Distinguishing search results associated with an electronic commerce system

• US 8,078,497 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2007
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ling, Benjamin Chan-Bin, Tobagus, Wendy, Brown, Robert, Lange, Eric, Smith, Adam Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Airapetian, Mila
• Application Number:
  US11/858,096
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/26.1
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A search engine communicates with a broker to identify search result content associated with merchants that support purchases through an electronic commerce system provided by the broker. The results of a search can include some content associated with merchants that support purchases through the broker, some content associated with merchants that do not support purchases through the broker, and some content not associated with any merchant. The search engine visually distinguishes content in the search results associated with merchants that support purchases through the broker by displaying a badge, such as a graphical icon, with the content. The search engine can use different types of badges to indicate different characteristics of the merchants.

Claims

1. A method of distinguishing search results associated with an electronic commerce system, the method comprising:

identifying, by a computer, search result content generated responsive to a search query;

identifying, by the computer, merchant content within the search result content, the merchant content associated with a merchant that uses the electronic commerce system; and

transmitting, by the computer, instructions to generate a display of the search result content, the display including a badge in association with the merchant content, the badge visually indicating that the merchant associated with the merchant content uses the electronic commerce system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying merchant content within the search result content comprises:

identifying advertisement content advertising an item sold by the merchant that uses the electronic commerce system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying merchant content within the search result content comprises:

identifying a visible uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the search result content, the visible URL displayed in association with the search result content;

determining whether the visible URL references the merchant that uses the electronic commerce system; and

responsive to a positive determination that the visible URL references the merchant that uses the electronic commerce system, identifying the search result content associated with the visible URL as the merchant content.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

identifying a destination URL associated with the search result content, the destination URL referencing a network location to which a customer is directed when a link associated with the search result content is selected, the destination URL different from the visible URL.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the badge visually describes characteristics of the merchant.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the characteristics of the merchant described by the badge comprise one or more characteristics from the set consisting of:

a conversion rate;

locations of customers;

sales volume at specified dates and/or times;

number of orders processed by the merchant within a time period; and

number of canceled orders, returns, and/or chargebacks by the merchant within a time period.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the badge is selected from among a plurality of badges based on data received describing characteristics of the merchant, a first badge available for selection indicating that the merchant uses the electronic commerce system and a second badge available for selection indicating a likelihood that a customer will have a successful buying experience with the merchant using the electronic commerce system.

8. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable code for distinguishing search results associated with an electronic commerce system, the computer-executable code comprising:

a badge determination module configured to identify merchant content within search result content, the merchant content associated with a merchant that uses the electronic commerce system; and

a badge generation module configured to transmit instructions to generate a display of the search result content, the display including a badge in association with the merchant content, the badge visually indicating that the merchant associated with the merchant content uses the electronic commerce system.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the badge determination module is further configured to identify advertisement content advertising an item sold by the merchant that uses the electronic commerce system.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the badge determination module is further configured to:

identify a visible uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the search result content, the visible URL displayed in association with the search result content;

determine whether the visible URL references the merchant that uses the electronic commerce system; and

responsive to a positive determination that the visible URL references the merchant that uses the electronic commerce system, identify the search result content associated with the visible URL as the merchant content.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the badge determination module is further configured to identify a destination URL associated with the search result content, the destination URL referencing a network location to which a customer is directed when a link associated with the search result content is selected, the destination URL different from the visible URL.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

an interface module configured to receive data describing the merchant that uses the electronic commerce system; and

a badge association module configured to select the badge from among a plurality of badges responsive to the received data.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the badge association module is further configured to select an additional badge to include in the display that indicates a likelihood that a customer will have a successful buying experience with the merchant.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the badge association module is further configured to select the badge based at least in part on a search query responsive to which the search result content was generated.

15. A computer-implemented system for distinguishing search results associated with an electronic commerce system, the system comprising:

a computer processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program modules adapted to execute on the computer processor, the computer program modules comprising;

a badge determination module configured to identify merchant content within search result content, the merchant content associated with a merchant that uses the electronic commerce system; and

a badge generation module configured to transmit instructions to generate a display of the search result content, the display including a badge in association with the merchant content, the badge visually indicating that the merchant associated with the merchant content uses the electronic commerce system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the badge determination module is further configured to identify advertisement content advertising an item sold by the merchant that uses the electronic commerce system.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the badge determination module is further configured to:

identify a visible uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the search result content, the visible URL displayed in association with the search result content;

determine whether the visible URL references the merchant that uses the electronic commerce system; and

responsive to a positive determination that the visible URL references the merchant that uses the electronic commerce system, identify the search result content associated with the visible URL as the merchant content.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the badge determination module is further configured to identify a destination URL associated with the search result content, the destination URL referencing a network location to which a customer is directed when a link associated with the search result content is selected, the destination URL different from the visible URL.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

an interface module configured to receive data describing the merchant that uses the electronic commerce system; and

a badge association module configured to select the badge from among a plurality of badges responsive to the received data.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the badge association module is further configured to select an additional badge to include in the display that indicates a likelihood that a customer will have a successful buying experience with the merchant.