Methods and systems for improving a search ranking using population information

• US 8,510,294 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2011
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Tong, Simon, Pearson, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US13/327,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20120089586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 707/723, 707/769, 709/203
• US Class Current: 707/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

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 population associated with the search query is determined, an article (such as a webpage) associated with the search query is determined, and a ranking score for the article based at least in part on data associated with the population is determined. Algorithms and types of data associated with a population useful in carrying out such systems and methods are described.

Claims

1. A method for determining a search ranking score, comprising:

(a) receiving a search query;

(b) determining a first population associated with the search query based on at least one sender of the search query;

(c) determining a first article associated with the search query; and

(d) determining a first ranking score for the first article based at least in part on data associated with the first population.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first population associated with the search query comprises determining a demographic data associated with the sender of the search query.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the demographic data associated with the sender comprises determining a likely geographic location for the sender.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the likely geographic location for the sender comprises determining at least one of the following:

the Internet Protocol address from which the search query was sent;

an address input by the sender to access a search engine; and

demographic data input by the sender.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first population associated with the search query comprises determining a demographic data associated with the search query.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the demographic data associated with the search query comprises at least one of the following:

determining the language of the search query; and

determining data associated with previous senders of the search query.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first population associated with the search query comprises determining a self-identification data associated with the sender.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the self-identification data is selected from at least one of the following:

user registration data, user preference data, and user selected data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first population associated with the search query comprises determining an automatic-identification data associated with the sender.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the automatic-identification data comprises at least one of the following:

an IP address, a domain, and default data obtained in an application associated with the sender.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the first population comprises a selection score for the first article in a context of the first population.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the selection score for the first article in the context of the first population comprises a number of clicks for the first article by members of the first population.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the first population comprises a number of members of the first population.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the number of members of the first population comprises a number of members of the first population that selected a result returned for the search query.

15. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a computer readable medium containing program code that when executed causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising;

(a) receiving a search query;

(b) determining a first population associated with the search query based on at least one sender of the search query;

(c) determining a first article associated with the search query; and

(d) determining a first ranking score for the first article based at least in part on data associated with the first population.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein determining the first population associated with the search query comprises determining a demographic data associated with the sender of the search query.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein determining the demographic data associated with the sender comprises determining a likely geographic location for the sender.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein determining the first population associated with the search query comprises determining a demographic data associated with the search query.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein determining the demographic data associated with the search query comprises at least one of the following:

determining the language of the search query; and

determining data associated with previous senders of the search query.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the data associated with the first population comprises a selection score for the first article in a context of the first population.