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Boost and Bury

Boost and Bury rules allow you to increase or decrease product visibility in search results and collections using a slider-based interface. You can apply these rules to specific queries or collections, or set global rules that apply to all searches or all collections.

Overview

Boost/Bury rules modify the relevance scores of products that match specific criteria, effectively moving them up or down in search rankings without completely removing them or forcing exact positions. The strength of boost or bury is controlled via a slider in the Marqo merchandising interface.

Use Cases

  • High-margin products: Boost products with higher profit margins
  • Inventory management: Boost in-stock items, bury out-of-stock or low-inventory items
  • Brand promotion: Boost specific brands or product lines
  • Category balance: Ensure certain categories appear more prominently
  • New arrivals: Boost recently added products
  • Seasonal relevance: Boost seasonal items during relevant periods

How to Configure Boost and Bury

Step 1: Navigate to Merchandising

  1. Go to the Merchandising section in your Marqo dashboard
  2. Select your index from the dropdown

Step 2: Choose Your Scope

You have three options for where to apply boost/bury rules:

Option A: Specific Search Query

  1. Select Search Merchandising
  2. Enter a specific search query (e.g., "running shoes")
  3. Configure boost/bury rules that apply only to this query

Option B: Specific Collection

  1. Select Collection Merchandising
  2. Select a specific collection from the dropdown
  3. Configure boost/bury rules that apply only to this collection

Option C: Global Rules

  1. Select Global Rules
  2. Choose whether to apply to All Search or All Collections
  3. Configure boost/bury rules that apply globally

Step 3: Configure Boost/Bury Rules

Once you've selected your scope, configure your boost or bury rules:

  1. Click Create Rule or Add Boost/Bury Rule
  2. Select rule type:
  3. Choose Boost to increase visibility
  4. Choose Bury to decrease visibility
  5. Set conditions (if applicable):
  6. Add conditions based on product attributes (brand, category, margin, inventory, etc.)
  7. Or leave blank to apply to all products in the scope
  8. Adjust the slider:
  9. Use the Boost/Bury slider to set the strength
  10. Boost: Move slider to the right (positive values, e.g., +10%, +20%, +50%)
  11. Bury: Move slider to the left (negative values, e.g., -10%, -20%, -50%)
  12. The slider shows the percentage impact on relevance scores
  13. Preview (optional):
  14. Use the preview feature to see how the rule affects search results
  15. Test with sample queries to verify the impact
  16. Save and activate:
  17. Click Save Rule
  18. Toggle Active to enable the rule

Examples

Example: Boost High-Margin Products Globally

To boost high-margin products across all searches:

  1. Go to Merchandising → Select your index
  2. Select Global Rules → All Search
  3. Click Create Rule
  4. Rule type: Boost
  5. Conditions:
  6. Add condition: Margin attribute
  7. Operator: greater than
  8. Value: 30%
  9. Boost slider: Set to +20% (move slider to the right)
  10. Click Save Rule and toggle Active on

Example: Bury Low-Inventory Items for a Specific Query

To bury low-inventory items for the "running shoes" query:

  1. Go to Merchandising → Select your index
  2. Select Search Merchandising
  3. Enter query: "running shoes"
  4. Click Create Rule
  5. Rule type: Bury
  6. Conditions:
  7. Add condition: Inventory level
  8. Operator: less than
  9. Value: 5 units
  10. Bury slider: Set to -30% (move slider to the left)
  11. Click Save Rule and toggle Active on

Example: Boost New Arrivals in a Collection

To boost new arrivals in a specific collection:

  1. Go to Merchandising → Select your index
  2. Select Collection Merchandising
  3. Select collection: "Women's Shoes"
  4. Click Create Rule
  5. Rule type: Boost
  6. Conditions:
  7. Add condition: Date added
  8. Operator: in the last
  9. Value: 30 days
  10. Boost slider: Set to +15%
  11. Click Save Rule and toggle Active on

Managing Multiple Rules

You can create multiple boost/bury rules:

  • Rules are applied in order of priority
  • You can reorder rules by dragging them in the rules list
  • Rules can be enabled/disabled individually using the toggle switch
  • Edit rules by clicking on them in the rules list

Best Practices

  1. Start subtle: Begin with small boost/bury values (10-20%) and measure impact
  2. Monitor performance: Track conversion rates and revenue impact
  3. Balance objectives: Don't over-boost at the expense of relevance
  4. Test incrementally: Use A/B testing to validate boost/bury rules
  5. Use global rules sparingly: Global rules affect all searches/collections—use carefully
  6. Combine with other controls: Use alongside pinning and exclusions for complete control