diff --git a/app/services/search/feed_content.rb b/app/services/search/feed_content.rb
index 327973c7a..970d12e2a 100644
--- a/app/services/search/feed_content.rb
+++ b/app/services/search/feed_content.rb
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ module Search
           "image_url" => source["main_image"],
           "title" => source["title"]
         }
+        source["_score"] = hit["_score"]
 
         source.merge(timestamps_hash(hit))
       end
diff --git a/app/services/search/query_builders/feed_content.rb b/app/services/search/query_builders/feed_content.rb
index fba9be355..19acd8406 100644
--- a/app/services/search/query_builders/feed_content.rb
+++ b/app/services/search/query_builders/feed_content.rb
@@ -4,9 +4,10 @@ module Search
       # In order for highlighting to work properly we have to search the fields we want to highlight
       QUERY_KEYS = {
         search_fields: [
-          "tags.*",
-          "body_text",
-          "title",
+          "tags.keywords_for_search",
+          "tags.name^3",
+          "body_text^2",
+          "title^6",
           "user.name",
           "user.username",
           "organization.name",
@@ -28,8 +29,12 @@ module Search
       ].freeze
 
       DEFAULT_PARAMS = {
-        sort_by: "hotness_score",
-        sort_direction: "desc",
+        sort: [
+          :_score,
+          { score: "desc" },
+          { hotness_score: "desc" },
+          { comments_count: "desc" },
+        ],
         size: 0
       }.freeze
 
@@ -64,10 +69,17 @@ module Search
         @params[:published] = true
 
         build_body
+        add_function_scoring unless sort_params_present?
       end
 
       private
 
+      def add_sort
+        return @body[:sort] = DEFAULT_PARAMS[:sort] unless sort_params_present?
+
+        @body[:sort] = { @params[:sort_by] => @params[:sort_direction] }
+      end
+
       def add_highlight_fields
         highlight_fields = { fields: {} }
         HIGHLIGHT_FIELDS.each do |field_name|
@@ -124,6 +136,48 @@ module Search
           { range: { range_key => @params[range_key] } }
         end.compact
       end
+
+      def query_hash(key, fields)
+        {
+          simple_query_string: {
+            query: key,
+            fields: fields,
+            lenient: true,
+            analyze_wildcard: true,
+            minimum_should_match: 2
+          }
+        }
+      end
+
+      def add_function_scoring
+        @body[:query] = { function_score: { query: @body[:query] } }
+        @body[:query][:function_score][:functions] = scoring_functions
+      end
+
+      def scoring_functions
+        [
+          scoring_filter(1000, 2.5),
+          scoring_filter(500, 2),
+          scoring_filter(100, 1.5),
+        ]
+      end
+
+      def scoring_filter(score, weight)
+        {
+          filter: {
+            range: {
+              score: {
+                gte: score
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          weight: weight
+        }
+      end
+
+      def sort_params_present?
+        @params[:sort_by] && @params[:sort_direction]
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/services/search/query_builders/query_base.rb b/app/services/search/query_builders/query_base.rb
index 624640a12..c9576c929 100644
--- a/app/services/search/query_builders/query_base.rb
+++ b/app/services/search/query_builders/query_base.rb
@@ -45,16 +45,20 @@ module Search
 
           fields = query_fields.presence || [query_key]
 
-          {
-            simple_query_string: {
-              query: "#{@params[query_key]}*",
-              fields: fields,
-              lenient: true,
-              analyze_wildcard: true
-            }
-          }
+          query_hash(@params[query_key], fields)
         end.compact
       end
+
+      def query_hash(key, fields)
+        {
+          simple_query_string: {
+            query: "#{key}*",
+            fields: fields,
+            lenient: true,
+            analyze_wildcard: true
+          }
+        }
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/services/search/feed_content_spec.rb b/spec/services/search/feed_content_spec.rb
index e30daf686..b6eac22bd 100644
--- a/spec/services/search/feed_content_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/search/feed_content_spec.rb
@@ -20,14 +20,14 @@ RSpec.describe Search::FeedContent, type: :service do
 
     it "returns highlighted fields" do
       allow(article1).to receive(:body_text).and_return("I love ruby")
-      allow(article2).to receive(:body_text).and_return("Ruby Tuesday is yummy")
+      allow(article2).to receive(:body_text).and_return("Ruby Tuesday is love")
       index_documents([article1, article2])
       query_params = { size: 5, search_fields: "love ruby" }
 
       feed_docs = described_class.search_documents(params: query_params)
       expect(feed_docs.count).to eq(2)
       doc_highlights = feed_docs.map { |t| t.dig("highlight", "body_text") }.flatten
-      expect(doc_highlights).to include("I <em>love</em> <em>ruby</em>", "<em>Ruby</em> Tuesday is yummy")
+      expect(doc_highlights).to include("I <em>love</em> <em>ruby</em>", "<em>Ruby</em> Tuesday is <em>love</em>")
     end
 
     it "returns fields necessary for the view" do
@@ -122,6 +122,22 @@ RSpec.describe Search::FeedContent, type: :service do
         expect(doc_ids).to include(article2.id)
       end
     end
+
+    context "with default sorting" do
+      it "sorts by Elasticsearch _score which is weighted based on article score" do
+        ruby_tag = create(:tag, name: "ruby")
+        allow(article1).to receive(:score).and_return(200)
+        article1.tags << ruby_tag
+        allow(article2).to receive(:score).and_return(1500)
+        article2.tags << ruby_tag
+        index_documents([article1, article2])
+        query_params = { size: 5, search_fields: "ruby" }
+
+        feed_docs = described_class.search_documents(params: query_params)
+        doc_ids = feed_docs.map { |t| t.dig("id") }
+        expect(doc_ids).to eq([article2.id, article1.id])
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   describe "document counts" do
diff --git a/spec/services/search/query_builders/feed_content_spec.rb b/spec/services/search/query_builders/feed_content_spec.rb
index 455bf5b78..562b1f238 100644
--- a/spec/services/search/query_builders/feed_content_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/search/query_builders/feed_content_spec.rb
@@ -27,10 +27,14 @@ RSpec.describe Search::QueryBuilders::FeedContent, type: :service do
       filter = described_class.new(params)
       exepcted_query = [{
         "simple_query_string" => {
-          "query" => "test*", "fields" => query_fields, "lenient" => true, "analyze_wildcard" => true
+          "query" => "test",
+          "fields" => query_fields,
+          "lenient" => true,
+          "analyze_wildcard" => true,
+          "minimum_should_match" => 2
         }
       }]
-      expect(filter.as_hash.dig("query", "bool", "must")).to match_array(exepcted_query)
+      expect(search_bool_clause(filter)["must"]).to match_array(exepcted_query)
     end
 
     it "applies TERM_KEYS from params" do
@@ -43,7 +47,7 @@ RSpec.describe Search::QueryBuilders::FeedContent, type: :service do
         { "terms" => { "class_name" => ["Article"] } },
         { "terms" => { "published" => [true] } },
       ]
-      expect(filter.as_hash.dig("query", "bool", "filter")).to match_array(exepcted_filters)
+      expect(search_bool_clause(filter)["filter"]).to match_array(exepcted_filters)
     end
 
     it "applies RANGE_KEYS from params" do
@@ -54,7 +58,7 @@ RSpec.describe Search::QueryBuilders::FeedContent, type: :service do
           { "range" => { "published_at" => { lte: Time.current } } },
           { "terms" => { "published" => [true] } },
         ]
-        expect(filter.as_hash.dig("query", "bool", "filter")).to match_array(exepcted_filters)
+        expect(search_bool_clause(filter)["filter"]).to match_array(exepcted_filters)
       end
     end
 
@@ -63,15 +67,15 @@ RSpec.describe Search::QueryBuilders::FeedContent, type: :service do
         params = { search_fields: "ruby", published_at: { lte: Time.current }, tag_names: "cfp" }
         filter = described_class.new(params)
         exepcted_query = [{
-          "simple_query_string" => { "query" => "ruby*", "fields" => query_fields, "lenient" => true, "analyze_wildcard" => true }
+          "simple_query_string" => { "query" => "ruby", "fields" => query_fields, "lenient" => true, "analyze_wildcard" => true, "minimum_should_match" => 2 }
         }]
         exepcted_filters = [
           { "range" => { "published_at" => { lte: Time.current } } },
           { "terms" => { "tags.name" => ["cfp"] } },
           { "terms" => { "published" => [true] } },
         ]
-        expect(filter.as_hash.dig("query", "bool", "must")).to match_array(exepcted_query)
-        expect(filter.as_hash.dig("query", "bool", "filter")).to match_array(exepcted_filters)
+        expect(search_bool_clause(filter)["must"]).to match_array(exepcted_query)
+        expect(search_bool_clause(filter)["filter"]).to match_array(exepcted_filters)
       end
     end
 
@@ -80,10 +84,10 @@ RSpec.describe Search::QueryBuilders::FeedContent, type: :service do
       filter = described_class.new(params)
       exepcted_query = [{
         "simple_query_string" => {
-          "query" => "cfp*", "fields" => query_fields, "lenient" => true, "analyze_wildcard" => true
+          "query" => "cfp", "fields" => query_fields, "lenient" => true, "analyze_wildcard" => true, "minimum_should_match" => 2
         }
       }]
-      expect(filter.as_hash.dig("query", "bool", "must")).to match_array(exepcted_query)
+      expect(search_bool_clause(filter)["must"]).to match_array(exepcted_query)
     end
 
     it "allows default params to be overriden" do
@@ -92,5 +96,14 @@ RSpec.describe Search::QueryBuilders::FeedContent, type: :service do
       expect(filter.dig("sort")).to eq("published_at" => "asc")
       expect(filter.dig("size")).to eq(20)
     end
+
+    it "correctly sets default sort" do
+      filter = described_class.new({}).as_hash
+      expect(filter.dig("sort")).to eq(described_class::DEFAULT_PARAMS[:sort])
+    end
+  end
+
+  def search_bool_clause(query_builder)
+    query_builder.as_hash.dig("query", "function_score", "query", "bool")
   end
 end