ENHANCING RANKINGS OF SEARCH RESULTS FOR MEMBER PROFILE QUERIES

• US 20160063121A1
• Filed: 12/22/2014
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Agarwal, Rahul, Sundaram, Senthil
• Granted Patent: US 10,042,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

Techniques for improving rankings of search results generated by a search engine are described. A set of member profiles is identified. The identifying is based on keywords specified in a search query matching search index entries corresponding to the set of member profiles. A subset of the member profiles is selected. The selecting is based on a matching of the keywords to special index entries associated with the subset of the member profiles. The special index entries represent values of data fields specified in each of the subset of the set of member profiles. The special index entries also represent relationships between the values of the data fields. Ranking scores associated with each of the subset of the member profiles are boosted. A portion of each of the set of member profiles is communicated for presentation in user interface in order of the ranking scores.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a set of member profiles, the identifying based on keywords specified in a search query matching search index entries corresponding to the set of member profiles;

selecting a subset of the member profiles, the selecting based on a matching of the keywords to special index entries associated with the subset of the member profiles, the special index entries representing values of data fields specified in each of the subset of the set of member profiles and the special index entries representing relationships between the values of the data fields;

boosting ranking scores associated with each of the subset of the member profiles; and

communicating a portion of each of the set of member profiles for presentation in user interface in order of the ranking scores.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the matching of the keywords to the special index entries is based on an inference that the keywords represent the values of the data fields.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the inference is based on a context of the search query, the context including information pertaining to a searcher who submitted the query and information pertaining to a behavior of the searcher who submitted the query.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising generating the special index entries based on a determination of a significance of the values of the data fields to the context, the determination of the significance based on an analysis of a history of previous search results.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the special search index entries includes a special character representing a type of a relationship between the values of the data fields.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the special search index entries includes a special character representing a strength of a relationship between the values of the data fields.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the boosting of the ranking scores is proportional to an importance of the type of the relationship, the importance determined based on an analysis of a history of past search results.

8. A system comprising:

one or more modules implemented by one or more processors, the one or more modules configured to;

identify a set of member profiles, the identifying based on keywords specified in a search query matching search index entries corresponding to the set of member profiles;

select a subset of the member profiles, the selecting based on a matching of the keywords to special index entries associated with the subset of the member profiles, the special index entries representing values of data fields specified in each of the subset of the set of member profiles and the special index entries representing relationships between the values of the data fields;

boost ranking scores associated with each of the subset of the member profiles; and

communicate a portion of each of the set of member profiles for presentation in user interface in order of the ranking scores.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the matching of the keywords to the special index entries is based on an inference that the keywords represent the values of the data fields.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the inference is based on a context of the search query, the context including information pertaining to a searcher who submitted the query and information pertaining to a behavior of the searcher who submitted the query.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising generating the special index entries based on a determination of a significance of the values of the data fields to the context, the determination of the significance based on an analysis of a history of previous search results.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein each of the special search index entries includes a special character representing a type of a relationship between the values of the data fields.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein each of the special search index entries includes a special character representing a strength of a relationship between the values of the data fields.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the boosting of the ranking scores is proportional to an importance of the type of the relationship, the importance determined based on an analysis of a history of past search results.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:

identifying a set of member profiles, the identifying based on keywords specified in a search query matching search index entries corresponding to the set of member profiles;

selecting a subset of the member profiles, the selecting based on a matching of the keywords to special index entries associated with the subset of the member profiles, the special index entries representing values of data fields specified in each of the subset of the set of member profiles and the special index entries representing relationships between the values of the data fields;

boosting ranking scores associated with each of the subset of the member profiles; and

communicating a portion of each of the set of member profiles for presentation in user interface in order of the ranking scores.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the matching of the keywords to the special index entries is based on an inference that the keywords represent the values of the data fields.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the inference is based on a context of the search query, the context including information pertaining to a searcher who submitted the query and information pertaining to a behavior of the searcher who submitted the query.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising generating the special index entries based on a determination of a significance of the values of the data fields to the context, the determination of the significance based on an analysis of a history of previous search results.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein each of the special search index entries includes a special character representing a type of a relationship between the values of the data fields.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein each of the special search index entries includes a special character representing a strength of a relationship between the values of the data fields.