Locally significant search queries

• US 9,348,925 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Upstill, Trystan G., Grushetskyy, Oleksandr, Damian, Andrei, Panda, Navneet, Ozgur, Aysel
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Phuong Thao
• Application Number:
  US13/161,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20140172843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,804 Days
• Field of Search: 707/705, 707/724
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for servicing search queries. In one aspect, a method includes determining that a general search query is a locally significant query for a user location that is associated with the user general search query. In turn, a local search query is generated using the general search query and a location phrase representing the user location. A set of set of general search results responsive to the general search query and a set of local search results responsive to the local search query are requested. A final set of search results responsive to the search query are selected. The final set of search results include at least one search result that is included in the set of local search results, and is not included in a pre-specified quantity of highest ranking search results from the set of general search results. Data that cause presentation of the final set of search results are provided.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more data processing apparatuses, the method comprising:

identifying a general search query that does not include a location phrase, wherein a location phrase is one or more terms that specify a geographic location;

determining, for the general search query, a map query rate based on a ratio of a number of times that the general search query was received through an online map interface presenting the geographic location relative to a total number of times that the general search query was received;

determining that the general search query is a locally significant query for the geographic location based, at least in part, on the map query rate for the general search query exceeding a threshold value;

creating a local search query using the general search query and a location phrase representing the geographic location;

requesting a set of general search results responsive to the general search query and a set of local search results responsive to the local search query;

selecting, from the set of general search results and the set of local search results, a final set of search results including at least one local search result from the set of local search results and at least one general search result from the set of general search results; and

providing data that cause presentation of the final set of search results.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the general search query is a locally significant query for the geographic location further comprises determining that the general search query has been received from user devices associated with the geographic location at least a threshold number of times over a specified period.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining that the general search query has been received from user devices associated with the geographic location at least a threshold number of times over a specified period comprises:

computing a local query count for a reference period, a local query count specifying a number of times that the general search query was received from user devices that are associated with the geographic location;

computing a local query count for a specified period, the specified period being different than the reference period; and

comparing the local query count for the specified period to the local query count for the reference period.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining that the local query count for the specific period exceeds an expected query count by at least a threshold amount.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining that the geographic location is associated with a user device based on a geographic identifier that specifies a geographic region for the user device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein creating a local search query using a general search query and a location phrase representing the geographic location comprises:

selecting, from a set of locally significant search queries for the geographic location, a locally significant search query that matches the general search query; and

creating a local search query that includes the selected locally significant search query and the location phrase.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a final set of search results comprises:

selecting a pre-specified quantity of general search results to be presented in an available quantity of presentation positions of a search results page; and

selecting local search results to be presented in a remaining quantity of presentation positions of the search results page.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a final set of search results comprises selecting, for inclusion in the final set of search results, local search results that have at least a minimum threshold click-through-rate when presented in response to the local search query.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a final set of search results comprises:

selecting, for inclusion in the final set of search results, general search results having result scores that exceed a result score threshold, wherein the result score threshold represents a minimum result score required for a search result to be presented in an initial search results page;

selecting, for inclusion in the final set of search results, a local search result that has a result score for the local search query that is higher than a result score for a general search result that has been selected to be included in the final set of search results; and

removing, from the final set of search results, a general search result having a lowest result score.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a final set of search results comprises:

selecting, for inclusion in the final set of search results, a first quantity of highest ranking general search results;

selecting, for inclusion in the final set of search results, a second quantity of highest ranking local search results; and

selecting a presentation order for selected search results, the presentation order being selected according to result scores for the selected search results.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the location phrase is selected from a set of location phrases including a city and a zip code.

12. A system, comprising:

a data store storing a set of general search queries that were submitted through a map interface, the general search queries being search queries that do not include a location phrase specifying a geographic location;

one or more data processing apparatuses that interact with the data store and perform operations comprising;

identifying, for one of the general search queries, a map query rate based on a ratio of a number of times that the general search query was received through an online map interface presenting the geographic location relative to a total number of times that the general search query was received;

determining that the general search query is a locally significant query for the geographic location based, at least in part, on the map query rate for the general search query exceeding a threshold value;

creating a local search query using the general search query and a location phrase representing the geographic location;

identifying a set of general search results responsive to the general search query and a set of local search results responsive to the local search query;

selecting, from the set of general search results and the set of local search results, a final set of search results including at least one local search result from the set of local search results and at least one general search result from the set of general search results; and

providing data that cause presentation of the final set of search results.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein determining that the general search query is a locally significant query for the geographic location further comprises determining that the general search query has been received from user devices associated with the geographic location at least a threshold number of times over a specified period.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more data processing apparatuses perform operations comprising determining that the geographic location is associated with a user device based on a geographic identifier that specifies a geographic region for the user device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein selecting a final set of search results comprises selecting for inclusion in the final set of search results, local search results that have at least a minimum threshold click-through-rate.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein selecting a final set of search results comprises:

selecting, for inclusion in the final set of search results, general search results having result scores that exceed a result score threshold, wherein the result score threshold represents a minimum result score required for a search result to be presented in an initial search results page;

selecting, for inclusion in the final set of search results, a local search result that has a result score for the local search query that is higher than a result score for a general search result that has been selected to be included in the final set of search results; and

removing, from the final set of search results, a general search result having a lowest result score.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a user device that is configured to interact with the one or more data processing apparatuses to provide the general search query and present the final set of search results using the data provided by the one or more data processing apparatuses.