57% fewer unanswered queries: What strategic AI site search can do for engagement

Higher education websites generate thousands of searches each month, yet many institutions lack visibility into what users are asking or where search is failing. In this session, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts shares how a strategic website redesign and thoughtful implementation of AI Search, AI Summary and AI Chat reduced unanswered queries by 57% in one month. This progress resulted from data-driven decision-making and a strong partnership between MCLA, ERI Design and Cludo. The session begins by framing the institutional challenge and audit process, then moves into a live demonstration of MyCludo. You will see backend AI configuration, analytics dashboards and search tooling, along with MCLA's front-end experience including search results, AI-generated summaries and conversational AI interactions. We will explore:

• How MCLA identified unanswered queries as a measurable engagement problem.
• What search data revealed about student intent and content gaps.
• How student search behavior is becoming a primary digital entry point.
• How AI Search, AI Summary and AI Chat were implemented sustainably.
• The measurable impact, including improved click-through rates and engagement.

MCLA's chief marketing officer, Kristin Nichols, will share outcomes and lessons learned. ERI Design will discuss implementation strategy, and Cludo will demonstrate the technical configuration and analytics that supported these results.