SharePoint 2010 Enterprise Search was good.

SharePoint 2010 FAST Search was great (but expensive).

SharePoint 2013 Search is AMAZING.

SharePoint Search is just like the rest of SharePoint; it requires careful planning. The first step to planning is understanding your topic! Over the next 15 weeks I will be breaking down and walking through SharePoint 2013 Search.

Here’s the breakdown:

Part 1: Understanding Search – The Basics

• Introduction to Search
• Search Basics
• Internet Search vs. SharePoint Search

Part 2: Understanding Search – Search Influencers (Sort by Rank)

• Influencers
• Result Ranking
  • Ranking Model
  • Rank Evaluation

Part 3: Understanding Search – Farm Planning (May 20th) <– I know this keeps getting pushed. I’ll get it out as soon as possible.

• Planning Search
  • Search Experience
  • Capacity
  • Content Sources

Part 4: Understanding Search – Search Topology (May 24th)

• Databases
  • Administration Database
  • Analytics Reporting Database
  • Crawl Database
  • Link Database
• Service Accounts
  • Default Content Access Accounts
  • Search Service Account

Part 5: Setting Up Search – Search Service Application (May 31th)

• Step by Step – Creating the Search Service Application

Part 6: Setting Up Search – Topology (June 7th)

• Indexes
• Crawl Components
• Query Components

Part 7: Setting Up Search – Crawling (June 14th)

• Content Sources
• Crawls
  • Crawl Types
  • Crawl Rules
  • Crawler Impact Rules

Part 8: Setting Up Search – Queries (June 21st)

• Queries
  • Query Rules
  • Query Client Types
  • Query Suggestions

Part 9: Setting Up Search – Results Part 1 (June 28th)

• Authoritative Pages
• Federated Search
• Results
  • Result Sources
  • Result Types

Part 10: Setting Up Search – Results Part 2 (July 5th)

• Results
  • Search Dictionaries
  • Search Result Removal
  • Managed Properties

Part 11: Setting Up Search – Search Center (July 12th)

• Planning a Search Center
• Setting up a Search Center

Part 12: Setting Up Search – Search Center Customization (July 19th)

• Customized Refiners
• Scopes

Part 13: Setting Up Search – Search Settings (July 26th)

• Global Settings
• Site Collection Settings
• Site Settings

Part 14: Setting Up Search – Search Diagnostics (August 2nd)

• Crawl Health Reports
• Query Health Reports
• Usage Reports

Part 15: Using Search – People Search (August 9th)

Full disclosure – These topics may expand and this may last longer than the current 15 week schedule. Stay tuned as each week will be updated and turned into links as soon as they’re done!