Ranking documents
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- computing, by a processor, a first rank corresponding to a rank for a document at a first time;
detecting, by the processor, a change in one or more ranking factors associated with the document during a transition period between the first time and a subsequent second time;
computing, by the processor and based on the detected change in the one or more ranking factors associated with the document, a second rank corresponding to the rank for the document at the second time;
selecting, by the processor, a rank transition function, from a plurality of rank transition functions, that corresponds to how the rank, for the document, changes from the first rank to the second rank over the transition period;
calculating, by the processor and based on the selected rank transition function, a plurality of transition ranks that correspond, respectively, to the rank for the document during a plurality of different times in the transition period;
estimating, by the processor and based on the plurality of transition ranks and the detected change in the one or more ranking factors, changes to the one or more ranking factors during the plurality of different times in the transition period;
identifying, by the processor and based on the estimated changes in the one or more ranking factors, an indication of rank-manipulation during the transition period; and
reducing, by the processor, the rank of the document at a third time that is subsequent to the first time and the second time, based on the indication of rank-manipulation.
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Abstract
A system determines a first rank associated with a document and determines a second rank associated with the document, where the second rank is different from the first rank. The system also changes, during a transition period that occurs during a transition from the first rank to the second rank, a transition rank associated with the document based on a rank transition function that varies the transition rank over time without any change in ranking factors associated with the document.
25 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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computing, by a processor, a first rank corresponding to a rank for a document at a first time; detecting, by the processor, a change in one or more ranking factors associated with the document during a transition period between the first time and a subsequent second time; computing, by the processor and based on the detected change in the one or more ranking factors associated with the document, a second rank corresponding to the rank for the document at the second time; selecting, by the processor, a rank transition function, from a plurality of rank transition functions, that corresponds to how the rank, for the document, changes from the first rank to the second rank over the transition period; calculating, by the processor and based on the selected rank transition function, a plurality of transition ranks that correspond, respectively, to the rank for the document during a plurality of different times in the transition period; estimating, by the processor and based on the plurality of transition ranks and the detected change in the one or more ranking factors, changes to the one or more ranking factors during the plurality of different times in the transition period; identifying, by the processor and based on the estimated changes in the one or more ranking factors, an indication of rank-manipulation during the transition period; and reducing, by the processor, the rank of the document at a third time that is subsequent to the first time and the second time, based on the indication of rank-manipulation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method comprising:
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storing, by a processor associated with a search engine, a first rank associated with a document; computing, by the processor, a second rank associated with the document, where the second rank is different from the first rank; changing, by the processor and during a transition period that occurs during a transition from the first rank to the second rank, a transition rank associated with the document based on a rank transition function that varies the transition rank over time; observing, by the processor and during the transition period, changes to one or more ranking factors associated with the document; comparing, by the processor, the changing transition rank to the changes in the one or more ranking factors associated with the document; detecting, by the processor and based on comparing the changing transition rank to the changes in the one or more ranking factors associated with the document, an indication of rank-manipulation of the document during the transition; and adjusting, by the processor, a ranking of document based on detecting the indication of the rank-manipulation. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A device, comprising:
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a memory to store a first rank associated with a document; and a processor to; retrieve the first rank; dynamically compute a second rank associated with the document; select a rank transition function that represents a transition, over a period of time, from the first rank to the second rank; compute, based on the rank transition function, a sequence including a plurality of transition ranks over the period of the time; detect, during the period of time, changes to one or more ranking factors associated with the document; compare the sequence to the detected changes to the one or more ranking factors; identify a signal of rank-modifying spam based on comparing the sequence to the detected changes to the one or more ranking factors; determine whether the signal of rank-modifying spam satisfies a threshold associated with a positive identification of the rank-modifying spamming; and reduce, when the signal of rank-modifying spam satisfies the threshold, a rank score associated with the document. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A non-transitory computer-readable memory device comprising:
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one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more devices, cause the one or more devices to detect a change in a ranking factor associated with a document, where the change causes a rank, for the document, to transition from a first rank to a second rank; one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more devices, cause the one or more devices to identify a rank transition function, where the rank transition function defines how an estimated rank, for the document, changes from the first rank to the second rank over a transition period associated with the transition from first rank to the second rank; one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more devices, cause the one or more devices to calculate, based on the rank transition function, a sequence of estimated ranks, associated with the document, during the transition period, and one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more devices, cause the one or more devices to compare the detected change in the ranking factor to the sequence of estimated ranks, associated with the document, during the transition period; one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more devices, cause the one or more devices to designate the document as being subjected to rank-modifying spam based on a comparison of the detected change and the sequence of estimated ranks; and one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more devices, cause the one or more devices to reduce the rank for the document in response to designating the document as being subjected to the rank-modifying spam. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification