Generating Website Profiles Based on Queries from Websites and User Activities on the Search Results

Abstract

In a method of profiling a website, an information server receives multiple search queries from a website submitted by different users. Different search results responsive to the search queries are provided to the requesting users. The information server monitors activities of the users on the search results and generates a profile for the website using the search queries and the user activities. When the information server receives a same search query from two different websites, it identifies a plurality of information items associated with the search query. The information server uses profiles of the two websites to customize the information items into two different orders and serves the information items to the two websites in the two different orders.

1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 at a server having memory and one or more processors:
 receiving from a website search queries submitted by users of the website; 
 providing to the users search results responsive to the search queries; 
 processing activities of the users on the search results; 
 generating a website profile for the website using the processed activities on the search results by the users; and 
 modifying, based on the generated website profile, rankings of search results provided in response to new search queries from the website. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the user activities include user selections of the search results and mouse hovering time on the search results. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein a subset of the search queries is used for generating the website profile by sub-sampling the search queries during a predefined time period. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein a subset of the search queries is used for generating the website profile by choosing search queries having a predefined range of occurrence frequency. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein temporally recent search queries and user activities on the search results responsive thereto are given more weight than temporally remote search queries and user activities on the search results responsive thereto during the generation of the website profile. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the modifying further includes:
 receiving from the website a respective new search query submitted by a user at a client;   identifying a plurality of information items associated with the new search query;   ranking the information items in accordance with the website profile; and providing the ranked information items for display to the requesting user at the client.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein the ranking of an information item further includes:
 assigning a generic ranking score to the information item, wherein the generic ranking score is independent from the website profile;   generating a website-dependent ranking score by modifying the generic ranking score with a weighting factor that is determined, at least in part, by the website profile; and   determining a display order for the information item in accordance with the website-dependent ranking score.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , further including:
 processing the user's activities on the ranked information items; and   updating the website profile using the processed user activities and the new search query.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , further including:
 generating an incremental website profile using new search queries and new user activities collected during a predefined time period; and   merging the incremental website profile into the website profile to generate an updated website profile.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further including:
 for a respective webpage of the website:
 identifying a group of search queries submitted by a set of users visiting the webpage from respective clients; 
 providing search results responsive to the group of search queries to the set of users at the respective clients; 
 processing activities of the set of users on the search results; 
 generating a webpage profile for the webpage using the processed user activities on the search results by the set of users; and 
 modifying, based on the generated webpage profile, rankings of search results provided in response to new search queries associated with the webpage. 
   
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein the website profile includes multiple webpage profiles, each webpage profile being associated with at least one webpage of the website. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein the modifying further includes:
 receiving from the website a respective new search query submitted by a user at a client, wherein the new search query was submitted by the user when visiting the webpage;   identifying a plurality of information items associated with the new search query;   ranking the information items in accordance with the webpage profile; and   providing the ranked information items for display to the requesting user at the client.   
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein the ranking of an information item further includes:
 assigning a generic ranking score to the information item, wherein the generic ranking score is independent from the webpage profile;   generating a webpage-dependent ranking score by multiplying the generic ranking score by a weighting factor that is determined, at least in part, by the webpage profile; and   determining a display order for the information item in accordance with the webpage-dependent ranking score.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , further including:
 processing the user's activities on the ranked information items; and   updating the webpage profile using the processed user activities and the new search query.   
     
     
         15 . A computer system, comprising:
 memory;   one or more processors; and   one or more programs, stored in the main memory and executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
 receiving from a website search queries submitted by users of the website; 
 providing to the users search results responsive to the search queries; 
 processing activities of the users on the search results; 
 generating a website profile for the website using the processed activities on the search results by the users; and 
 modifying, based on the generated website profile, rankings of search results provided in response to new search queries from the website. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein the user activities include user selections of the search results and mouse hovering time on the search results. 
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein a subset of the search queries is used for generating the website profile by sub-sampling the search queries during a predefined time period. 
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein a subset of the search queries is used for generating the website profile by choosing search queries having a predefined range of occurrence frequency. 
     
     
         19 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein temporally recent search queries and user activities on the search results responsive thereto are given more weight than temporally remote search queries and user activities on the search results responsive thereto during the generation of the website profile. 
     
     
         20 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions for modifying rankings of search results further include instructions for:
 receiving from the website a respective new search query submitted by a user at a client;   identifying a plurality of information items associated with the new search query;   ranking the information items in accordance with the website profile; and   providing the ranked information items for display to the requesting user at the client.   
     
     
         21 . The computer system of  claim 20 , wherein the instructions for ranking an information item further include instructions for:
 assigning a generic ranking score to the information item, wherein the generic ranking score is independent from the website profile;   generating a website-dependent ranking score by modifying the generic ranking score with a weighting factor that is determined, at least in part, by the website profile; and   determining a display order for the information item in accordance with the website-dependent ranking score.   
     
     
         22 . The computer system of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one program further includes instructions for:
 processing the user's activities on the ranked information items; and   updating the website profile using the processed user activities and the new search query.   
     
     
         23 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by the computer system, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:
 receiving from a website search queries submitted by users of the website;   providing to the users search results responsive to the search queries;   processing activities of the users on the search results;   generating a website profile for the website using the processed activities on the search results by the users; and   modifying, based on the generated website profile, rankings of search results provided in response to new search queries from the website.   
     
     
         24 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the user activities include user selections of the search results and mouse hovering time on the search results. 
     
     
         25 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein a subset of the search queries is used for generating the website profile by sub-sampling the search queries during a predefined time period. 
     
     
         26 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein a subset of the search queries is used for generating the website profile by choosing search queries having a predefined range of occurrence frequency. 
     
     
         27 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein temporally recent search queries and user activities on the search results responsive thereto are given more weight than temporally remote search queries and user activities on the search results responsive thereto during the generation of the website profile. 
     
     
         28 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the instructions for modifying rankings of search results further include instructions for:
 receiving from the website a respective new search query submitted by a user at a client;   identifying a plurality of information items associated with the new search query;   ranking the information items in accordance with the website profile; and   providing the ranked information items for display to the requesting user at the client.   
     
     
         29 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 28 , wherein the instruction for ranking an information item further includes instructions for:
 assigning a generic ranking score to the information item, wherein the generic ranking score is independent from the website profile;   generating a website-dependent ranking score by modifying the generic ranking score with a weighting factor that is determined, at least in part, by the website profile; and   determining a display order for the information item in accordance with the website-dependent ranking score.   
     
     
         30 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 28 , wherein the at least one program further includes instructions for:
 processing the user's activities on the ranked information items; and   updating the website profile using the processed user activities and the new search query.   
     
     
         31 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 at a server having memory and one or more processors:
 receiving from a website search queries submitted by users of the website; 
 identifying search results responsive to the search queries; 
 identifying user activities on at least a subset of the search results at venues other than the website; 
 generating a website profile for the website using the search queries from the website and the identified user activities; and 
 modifying, based on the generated website profile, rankings of search results provided in response to new search queries from the website. 
   
     
     
         32 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 31 , wherein the modifying further includes:
 ranking the search results in accordance with the website profile; and   providing the ranked search results to the users of the website.