Local business ranking using mapping information

• US 8,312,010 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2007
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Johnny, Mysen, Clarence Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Kimberly
• Assistant Examiner(s): Uddin, Mohammed R
• Application Number:
  US11/840,202
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 707/723, 707/724, 707/725, 707/999.003
• US Class Current: 707/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for ranking local businesses. One or more signals indicating one or more actions related to a plurality of business listings are received. The business listings are ranked based on the signals. A search query is received, and in response to the search query, one or more of the business listings are presented in an order based at least on the ranking.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

maintaining, for each listing in a plurality of business listings, a respective count for each of a plurality of types of user actions related to the business listing, the plurality of types of user actions including business type query actions, map requests for an address associated with a listing and user actions on a map;

determining, for each listing in the plurality of business listings, a weighted count for the business listing by weighting each of the respective counts for the business listing according to the type of user action, wherein a respective count for a user action associated with a request to contact a business is weighted more than the respective counts of the other types of user actions, and wherein the weighted count is a linear combination that includes a sum of product terms aC₁, bC₂, . . . , zC_n, where each of the counts C₁, C₂, . . . , C_n for a type of user action is weighted by a respective weight a, b, . . . , z;

ranking, by a processor, the business listings based at least in part on the weighted counts for the business listings;

receiving a search query; and

in response to the search query, presenting one or more of the business listings in an order based at least on the ranking.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user actions comprise one or more interactions associated with a first business listing of the business listings in a mapping service.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the interactions comprise a user request to dial a phone number associated with the first business listing.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the interactions comprise a user request for directions to an address associated with the first business listing.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the interactions comprise a user request to present a review of the first business listing.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the interactions comprise a user request to have the first business listing transmitted to a mobile device.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the interactions comprise a user selection of a map location marker corresponding to the first business listing in the mapping service.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the business type query actions comprises a query for an address associated with a business listing through a search engine interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the business type query actions comprises a request for mapping data by a syndicated mapping service, the mapping data including data associated with a business listing.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the request comprises a request of the mapping data through an application programming interface.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking a respective business listing comprises:

determining a score for the respective business listings using the respective weighted counts maintained for the business listing, including the respective weighted counts for the plurality of types of user actions.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein weighting each of the respective counts according to the type of user action includes weighting each of the respective counts to reflect the relative value of the user action associated with the respective count in indicating user interest in the business.

13. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

instructions configured for execution by the one or more processors, the instructions when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

maintaining, for each of a plurality of business listings, a respective count for each of a plurality of types of user actions related to the business listing, the plurality of types of user actions including business type query actions, map requests for an address associated with a listing and user actions on a map;

determining, for each of the plurality of business listings, a weighted count by weighting each of the respective counts for the business listing according to the type of user action, wherein a respective count for a user action associated with a request to contact a business is weighted more than the respective counts of the other types of user actions, and wherein the weighted count is a linear combination that includes a sum of product terms aC₁, bC₂, . . . , zC_n, where each of the counts C₁, C₂, . . . , C_n for a type of user action is weighted by a respective weight a, b, . . . , z;

ranking, by a processor, the business listings based at least in part on the weighted counts for the business listings;

receive a search query; and

present, in response to the search query, one or more of the business listings in an order based at least on the ranking.

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

maintaining, for each of a plurality of business listings, a respective count for each of a plurality of types of user actions related to the business listing, the plurality of types of user actions including business type query actions, map requests for an address associated with a listing and user actions on a map;

determining, for each of the plurality of business listings, a weighted count by weighting each of the respective counts for the business listing according to the type of user action, wherein a respective count for a user action associated with a request to contact a business is weighted more than the respective counts of the other types of user actions, and wherein the weighted count is a linear combination that includes a sum of product terms aC₁, bC₂, . . . , zC_n, where each of the counts C₁, C₂, . . . , C_n for a type of user action is weighted by a respective weight a, b, . . . , z;

ranking, by a processor, the business listings based at least in part on the respective weighted counts for the business listings,

receiving a search query; and

in response to the search query, presenting one or more of the business listings in an order based at least on the ranking.

15. A system, comprising:

one or more computer processors;

means for maintaining, for each of a plurality of business listings, a respective count for each of a plurality of types of user actions related to the business listing, the plurality of types of user actions including business type query actions, map requests for an address associated with a listing and user actions on a map;

determining, for each of the plurality of business listings, a weighted count by weighting each of the respective counts for the business listing according to the type of user action and in which a respective count for a user action associated with a request to contact a business is weighted more than the respective counts of the other types of user actions, and wherein the weighted count is a linear combination that includes a sum of product terms aC₁, bC₂, . . . , zC_n, where each of the counts C₁, C₂, . . . , C_n for a type of user action is weighted by a respective weight a, b, . . . , z;

means for ranking the business listings based at least in part on the weighted counts for the business listings;

means for receiving a search query; and

means for presenting, in response to the search query, one or more of the business listings in an order based at least on the ranking.