Providing topic based search guidance

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for providing topical search suggestions are provided. Topical search suggestions allow a user to receive search results related to the designated topic or subject matter. Multiple topics may be generated based on search input provided by a user. The search input may be a search prefix that includes one or more words entered into the search query box before the completed search query is submitted to the search engine. A search interface may then present the topics derived from the search prefix to a user before the user submits the query. In another embodiment, the user designates multiple search inputs. Search results may be generated based on the search inputs and then present topics extracted from the search results. In one embodiment, the topics are extracted by performing a natural language analysis of search result metadata.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computing system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   computer storage memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, implement a method for generating topical query suggestions, the method comprising:
 providing a search interface for display at a web browser; 
 receiving a search query that is provided at the search interface; 
 generating a preliminary set of search results for the search query, the preliminary set of search results comprising web pages responsive to the search query; 
 extracting a plurality of topics from the preliminary set of search results; 
 outputting the plurality of topics for display at the search interface before a subset of search results from the preliminary set of search results is output for display; 
 receiving an indication of a selection of a topic from the plurality of topics; and 
 outputting for display at the search interface the subset of search results from the preliminary set of search results, wherein the subset of search results is associated with the selected topic. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of topics are extracted from the preliminary set of search results by performing a natural language analysis on individual search results within the preliminary set of search results. 
     
     
         3 . The computing system of  claim 2 , wherein the natural language analysis is performed on only uniform resource locators (“URLs”) and titles of the individual search results, and wherein a content of the individual search results is not analyzed. 
     
     
         4 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the search interface includes a search box for receiving the search query. 
     
     
         5 . The computing system of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of topics is output for display in a box that drops down from the search box. 
     
     
         6 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises outputting the plurality of topics for display at the search interface with the subset of search results, wherein a user may select a new topic from the plurality of topics. 
     
     
         7 . The computing system of  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving a selection of the new topic; and   outputting for display at the search interface a new subset of search results from the preliminary set of search results, wherein the new subset of search results is associated with the new topic.   
     
     
         8 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the preliminary set of search results comprises a threshold number of a total number of search results responsive to the search query. 
     
     
         9 . One or more computer-storage devices having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a computing device, perform a method of generating topical query suggestions, the method comprising:
 receiving a search query;   generating a preliminary set of search results for the search query, the preliminary set of search results comprising web pages responsive to the search query;   at a processor of the computing device, extracting topics from the preliminary set of search results;   outputting the topics for display;   receiving a selection of an individual topic included in the topics; and   based on receiving the selection of the individual topic, outputting for display a subset of search results from the preliminary set of search results, wherein the subset of search results is associated with the individual topic.   
     
     
         10 . The one or more computer-storage devices of  claim 9 , wherein the topics are extracted from the preliminary set of search results by performing a natural language analysis on individual search results within the preliminary set of search results. 
     
     
         11 . The one or more computer-storage devices of  claim 10 , wherein the natural language analysis is performed on only uniform resource locators (“URLs”) and titles of the individual search results, and wherein a content of the individual search results is not analyzed. 
     
     
         12 . The one or more computer-storage devices of  claim 9 , wherein the topics are output for display in a box that drops down from a search box into which the search query is input. 
     
     
         13 . The one or more computer-storage devices of  claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises outputting the topics for display with the subset of search results to allow a user to select a new topic after viewing the subset of search results. 
     
     
         14 . The one or more computer-storage devices of  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving a selection of the new topic; and   displaying a new subset of search results from the preliminary set of search results, wherein the new subset of search results is associated with the new topic.   
     
     
         15 . A computing system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   computer storage memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, implement a method for generating topical query suggestions based on a search prefix, the method comprising:
 receiving the search prefix, the search prefix comprising a group of characters provided at a search interface, wherein the search prefix is one or more characters less than a complete search query; 
 generating an auto-complete query that is based on the search prefix; 
 generating a set of search results for the auto-complete query; 
 extracting a plurality of topics from the set of search results; and 
 outputting the plurality of topics for display at the search interface prior to receiving the complete search query. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computing system of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving an indication of a selection of a topic from the plurality of topics; and   outputting for display a subset of search results from the set of search results, wherein the subset of search results is associated with the selected topic.   
     
     
         17 . The computing system of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of topics is output for display with one or more auto-complete query suggestions. 
     
     
         18 . The computing system of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of topics is extracted from the set of search results by performing a natural language analysis on individual search results within the set of search results. 
     
     
         19 . The computing system of  claim 18 , wherein the natural language analysis is performed on only metadata of the individual search results, and a content of the individual search results is not analyzed. 
     
     
         20 . The computing system of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of topics is output for display based on a frequency of extraction from the set of search results.