Method and system for verifying websites and providing enhanced search engine services

• US 8,583,448 B1
• Filed: 10/16/2012
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Search and Social Media Partners LLC
• Original Assignee: Search and Social Media Partners LLC
• Inventors: Harrison, Jr., Shelton E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ouellette, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US13/653,358
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

The ownership or control of a website is verified. In one implementation this includes providing a verification identifier and determining whether the verification identifier appears in a first resource or a first location. Enhanced search engine services are provided after verifying ownership or control of the website. Examples of enhanced services includes providing analytics associated with the website; providing an electronic shopping cart or checkout mechanism associated with the website; providing a financial status indicator associated with the website; providing a custom search engine associated with the website; and providing a custom toolbar associated with the website.

Claims

1. A search engine method, said search engine method comprising:

verifying, by a computer, ownership or control of a website, said verifying ownership or control of said website comprising (i) providing a first verification identifier and (ii) determining whether said first verification identifier appears in a first resource or at a first location, said determining comprising accessing a first computer system from a second computer system by way of a first computer network; and

providing access to at least one search engine enhancement service after verifying ownership or control of said website, wherein the at least one search engine enhancement service is selected from the group consisting of;

(i) providing analytics associated with said website;

(ii) providing an electronic shopping cart or checkout mechanism associated with said website;

(iii) providing a financial status indicator associated with said website;

(iv) providing a custom search engine associated with said website; and

(v) providing a custom toolbar associated with said website.

2. The search engine method in claim 1 wherein:

said first verification identifier appears in at least one of (i) a file name or (ii) a tag in said first resource.

3. The search engine method in claim 1 wherein:

the at least one search engine enhancement service that is selected comprises providing an electronic shopping cart or checkout mechanism associated with said website.

4. The search engine method in claim 1 wherein:

the at least one search engine enhancement service that is selected comprises providing a financial status indicator associated with said website.

5. The search engine method in claim 1 wherein:

the at least one search engine enhancement service that is selected comprises providing a custom search engine associated with said website.

6. The search engine method in claim 1 wherein:

the at least one search engine enhancement service that is selected comprises providing a custom toolbar associated with said website.

7. The search engine method in claim 1 wherein:

the at least one search engine enhancement service that is selected comprises providing analytics associated with said website.

8. The method in claim 7 wherein said analytics comprise a first quantity, said first quantity indicating performance of said website according to a first gauge of performance.

9. The method in claim 5 additionally comprising:

receiving a custom search engine specification, parameter, or criterion.

10. The method in claim 6 additionally comprising:

causing, by way of said custom toolbar, display of information specific to said website.

11. The method in claim 6 wherein said custom toolbar comprises first quantity indicia, said first quantity indicia indicating a first quantity, said first quantity being based at least in part on a plurality of user submissions.

12. The method in claim 1 additionally comprising:

receiving a query by way of a first input mode, said first input mode being selected from the group consisting of;

(i) barcode scanner input;

(ii) RFID reader input;

(iii) mobile telephone input; and

(iii) input by way of a first markup language.

13. The method in claim 1 additionally comprising:

receiving a query; and

providing, in response to said query, a query disambiguation button or link, said query disambiguation button or link pertaining to at least one alternate meaning for said query.

14. The method in claim 1 additionally comprising:

receiving a query; and

providing, in response to said query, access to an entry in a community-edited reference resource, said community-edited reference resource being selected from the group consisting of (i) a dictionary, (ii) a thesaurus, (iii) an encyclopedia, (iv) a grammar resource, and (v) a stylebook resource.

15. The method in claim 1 wherein search engine results are determined at least in part according to a relevance method, said relevance method being selected from the group consisting of (i) a citation- or link-based method, (ii) a vote-based method, and (iii) a bid-based method.

16. The method in claim 1 additionally comprising:

receiving a query, said query comprising a product identification code or bookseller number; and

processing a first purchase transaction via a first mobile phone or first mobile scanner.

17. A search engine method, said search engine method comprising:

providing a search engine service, said providing said search engine service comprising providing a plurality of results in response to a first query, said first query being received at a first computer system via a first computer network;

verifying, by a computer, ownership or control of at least one website, said verifying ownership or control comprising (i) generating a first identifier, (ii) requesting a first resource, and (iii) determining whether said first identifier appears in said first resource; and

providing at least one auxiliary service for verified websites;

wherein said auxiliary service is selected from the group consisting of;

(i) providing website analytic data;

(ii) providing an electronic shopping cart or checkout mechanism;

(iii) causing display of financial status indicia;

(iv) providing a customizable search engine;

(v) causing display of a customizable toolbar;

(vi) causing display of an advertisement that is relevant to a first term;

(vii) providing search query disambiguation;

(viii) sharing with a first entity proceeds from a first transaction; and

(ix) causing display of real-time quantity indicia.

18. The search engine method in claim 17 wherein:

said first identifier appears in at least one of (i) first content of said first resource or (ii) a first file name.

19. The search engine method in claim 17 wherein:

said providing said plurality of results is performed at least partly according to a first relevance-ranking methodology, said first relevance-ranking methodology being selected from the group consisting of (i) a link-based methodology, (ii) a payment-based methodology, (iii) a vote-based methodology, and (iv) a freshness-based methodology.

20. The search engine method in claim 19 wherein:

said first relevance-ranking methodology is said link-based methodology, said link-based methodology pertaining to hyperlinks to a first URL.

21. The search engine method in claim 19 wherein:

said first relevance-ranking methodology is said payment-based methodology, said payment-based methodology pertaining to a first bid, said first bid pertaining to inclusion of a first URL in said plurality of results.

22. The search engine method in claim 19 wherein:

said first relevance-ranking methodology is said payment-based methodology, said payment-based methodology pertaining to a first advertisement, said first advertisement being associated with a first term.

23. The search engine method in claim 19 wherein:

said website analytic data comprises at least a measure of performance, said measure of performance pertaining to a first URL.

24. A search engine system, said search engine system comprising:

a first computer system, said first computer system communicatively coupled to a second computer system by way of a first computer network;

a search engine component, said search engine component configured to provide a plurality of results in response to a first query;

a verification component, said verification component configured to generate a first identifier and to determine whether said first identifier is available by way of a first URL; and

a search engine enhancement component, said search engine enhancement component being selected from the group consisting of;

(i) a component configured for providing analytical data pertaining to a first plurality of websites;

(ii) a component configured for providing, through said first computer network, access to a shopping cart or checkout mechanism;

(iii) a component configured for causing real-time display of at least one of (a) a dollar amount or (b) a financial status badge or icon;

(iv) a component configured for providing a custom search engine;

(v) a component configured for providing a dynamic toolbar;

(vi) a component configured for causing display of an ad in association with a word;

(vii) a component configured for causing display of at least one option, said at least one option pertaining to disambiguating a search query; and

(viii) a component configured for sharing proceeds from a first transaction.

25. The search engine system in claim 24 wherein:

said analytical data comprises at least a first measure of performance, said first measure of performance pertaining to at least a first website, said first plurality of websites being registered to a first registered user and comprising said first website.

26. The search engine system in claim 24 wherein:

said search engine component is configured to provide said plurality of results in accordance with a first relevance-determination methodology, said first relevance-determination methodology being selected from the group consisting of (i) a link-based methodology and (ii) a payment-based methodology.

27. The search engine system in claim 24 wherein:

said dynamic toolbar comprises the component configured for causing real-time display of said at least one of (a) said dollar amount or (b) said financial status badge or icon.

28. The search engine system of claim 24 further comprising:

a component for integrating communication technology with said search engine component, said component for integrating communication technology with said search engine component being selected from the group consisting of;

(i) a component for integrating speech technology with said search engine component;

(ii) a component for integrating barcode or RFID technology with said search engine component;

(iii) a component for integrating mobile telephone technology with said search engine component; and

(iv) a component for receiving and parsing a first XML submission, said first XML submission comprising an identification of at least one database.

29. A method comprising:

operating a website on a first computer system, said first computer system being communicatively coupled to a computer network;

submitting a first URL to a second computer system via said computer network;

receiving a first verification identifier after said submitting said first URL;

including said first verification identifier in at least a first resource, said website comprising said first resource; and

accessing at least one search engine enhancement service for the website after said including said first verification identifier, wherein the at least one search engine enhancement service is selected from the group consisting of;

(i) accessing analytics associated with said website, said analytics comprising information about said website;

(ii) accessing an electronic shopping cart or checkout mechanism associated with said website;

(iii) at least partly causing display of a real-time financial status indicator associated with said website;

(iv) submitting at least one criterion or parameter to customize a search engine; and

(v) submitting at least one criterion or parameter to customize a toolbar.

30. The method in claim 29 wherein:

said including said first verification identifier in at least said first resource comprises including said first verification identifier in a first name of said first resource or in first content of said first resource; and

said search engine is configured to provide a plurality of results in accordance with a first relevance-determination methodology, said first relevance-determination methodology being selected from the group consisting of (i) a link-based methodology and (ii) a payment-based methodology.