Semantic Search
GovTribe has introduced a powerful Semantic Search feature to enhance how you find, filter, and explore government contracting data.
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User Guide
GovTribe has introduced a powerful Semantic Search feature to enhance how you find, filter, and explore government contracting data.
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In addition to the traditional keyword-based search, you can now query in natural language and get more contextually relevant results.
Semantic Search goes beyond matching exact words. It understands the meaning behind your queries—recognizing synonyms, related concepts, and government-specific terminology. This allows you to find relevant information even if you don’t use the precise keywords that appear in a document or record.
Example:
Keyword Search: “IT | Networking | Cabling
Semantic Search: “Show contracts related to IT networking and cabling"
In the second query, Semantic Search looks for content that broadly fits your intended meaning rather than just simply searched for matches containing the words IT, networkin, or cabling.
Navigate to the GovTribe page you would like to run a semantic search or Explore Page.
Locate the Search Bar towards the Top.
Choose “Semantic” from the drop down Type your query as a phrase or question.
Example: “Upcoming technology contracts in artificial intelligence.”
When you run the same query under Keyword vs. Semantic search, you’ll notice:
Keyword Search Results:
Highlight exact matches of your search terms.
May miss documents that use synonyms or related phrases.
Semantic Search Results:
Attempt to understand your query’s intent.
Surface documents even if they use different wording for the same concept (e.g., “IT support” vs. “technology services”).
Screenshot C (Semantic) vs. Screenshot D (Keyword)
Screenshot C might show a variety of contract opportunities that conceptually match your description.
Screenshot D might show a narrower set of documents matching your exact words.
You can refine Semantic Search results by applying filters such as:
Agency (e.g., “Department of Defense”)
Contract Type (e.g., “Small Business Set-Aside”)
Date Range (e.g., “Opportunities posted in the last 30 days”)
Geographic Region (e.g., “West Coast only”)
Just like you would a regular keyword search
Steps to Apply Filters:
Enter your semantic query in the search bar.
Select additional filters in the sidebar or top menu (depending on the page).
Review updated results that match both the meaning of your query and the filters you’ve chosen.
Use Conversational Phrases Try asking questions or typing queries in a natural sentence format: “Who are the leading contractors for drone technology in the Air Force?”
Incorporate Relevant Context If you know the specific agency or type of contract, include that in your query: “Cybersecurity vendors with experience in the Department of Homeland Security.”
Refine with Filters Narrow your results by applying GovTribe’s advanced filters, especially when you’re seeking something very specific (like location or contract size).
Compare with Keyword If you’re not finding what you need, switch to Keyword to see if exact matches exist for specialized terminology.
Vendor Identification: “Find small business contractors specializing in logistics for the Army.”
Opportunity Discovery: “Upcoming RFPs for cloud computing services.”
Market Trends: “Contracts awarded for renewable energy initiatives in the past year.”
Policy Research: “Latest updates on federal contracting regulations for healthcare.”
“Why am I seeing different results compared to the old search?” Semantic Search retrieves documents based on contextual meaning. If you want exact keyword matches, switch to Keyword mode.
“I’m getting too many broad results. How do I narrow them down?” Use filters for agency, date range, location, or contract value to focus your search.
“Can I still use Boolean operators?” Yes, in Keyword mode. In Semantic mode, natural language is preferred, but you can still try combining terms in a single query for more precision.
“Are there any restrictions on using advanced syntax with Semantic Search?” Some advanced operators (like wildcards) work best in Keyword mode. For semantic queries, focus on describing your intent in everyday language.
Practice with Real Queries: Try searching for a known opportunity or vendor to see how results differ between Keyword and Semantic modes.
Explore GovTribe’s Other Tools: Leverage GovTribe’s analytics, capture tools, and alerts to get the most out of your search findings.
Stay Updated: We’re continually improving Semantic Search. Check back for updates on new capabilities, additional filters, and enhanced machine learning models.
If you have questions about the new Semantic Search feature or want to share feedback, please reach out to success@govtribe.com for tutorial.
