Method and system for improving relevance of web content

• US 8,909,633 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2011
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Agrawal, Ashvin, Sobti, Ankit, Malakar, Arup
• Primary Examiner(s): Vy, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US13/174,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20130006977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 707/728, 707/722, 707/751, 707/748, 707/749, 707/723, 707/758
• US Class Current: 707/728
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering

Abstract

A method and system for improving relevance of web content. The method includes receiving a search query from a user. The method also includes processing the search query by generating a list of web content results based on the search query. The search query is also processed by determining a plurality of click counts for the list of web content results. Each click count of the plurality of click counts is generated by one or more contacts in a social network of the user. The search query is further processed by mapping each click count to a corresponding web content result in the list of web content results. The method further includes displaying the list of web content results along with the plurality of click counts. Each click count of the plurality of click counts is displayed with the corresponding web content result in the list of web content results.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, a search query from a user;

generating, via the computing device, a list of web content results based on the search query;

determining, via the computing device, a plurality of click counts for the list of web content results, each click count of the plurality of click counts associated with one or more contacts in a social network of the user, wherein demographic similarity and a higher click count indicate a higher relevance of a result of the search query;

mapping, via the computing device, each click count to a corresponding web content result in the list of web content results;

communicating the list of web content results along with the plurality of click counts, each click count of the plurality of click counts communicated with the corresponding web content result in the list of web content results, said communication comprising facilitating display of the list of web content results along with the plurality of click counts; and

providing, via the computing device, a second plurality of search queries to the user, the second plurality of search queries being similar to the search query from the user, each of the second plurality of search queries having been previously entered by the one or more contacts from the social network of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of web content results along with the plurality of click counts is displayed in one window.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

facilitating displaying the list of web content results in a first window; and

facilitating displaying the list of web content results along with the plurality of click counts in a second window.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the second plurality of search queries comprises:

mining the second plurality of search queries from a first plurality of search queries.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first plurality of search queries are created by the one or more contacts in the social network of the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the list of web content results comprises:

ranking the list of web content results using a search algorithm.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of web content results comprises one or more of search results, search suggestions, links and advertisements.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly encoded with a computer program product that when executed by a processor, performs a method comprising:

receiving a search query from a user;

generating a list of web content results based on the search query;

determining a plurality of click counts for the list of web content results, each click count of the plurality of click counts being generated by one or more contacts in a social network of the user, wherein demographic similarity and a higher click count indicate a higher relevance of a result of the search query;

mapping each click count to a corresponding web content result in the list of web content results;

communicating the list of web content results along with the plurality of click counts, each click count of the plurality of click counts communicated with the corresponding web content result in the list of web content results, said communication comprising facilitating display of the list of web content results along with the plurality of click counts; and

providing a second plurality of search queries to the user, the second plurality of search queries being similar to the search query from the user, each of the second plurality of search queries having been previously entered by the one or more contacts from the social network of the user.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the list of web content results along with the plurality of click counts is displayed in one window.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 further comprising:

facilitating displaying the list of web content results in a first window; and

facilitating displaying the list of web content results along with the plurality of click counts in a second window.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein providing the second plurality of search queries comprises:

mining the second plurality of search queries from a first plurality of search queries.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first plurality of search queries is created by the one or more contacts in the social network of the user.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein generating the list of web content results comprises:

ranking the list of web content results using a search algorithm.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the list of web content results comprises one or more of search results, search suggestions, links and advertisements.

15. A system comprising:

one or more electronic devices;

a communication interface in electronic communication with the one or more electronic devices;

a memory that stores instructions; and

a processor responsive to the instructions to;

receive a search query from a user;

generating a list of web content results based on the search query;

determine a plurality of click counts for the list of web content results, each click count of the plurality of click counts being generated by one or more contacts in a social network of the user, wherein demographic similarity and a higher click count indicate a higher relevance of a result of the search query;

map each click count to a corresponding web content result in the list of web content results;

communicate the list of web content results along with the plurality of click counts, each click count of the plurality of click counts communicated with the corresponding web content result in the list of web content results, said communication comprising facilitating display of the list of web content results along with the plurality of click counts; and

provide a second plurality of search queries to the user, the second plurality of search queries being similar to the search query from the user, each of the second plurality of search queries having been previously entered by the one or more contacts from the social network of the user.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

an electronic storage device that stores the list of web content results, a first plurality of search queries, and a second plurality of search queries.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further responsive to the instructions to:

mine the second plurality of search queries from the first plurality of search queries; and

provide the second plurality of search queries to the user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first plurality of search queries is created by the one or more contacts in the social network of the user.