diff --git a/src/components/ItaliaTheme/Search/Search.jsx b/src/components/ItaliaTheme/Search/Search.jsx
index 3f92bd168..97507cdb5 100644
--- a/src/components/ItaliaTheme/Search/Search.jsx
+++ b/src/components/ItaliaTheme/Search/Search.jsx
@@ -636,9 +636,14 @@ const Search = () => {
                           sortOnOptions.filter((o) => o.value === sortOn)[0]
                         }
                         label={intl.formatMessage(messages.orderBy)}
-                        placeholder={intl.formatMessage(messages.orderBy)}
+                        placeholder={
+                          sortOnOptions.find((o) => o.value === sortOn).label
+                        }
                         onChange={(opt) => setSortOn(opt.value)}
                         options={sortOnOptions}
+                        defaultValue={sortOnOptions.find(
+                          (o) => o.value === 'relevance',
+                        )}
                       />
                     </Col>
                   </Row>
diff --git a/src/components/SelectInput/SelectInput.jsx b/src/components/SelectInput/SelectInput.jsx
index 0e6837e0d..83ac3ca8f 100644
--- a/src/components/SelectInput/SelectInput.jsx
+++ b/src/components/SelectInput/SelectInput.jsx
@@ -305,6 +305,7 @@ const SelectInput = ({
   options,
   components = {},
   reactSelect,
+  defaultValue,
 }) => {
   const intl = useIntl();
   const Select = reactSelect.default;
@@ -332,7 +333,9 @@ const SelectInput = ({
         isSearchable={isSearchable}
         isMulti={isMulti}
         isClearable={isClearable}
-        aria-label={placeholder}
+        aria-label={label}
+        aria-live="polite"
+        aria-labelledby={id}
         ariaLiveMessages={getSelectAriaLiveMessages(intl)}
         noOptionsMessage={() =>
           intl.formatMessage(messages.select_noOptionsMessage)
@@ -346,6 +349,7 @@ const SelectInput = ({
           }`
         }
         classNamePrefix={'react-select'}
+        defaultValue={defaultValue}
       />
     </div>
   );