Semantic Search
GovTribe has introduced a powerful Semantic Search feature to enhance how you find, filter, and explore government contracting data.
In addition to the traditional keyword-based search, you can now query in natural language and get more contextually relevant results.
1. What Is Semantic Search?
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 services contract”
Semantic Search: “Companies providing information technology support services for federal agencies”
In the second query, Semantic Search looks for content that broadly fits your intended meaning (IT support for government), rather than just documents containing the words “IT services contract.”
2. How to Access Semantic Search
2.1 Global Search Bar
Navigate to the GovTribe Home or Explore Page. In the top navigation bar, you’ll see a global search field.
Open the Search Mode Selector. Click on the small dropdown or toggle (as shown in Screenshot A). You’ll see two options:
Keyword: Traditional keyword-based matching.
Semantic: New meaning-based matching.
Select “Magnifying Glass," then Select "Sematic" This will activate semantic search for your next query.
Enter Your Query in Natural Language. For example: “Who are the top cybersecurity contractors for the Navy?” Then press Enter or click the search icon.
Tip: You can switch back to Keyword at any time if you prefer an exact match approach.
2.2 Index / Category Pages
Navigate to a Specific GovTribe Index Page. For instance, if you visit Federal Contract Opportunities or Federal Forecasts.
Locate the Search Bar at the Top. Similar to the global search, a dropdown or toggle will appear when you click inside the search bar (see Screenshot B).
Choose “Semantic.” Type your query as a phrase or question.
Example: “Upcoming technology contracts in artificial intelligence.”
Review the Results. Results will be sorted by semantic relevance, meaning the content is matched by context rather than by keyword repetition alone.
3. Differences in Responses: Keyword vs. Semantic
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.
4. Combining Filters with Semantic Search
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”)
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.
5. Best Practices for Using Semantic Search
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.
6. Example Queries
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.”
7. Troubleshooting & FAQs
“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.
8. Next Steps
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.
Questions or Feedback?
If you have questions about the new Semantic Search feature or want to share feedback, please reach out to success@govtribe.com for tutorial.
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