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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryAI in MarketingSemantic Search

AI in Marketing

Semantic Search

Search that matches the meaning and intent of a query rather than exact keywords, typically using embeddings.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Semantic search is search that matches the meaning and intent of a query rather than its exact keywords. It typically uses embeddings, numerical representations of text, to find content that is conceptually similar even when wording differs. Semantic search powers AI assistants, site search, and recommendation systems, rewarding content that clearly answers real questions.