How Can I Prioritize Search Relevance Across Multiple Columns in MySQL Full-Text Search?

MySQL Full-Text Search: Enhancing Relevance and Column Prioritization

Searching for specific terms across multiple columns in a database is a common task. MySQL provides the MATCH() and AGAINST() functions to perform full-text searches, allowing users to specify search terms and search modes.

However, when dealing with multiple columns and prioritizing search relevance, additional considerations arise. To order results by relevance, a simple query like SELECT * FROM pages WHERE MATCH(head, body) AGAINST('some words' IN BOOLEAN MODE) can be used.

To prioritize relevance based on specific columns, such as the head column, an alternative approach is required. By creating an additional column to store the relevance score for the head column, users can gain more flexibility in ordering and prioritizing results. This approach, however, has performance implications due to the additional search operation on the same table.

An alternative solution involves utilizing the additional relevance column and combining it with the relevance score from the general full-text search. This can be achieved using a query like:

SELECT pages.*,
       MATCH (head, body) AGAINST ('some words') AS relevance,
       MATCH (head) AGAINST ('some words') AS title_relevance
FROM pages
WHERE MATCH (head, body) AGAINST ('some words')
ORDER BY title_relevance DESC, relevance DESC

This query assigns higher relevance to results where the search terms occur in the head column while maintaining the overall search relevance.

Additionally, using database engines like PostgreSQL, which offers configurable operator weights and ranking mechanisms, can provide more advanced options for relevance prioritization and scoring.

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