Ranking communities based on content

• US 9,483,524 B1
• Filed: 09/04/2013
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Horling, Bryan Christopher, Kolak, Okan
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Tiffany Thuy
• Application Number:
  US14/018,015
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 707/723
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Systems and methods for ranking communities based on content are described. One of the methods includes receiving a search query. The search query is received from a first user of a social network. The method includes examining content within communities to determine whether one or more of the communities satisfy the search query. Each community is associated with the social network and includes one or more posts. The method further includes ranking the communities based on the examination of the content for presentation of the communities in a ranked order on a client device in response to the search query. The ranked order includes an arrangement of one or more of the communities with more content related to the search query in an elevated prominence compared to one or more of the communities having less content related to the search query.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a search query, the search query received from a first user of a social network;

analyzing, by the processor, content within communities to identify one or more of the communities that have content related to the search query, wherein each community is associated with the social network and includes one or more posts, the one or more posts in a community received from one or more members of the community, and wherein the one or more of the communities are identified when there is a content match between the search query and content of a statistical amount of members of the one or more of the communities;

for each identified community, determining a statistical amount of members of the identified community that have posted content related to the search query in the identified community, wherein the statistical amount corresponds to at least a majority number of members in the identified community; and

ranking, by the processor, the communities for presentation of the communities in a ranked order on a client device in response to the search query, the ranked order arranging one or more of the communities with a higher statistical amount of members that have posted content related to the search query in an elevated prominence compared to one or more of the communities having a lower statistical amount of members that have posted content related to the search query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each community has one or more owners and one or more administrators.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein examining the content includes examining posts within the communities, metadata associated with the posts, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the communities is performed based on topics discussed in threads within the communities, the threads including the content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the communities is performed based on a number of shares of posts within the communities, the posts including the content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the communities is performed based on a number of posts within the communities, the posts including the content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the communities is performed based on interactions of members with the communities.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the communities is performed based on a number of social network friends of the first user within the communities.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the communities is performed based on languages used within the communities by members of the communities and a preference language of the first user, the languages used to express the content.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the communities is performed based on an amount of spam within the communities.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the communities is performed based on a number of members within the communities.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the communities is performed based on a location of the first user and locations of the communities.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the communities is performed based on numbers of members joining the communities within a time period.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the communities is performed based on numbers of members leaving the communities within a time period.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the communities is performed based on numbers of members joining and leaving the communities within a time period.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the communities is performed based on dates of creation of the communities.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the communities is performed based on dates of interactions of members of the communities with the communities.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the communities is performed based on ratios of numbers of posts made within the communities by members of the communities and numbers of the members.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the communities is performed based on a weighted combination of:

the content occurring within the communities;

a number of shares of posts within the communities;

interactions of members with the communities;

a number of social network friends of the first user within the communities;

a match between languages used within the communities by members of the communities and a preference language of the first user, the languages used to express the content;

an amount of spam within the communities;

a match between a location of the first user and locations of the communities;

numbers of members joining the communities within a time period;

numbers of members leaving the communities within the time period;

numbers of members joining and leaving the communities within the time period;

dates of creation of the communities;

dates of interactions of members of the communities with the communities; and

ratios of numbers of posts made within the communities by members of the communities and numbers of the members.

20. A system comprising:

a memory to store user accounts associated with a first user and members of communities; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, the processor to;

receive a search query, the search query received from the first user of a social network;

analyze content within the communities to identify one or more of the communities that have content related to the search query, wherein each community is associated with the social network and includes one or more posts, the one or more posts in a community received from one or more members of the community, and wherein the one or more of the communities are identified when there is a content match between the search query and content of a statistical amount of members of the one or more of the communities;

for each identified community, determine a statistical amount of members of the identified community that have posted content related to the search query in the identified community, wherein the statistical amount corresponds to at least a majority number of members in the identified community; and

rank the communities for presentation of the communities in a ranked order on a client device in response to the search query, the ranked order arranging one or more of the communities with a higher statistical amount of members that have posted content related to the search query in an elevated prominence compared to one or more of the communities having a lower statistical amount of members that have posted content related to the search query.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein each community has one or more owners and one or more administrators.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a search query, the search query received from a first user of a social network;

analyze content within communities to identify one or more of the communities that have content related to the search query, wherein each community is associated with the social network and includes one or more posts, the one or more posts in a community received from one or more members of the community, and wherein the one or more of the communities are identified when there is a content match between the search query and content of a statistical amount of members of the one or more of the communities; and

rank the communities for presentation of the communities in a ranked order on a client device in response to the search query, the ranked order arranging one or more of the communities with a higher statistical amount of members that have posted content related to the search query in an elevated prominence compared to one or more of the communities having a lower statistical amount of members that have posted content related to the search query, wherein the statistical amount corresponds to at least a majority number of members in the identified community.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein each community has one or more owners and one or more administrators.