Definition
Hybrid retrieval combines two ways of finding content, lexical matching on exact terms and semantic matching on meaning, and merges their results. It pairs a keyword method like BM25 with a dense, embedding-based method, so both precise term matches and conceptual matches surface. It is now the default in serious AI search systems.Why It Matters for AI Search
Neither keyword nor semantic search catches everything on its own. Lexical methods nail exact terms and proper names but miss paraphrase. Semantic methods catch meaning but can drift on specifics. Hybrid retrieval recovers both, which is why it has become standard. For content, it means a page needs the exact terms a buyer might type and the surrounding meaning a model reasons over. Writing for one path and ignoring the other leaves half of retrieval closed.Related Terms
Dense retrieval
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Sparse retrieval
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Semantic search
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Keyword search
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Reranking
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