Bridging the gap between keyword and semantic search with SPLADE (2024)
Published on: 2025-07-17 02:13:08
Bridging the Gap Between Keyword and Semantic Search with SPLADE
In information retrieval, we often find ourselves between two tools: keyword search and semantic search. Each has strengths and limitations. What if we could combine the best of both?
By the end of this post, you will:
Understand the challenges of keyword and semantic search
Learn about SPLADE, an approach that bridges these methods
See a practical implementation of SPLADE to enhance search
If you've struggled with inaccurate search results or wanted a more transparent search system, this post is for you. Let's explore how SPLADE can change your approach to information retrieval.
The Unfortunate State of the Art
With the rise of RAG methods in prompt engineering, vector-based semantic search has become essential for many applications. It's easy to see why: semantic search overcomes some key limitations of keyword search. In traditional keyword search, you might type terms that mean the same thing as the document y
... Read full article.