Methods and Systems for Improving a Search Ranking Using Related Queries

• US 20090112857A1
• Filed: 01/09/2009
• Published: 04/30/2009
• 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 8,024,326 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.

21-53. -53. (canceled)