Methods and systems for improving a search ranking using related queries

• US 20050060311A1
• Filed: 09/12/2003
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Tong, Simon, Brin, Sergey, Pearson, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,505,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Systems and methods that improve search rankings for a search query by using data associated with queries related to the search query are described. In one aspect, a search query is received, a related query related to the search query is determined, an article (such as a web page) associated with the search query is determined, and a ranking score for the article based at least in part on data associated with the related query is determined. Several algorithms and types of data associated with related queries useful in carrying out such systems and methods are described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a search query;

(b) determining a first related query related to the search query;

(c) determining a first article associated with the search query;

(d) determining a first ranking score for the first article based at least in part on data associated with the first related query.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data associated with the first related query comprises a total selection score for the first related query.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the total selection score comprises a total number of users that selected a result returned for a search for the first related query.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the data associated with the first related query comprises an instance score for the first related query.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the instance score comprises a number of instances the first article was shown in a search result for the first related query.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the data associated with the first related query comprises a selection score for the first article.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the selection score for the first article comprises selections made in search results for the first related query in a context of the search query.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the total selection score for the first related query comprises selections made in search results for the first related query in a context of the search query.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein the instance score for the first related query comprises selections made in search results for the first related query in a context of the search query.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the number of instances the first article was shown in a search result for the first related query comprises instances shown in a context of the search query.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the related query data associated with the first related query comprises a second selection score for a second article associated with the first related query.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first article associated with the search query comprises determining the first article associated with the search query and with the first related query.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining a first selection score for the first article when associated with the first related query, and wherein determining the first ranking score for the first article based at least in part on data associated with the first related query comprises determining the first ranking score for the first article based at least in part on the first selection score.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the first article associated with the search query and with the first related query comprises:

determining an initial search result for the search query, the initial search result comprising the first article; and

determining that a search result for the first related query comprises the first article.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first article comprises a representation of the first article.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the representation of the first article comprises a uniform resource locator.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first ranking score for the first article when associated with the first related query comprises determining a number of times the first article was selected when presented in search results for the first related query.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the number of times the first article was selected when presented in search results for the first related query comprises determining a number of clickthroughs for the first article when presented in search results for the first related query.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the first ranking score for the first article comprises:

determining a first initial ranking score for the first article when associated with the search query; and

calculating a mathematical function comprising the first initial ranking score and the first selection score.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein calculating the mathematical function comprising the first initial ranking score and the first selection score comprises combining the first initial ranking score and the first selection score, weighted with at least one weighting factor.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein calculating the mathematical function comprising the first initial ranking score and the first selection score comprises combining the first initial ranking score and the first selection score, normalized with at least one normalization factor.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising

(e) determining a second article associated with the search query;

and

(f) determining a second ranking score for the second article based at least in part on data associated with the first related query.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising ranking the first article and the second article based at least in part on the first ranking score and the second ranking score.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing a search result for the search query having the first article and the second article ranked according at least in part to the first ranking score and the second ranking score.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a second related query related to the search query, and wherein determining the first ranking score for the first article is further based at least in part on data associated with the second related query.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the first related query further comprises determining a query previously made consecutively with the search query.

27. A computer-readable medium containing program code, comprising:

program code for receiving a search query;

program code for determining a first related query related to the search query;

program code for determining a first article associated with the search query; and

program code for determining a first ranking score for the first article based at least in part on data associated with the first related query.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the data associated with the first related query comprises a total selection score for the first related query.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the total selection score comprises a total number of users that selected a result returned for a search for the first related query.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the data associated with the first related query comprises an instance score for the first related query.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the instance score comprises a number of instances the first article was shown in a search result for the first related query.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the data associated with the first related query comprises a selection score for the first article.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the selection score for the first article comprises selections made in search results for the first related query in a context of the search query.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the total selection score for the first related query comprises selections made in search results for the first related query in a context of the search query.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the instance score for the first related query comprises selections made in search results for the first related query in a context of the search query.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the number of instances the first article was shown in a search result for the first related query comprises instances shown in a context of the search query.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the related query data associated with the first related query comprises a second selection score for a second article associated with the first related query.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein determining the first article associated with the search query comprises determining the first article associated with the search query and with the first related query.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, further comprising determining a first selection score for the first article when associated with the first related query, and wherein determining the first ranking score for the first article based at least in part on data associated with the first related query comprises determining the first ranking score for the first article based at least in part on the first selection score.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein determining the first article associated with the search query and with the first related query comprises:

determining an initial search result for the search query, the initial search result comprising the first article; and

determining that a search result for the first related query comprises the first article.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the first article comprises a representation of the first article.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 42, wherein the representation of the first article comprises a uniform resource locator.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein determining the first ranking score for the first article when associated with the first related query comprises determining a number of times the first article was selected when presented in search results for the first related query.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein determining the number of times the first article was selected when presented in search results for the first related query comprises determining a number of clickthroughs for the first article when presented in search results for the first related query.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein determining the first ranking score for the first article comprises:

determining a first initial ranking score for the first article when associated with the search query; and

calculating a mathematical function comprising the first initial ranking score and the first selection score.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 46, wherein calculating the mathematical function comprising the first initial ranking score and the first selection score comprises combining the first initial ranking score and the first selection score, weighted with at least one weighting factor.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein calculating the mathematical function comprising the first initial ranking score and the first selection score comprises combining the first initial ranking score and the first selection score, normalized with at least one normalization factor.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, further comprising:

(e) program code for determining a second article associated with the search query; and

(f) program code for determining a second ranking score for the second article based at least in part on data associated with the first related query.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, further comprising computer code for ranking the first article and the second article based at least in part on the first ranking score and the second ranking score.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, further comprising computer code for providing a search result for the search query having the first article and the second article ranked according at least in part to the first ranking score and the second ranking score.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, further comprising computer code for determining a second related query related to the search query, and wherein determining the first ranking score for the first article is further based at least in part on data associated with the second related query.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein determining the first related query further comprises determining a query previously made consecutively with the search query.