finding content; it is the foundation upon which all other digital experiences are built.”
In fact, 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine, underscoring the critical role search plays in user engagement. It’s the first touchpoint that connects users with the content they seek, and it has the power to drive conversions, enhance client engagement, and provide invaluable insights into user behavior.
For Sun Life, the realization that site search could be the glue that holds together their digital experience was a game-changer. By leveraging AI-powered search, they were able to not only improve the accessibility of content but also gain deep insights into the intent behind user queries. This allowed them to tailor their content and digital offerings more precisely to meet the needs of their users.
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How AI-Powered Site Search Enhances the End-to-End Digital Experience
Jessica Caldeira, Sun Life’s Global Digital Marketing and Marketing Technology Manager, describes the pivotal role that AI has played in their digital transformation journey.
Sun Life migrated to Coveo, an AI-powered search and recommendations engine, which now serves as our enterprise search platform across multiple global sites,” says Caldeira. By deploying Coveo, Sun Life was able to integrate AI capabilities that enhance both client and employee experiences.
AI-powered search has allowed Sun Life to deliver personalized experiences at scale via their internal search on their company website. With the Coveo search engine’s ability to understand context, intent, and user behavior, Sun Life’s digital experience provides relevant results that meet the specific needs of users, whether they are clients searching for financial products or employees looking for resources in internal portals.
“This personalization extends beyond just delivering content; it involves predicting what users might need next and presenting it proactively,” Caldeira notes, describing the use of AI-powered recommendations and how they can create a more intuitive and frictionless digital journey. Because Coveo’s platform goes far beyond just matching a search query to a relevant document, users receive contextual answers and even advice.
This approach is supported by broader trends, as 46% of financial institutions using AI have reported improved client experience.
Holistic Internal Site Search Management: Beyond Implementation
Implementing an AI-powered internal search engine is just the beginning. As Caldeira emphasizes, “managing and optimizing search functionality is an ongoing process that requires continuous engagement and collaboration across teams.”
At Sun Life, this responsibility is owned by product champions — individuals who manage specific tools and ensure they are effectively adopted and utilized across the organization.
Caldeira’s role as a product champion for Coveo involves more than just technical management. “It includes training stakeholders, analyzing search data, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement,” she explains. By regularly meeting with teams and reviewing search performance, Sun Life ensures that their search capabilities remain aligned with business goals and user experience expectations.
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One of the key strategies employed by Sun Life is the establishment of an SEO and search community of practice.
Caldeira shares, “This community meets quarterly to discuss industry trends, share successes, and explore new opportunities for optimizing search and SEO.”
By creating a space for knowledge sharing and collaboration, Sun Life can continuously refine its digital experience and stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
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The Search Bar as a Tool for Understanding Site Visitor Intent
One of the most powerful aspects of AI-powered search is its ability to reveal valuable insights like user intent. By analyzing search queries and user behavior, Sun Life can gain insights into what users are looking for, what content gaps exist, and how they can better meet the needs of their audience.
“This data-driven approach allows us to optimize our content strategy, improve user engagement, and ultimately drive better business outcomes,” Caldeira states.
Understanding user intent goes beyond just tracking what users are searching for. “It involves analyzing the entire search journey, including the results users click on and the actions they take afterward,” Caldeira explains. This holistic view of user behavior enables Sun Life to identify trends, anticipate future needs, and make data-driven decisions that enhance the overall digital experience.
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For example, Sun Life uses site search data to uncover seasonal trends and emerging topics that may not have been on their radar. “This proactive approach allows us to create and surface content that is timely, relevant, and aligned with user interests,” says Caldeira, thereby improving engagement and satisfaction.
Considering that 74% of consumers expect companies to personalize their digital interactions based on previous engagements, this focus on user intent is critical for maintaining customer trust.
The Google Brain Effect: Meeting Modern Customer Experience Expectations
In today’s digital age, users have become accustomed to the speed and accuracy of web search engines like Google. This phenomenon, often referred to as the “Google Brain” or “digital amnesia,” reflects the growing expectation that search will provide instant, relevant results.
For businesses like Sun Life, meeting these expectations is crucial to maintaining client trust and loyalty. Caldeira highlights the importance of understanding this behavior and designing search experiences that cater to it.
“Users are increasingly relying on search as their primary method of navigating digital platforms, whether it’s on a public website or an internal portal,” she notes.
By ensuring that their AI-powered search engine is tuned to deliver fast, accurate, and relevant results, Sun Life can meet the high expectations of modern users and create a frictionless digital experience.
Relevant Reading: Search Tuning 101: Everything You Need to Know to Create Great DX
Bridging Content Gaps and Aligning Search with Business Goals
One of the ongoing challenges in managing digital experiences is aligning search capabilities with broader business objectives. At Sun Life, this involves not only delivering content that meets user needs but also ensuring that search results drive business outcomes such as lead generation and customer conversion.
Caldeira discusses the importance of identifying and addressing content gaps — areas where user queries are not adequately matched by existing content.
“By regularly analyzing search data, we can pinpoint these gaps and take corrective action, whether it’s by creating new content, updating existing pages, or fine-tuning search algorithms,” she explains. For example, a content gap may not necessarily indicate a lack of content, but a misalignment in terms that end users are searching for. This can be amended with machine learning.
Relevant Reading: 6 Common Content Gap Causes (& How to Fix)
Moreover, Sun Life’s approach to search management includes setting key performance indicators (KPIs) and benchmarks that align with their business goals.
“For instance, we track metrics such as click-through rates, average click rank, and content relevancy to ensure that our search engine is performing optimally,” Caldeira notes. By maintaining a close alignment between search performance and business objectives, Sun Life can maximize the impact of their digital experience strategy.
This is particularly important considering that websites using AI-driven search have seen a 5% increase in overall user engagement.
Continuous Improvement: The Key to a Successful Digital Experience
The journey to creating an end-to-end digital experience is ongoing, and Sun Life’s experience highlights the importance of continuous improvement.
“AI-powered search is not a set-it-and-forget-it tool; it requires regular monitoring, analysis, and optimization to stay effective,” Caldeira emphasizes. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration, Sun Life ensures that their digital experience and internal search results remain responsive to client needs and aligned with business goals.
As digital landscapes continue to evolve, organizations like Sun Life must stay agile and proactive in their approach to digital experience management. This also means including the employee experience in their end-to-end digital journey, extending CX into EX.
“AI-powered search will continue to play a critical role in this journey, providing the insights and capabilities needed to deliver personalized, seamless, and engaging experiences across all touchpoints,” Caldeira concludes.
Conclusion
Sun Life’s journey to creating an end-to-end digital experience through AI-powered search offers valuable lessons for any organization looking to enhance its digital presence.
By recognizing the strategic importance of site search, leveraging AI to personalize experiences, and committing to continuous improvement, Sun Life has been able to craft a digital experience that not only meets but exceeds user expectations.
Watch the full webinar below:
As businesses continue to navigate the complexities of digital transformation, the insights and strategies shared by Sun Life provide a roadmap for success in the digital age.
Interested in discussing your website’s potential? Book a call with one of our AI search experts today.
Dig Deeper
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