System and method for content-addressable holographic data storage, primarily optimized with respect to search performance. A structured representation of original data, such as represented by metadata, is provided and stored in a holographic data storage medium on which a search can be performed using a holographic correlator. Phase encoding of both data storage and search pages provides improvement of correlator system signal to noise ratio and dynamic range. Heterodyne detection is also used to provide amplification to a plurality of correlation signals by modulation thereof by a plurality of reference beams. In another aspect, increase in the storage density of the holographic data storage medium and the throughput of a holographic correlator is achieved by employing a content-addressable storage scheme, using a priori knowledge of content provided by metadata to organize data according to a selectable content relationship and store related data as a contiguous cluster.