Why it matters
A distributor maps "jic" to "an fitting" to "37 degree flare" as search synonyms, so a buyer typing any of the three lands on one canonical product set. That same synonym graph does double duty. It decides which content is structured around a shared vocabulary and stays findable, which is why we treat searchandising as upstream of catalog and content work, even though it lives in the on-site search layer.
Searchandising vs SEO
Searchandising tunes results inside your own search box: synonyms, boost or bury rules, redirects, and pinned products. SEO and AI search tune how you appear in external engines. The overlap is the vocabulary. A clean synonym set (JIC equals AN equals 37 degree flare) helps both, because it forces one canonical name per part instead of three competing ones scattered across PIM fields and category pages.
In practice
Take a hydraulics distributor whose buyers search "3/4 npt to jic" but whose catalog stores the fitting as "adapter, male pipe to 37 deg." Without a synonym rule the search returns nothing and the buyer leaves. Add the mapping, pin the two best-selling sizes, and bury discontinued SKUs. The search now resolves to a stocked product, and the canonical name you chose for the rule is the one to carry into category pages and structured data.