Methods and systems for analyzing search terms in a multi-tenant database system environment

• US 9,223,852 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2011
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Lopitaux, Francois, Giraudy, Etienne, Fischer, Mark A., Hosxe, Xavier
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Shiow-Jy
• Application Number:
  US13/070,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: 707/769, 707/E17.014
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

Knowledge base is gaining popularity as a customer support tool. Customers search the knowledge base for solutions to their issues. Keywords searched in knowledge base are analyzed and reports are made available for managers and supervisors to understand the trends and requirements of customers. The number of keywords searched can be extremely large in some organizations. In this specification, storing the keywords in a meaningful way in order to generate report for further analysis is discussed. Efficient data storage helps in managing voluminous data and also reducing the amount of memory required to store the data. Any of the above embodiments can be used independently or together with any combination of other embodiments.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing search terms in a database system, the method comprising:

tracking, over a first period of time, by a host system including one or more machines having a processor system having one or more processors, data received from a user system that includes at least one keyword searched in at least one database, the at least one keyword searched including a first category and a second category, the first keyword category being a word or phrase having provided successful retrieval of one or more articles, the second keyword category being a word or phrase associated with unsuccessful retrieval of one or more articles, the host system being part of the database system, the at least one database including a knowledge base associated with a community website, the knowledge base having a collection of articles related to problems and solutions related to common interests of a community, including documentation of knowledge and self-learning for reducing costs associated with a customer support system, the customer support system including customer records linking to articles of the knowledge base;

determining, by the host system, for the at least one keyword searched at least;

a quantity of how many times the keyword was searched, a quantity of how many times one or more articles with the keyword was viewed, and a quantity of how many votes for the one or more articles was received;

aggregating, by the host system, the tracked data of the first period of time by at least summarizing the tracked data of the keyword searched, the aggregating including at least;

sorting, by the host system, the tracked data of the first period of time according to the first keyword category capable of storing tracked data concerning the one or more articles successfully retrieved and the second keyword category capable of storing tracked data concerning the one or more articles unsuccessfully retrieved,

adding, by the host system, the quantity of how many times the keyword was searched to the first keyword category of the tracked data of the first period of time,

adding, by the host system, the quantity of how many times one or more articles with the keyword was viewed to the first keyword category of the tracked data of the first period of time,

adding, by the host system, the quantity of how many votes for the one or more articles was received to the first keyword category of the tracked data of the first period of time,

identifying, by the host system, previously tracked data of a second period of time, the second period of time having a greater duration than the first period of time, and

combining, by the host system, the tracked data of the first period of time with the previously tracked data of the second period of time, the combined tracked data incorporating data from the first keyword category and the second keyword category of the first period of time, the combined tracked data being stored as the aggregated tracked data at the host system; and

generating a report, by the host system, including information about the at least one keyword searched based on the stored aggregated tracked data.

2. The method of claim 1, the database system includes at least the knowledge base, which is a repository of articles and content related to solutions to customer issues, the at least one keyword searched having been searched for in the knowledge base.

3. The method of claim 1, tracking includes at least determining how many searches were conducted based on the at least one keyword.

4. The method of claim 1, tracking includes at least determining, by the host system, how many times a webpage with the at least one keyword was viewed.

5. The method of claim 1, tracking includes at least determining, host system, how many votes a webpage having an article with the at least one keyword were received.

6. The method of claim 1, the aggregating including at least aggregating, by the host system, keywords that were searched most often, the aggregating occurring on a daily basis.

7. The method of claim 6, the keywords that were searched most often are selected, by the host system, from keywords that retrieved at least an article.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

storing, by the host system, a case associated with users;

associating, by the host system, articles with the case, the articles associated with the case being relevant to the case;

determining, by the host system, articles that are stored in the knowledge base that are not associated with any case.

9. The method of claim 6, the at least one keyword that were searched the most include at least keywords that did not retrieve any article, therein indicating that the keywords are not retrieving the articles that were sought.

10. The method of claim 1, the aggregating includes at least monthly aggregating of daily aggregation data of the previous month.

11. The method of claim 1, the aggregating includes at least deleting, by the host system, older daily aggregation data.

12. The method of claim 1, aggregating, by the host system, the data over a first time period;

and

aggregating by the host system, over a second time period that is longer than the first time period.

13. The method of claim 1, the aggregating includes at least yearly aggregating, by the host s stem of monthly aggregation data of a previous year.

14. The method of claim 1, the aggregating includes at least deleting, by the host system, older monthly aggregation data.

15. The method of claim 1, the at least one database includes at least a knowledge base, which is a repository storing content related to solutions to customer issues;

the tracking includes at least;

determining, by the host system, how many searches were made for the at least one keyword;

determining, by the host system, an indication of how many times a webpage with the at least one keyword was viewed;

and

determining, by the host system, how many votes for a webpage having an article with the at least one keyword were received;

the aggregating includes at least;

aggregating, by the host system, the tracked data over a first time period, aggregating, by the host system, over a second time period that is longer than the first time period, the aggregating over the second time period including at least aggregating results of the aggregating over the first time period,

aggregating, by the host system, over a third time period that is longer than the second time period, the aggregating over the third time period including at least aggregating results of the aggregating over the second time period, and

the at least one keyword include at least;

keywords that were most often used in a search and that retrieved at least an article, and

keywords that were most often used in a search and that did not retrieve any article.

16. A method of claim 1, the storing of the aggregated tracked data includes storing the aggregated tracked data in a tabular format having at least columns for an organization identifier, an identifier for an object related to the tracking, an identifier of a type of tracking, a date of aggregation, a channel, a prefix to the identifier for an object related to the tracking, a count of a total number of searches, a count of a number of searches performed over a given time period, and an indication whether the aggregated tracked data stored is a daily aggregation or a monthly aggregation or a yearly aggregation;

the prefix to the identifier for the object related to the tracking indicates a type of the object related to the tracking.

17. A method of claim 1, wherein the report generated can be displayed in a graphical format.

18. A machine comprising:

a processor;

a non-transient machine readable medium storing thereon one or more instructions for implementing a web application that includes one or more instructions that cause the processor to perform the method of claim 1.

19. A system comprising:

one or more machines having one or more processors operable to cause;

tracking, over a first period of time, by a host system including one or more machines having a processor system having one or more processors, data received from a user system that includes at least one keyword searched in at least one database, the at least one keyword searched including a first category and a second category, the first keyword category being a word or phrase having provided successful retrieval of one or more articles, the second keyword category being a word or phrase associated with unsuccessful retrieval of one or more articles, the host system being part of the database system, the at least one database including a knowledge base associated with a community website, the knowledge base having a collection of articles related to problems and solutions related to common interests of a community, including documentation of knowledge and self-learning for reducing costs associated with a customer support system, the customer support system including customer records linking to articles of the knowledge base;

determining, by the host system, for the at least one keyword searched at least;

a quantity of how many times the keyword was searched, a quantity of how many times one or more articles with the keyword was viewed, and a quantity of how many votes for the one or more articles was received;

aggregating, by the host system, the tracked data of the first period of time by at least summarizing the tracked data of the keyword searched, the aggregating including at least;

sorting, by the host system, the tracked data of the first period of time according to the first keyword category capable of storing tracked data concerning the one or more articles successfully retrieved and the second keyword category capable of storing tracked data concerning the one or more articles unsuccessfully retrieved,

adding, by the host system, the quantity of how many times the keyword was searched to the first keyword category of the tracked data of the first period of time,

adding, by the host system, the quantity of how many times one or more articles with the keyword was viewed to the first keyword category of the tracked data of the first period of time,

adding, by the host system, the quantity of how many votes for the one or more articles was received to the first keyword category of the tracked data of the first period of time,

identifying, by the host system, previously tracked data of a second period of time, the second period of time having a greater duration than the first period of time, and

combining, by the host system, the tracked data of the first period of time with the previously tracked data of the second period of time, the combined tracked data incorporating data from the first keyword category and the second keyword category of the first period of time, the combined tracked data being stored as the aggregated tracked data at the host system; and

generating a report, by the host system, including information about the at least one keyword searched based on the stored aggregated tracked data.