Collaborative search results

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for providing alternative search results for a query. In one aspect, a method includes transmitting a set of one or more search results for a query to a client device for presentation to a user, where each search result refers to a respective resource, receiving from the client device an alternative search result submitted by the user for the query, associating the alternative search result with the query, and storing in a repository the query and the alternative search result, where the alternative search result is transmitted with the set of one or more search results for a new search of the query.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving a submission of a first resource locator for a first alternative search result by a first user using a first user device, wherein the alternative search result is associated with a first subpopulation of users of a search engine and with a first query;   receiving a second query submitted by a different second user;   determining that the first query matches the second query and that the different second user is a member of the first subpopulation of users and, in response, providing the alternative search result for presentation to the second user along with one or more other search results generated by the search engine in a response to the second query;   receiving an indication of a selection, by the second user, of the alternative search result and, in response, incrementing a selection count representing a number of times that the alternative search result was selected by users in the first subpopulation of users to generate a modified selection count;   determining that the modified selection count exceeds a threshold number and, in response, determining a second subpopulation of users to which the alternative search result will be provided;   receiving a third query submitted by a different third user, the different third user not being a member of the first subpopulation of users; and   determining that the first query matches the third query and that the different third user is a member of the second subpopulation of users and, in response, providing the alternative search result for presentation to the third user along with one or more other search results generated by the search engine in a response to the third query.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein generating the second subpopulation of users comprises generating a subpopulation of users that includes the first subpopulation of users. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising generating the first subpopulation of users from a plurality of friends of the first user in a social networking system. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the second subpopulation of users comprises all users of the search engine. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein determining that the modified selection count satisfies a threshold comprises determining that the modified selection count is greater than or equal to a particular threshold number of user selections. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein determining that the modified selection count satisfies a threshold comprises determining that a click-through-rate based on the modified selection count satisfies a threshold. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the response to the second query or the response to the third query comprises a search results page that provides an identifier of the first user along with the first alternative search result submitted by the first user. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first resource locator of the first alternative search result is not identified by any of a number of top-ranked search results previously provided to the second user or the third user. 
     
     
         27 . A system comprising:
 one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:   receiving a submission of a first resource locator for a first alternative search result by a first user using a first user device, wherein the alternative search result is associated with a first subpopulation of users of a search engine and with a first query;   receiving a second query submitted by a different second user;   determining that the first query matches the second query and that the different second user is a member of the first subpopulation of users and, in response, providing the alternative search result for presentation to the second user along with one or more other search results generated by the search engine in a response to the second query;   receiving an indication of a selection, by the second user, of the alternative search result and, in response, incrementing a selection count representing a number of times that the alternative search result was selected by users in the first subpopulation of users to generate a modified selection count;   determining that the modified selection count exceeds a threshold number and, in response, determining a second subpopulation of users to which the alternative search result will be provided;   receiving a third query submitted by a different third user, the different third user not being a member of the first subpopulation of users; and   determining that the first query matches the third query and that the different third user is a member of the second subpopulation of users and, in response, providing the alternative search result for presentation to the third user along with one or more other search results generated by the search engine in a response to the third query.   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein generating the second subpopulation of users comprises generating a subpopulation of users that includes the first subpopulation of users. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the operations further comprise generating the first subpopulation of users from a plurality of friends of the first user in a social networking system. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the second subpopulation of users comprises all users of the search engine. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein determining that the modified selection count satisfies a threshold comprises determining that the modified selection count is greater than or equal to a particular threshold number of user selections. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein determining that the modified selection count satisfies a threshold comprises determining that a click-through-rate based on the modified selection count satisfies a threshold. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the response to the second query or the response to the third query comprises a search results page that provides an identifier of the first user along with the first alternative search result submitted by the first user. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the first resource locator of the first alternative search result is not identified by any of a number of top-ranked search results previously provided to the second user or the third user. 
     
     
         35 . A computer program product, encoded on one or more non-transitory computer storage media, comprising instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a submission of a first resource locator for a first alternative search result by a first user using a first user device, wherein the alternative search result is associated with a first subpopulation of users of a search engine and with a first query;   receiving a second query submitted by a different second user;   determining that the first query matches the second query and that the different second user is a member of the first subpopulation of users and, in response, providing the alternative search result for presentation to the second user along with one or more other search results generated by the search engine in a response to the second query;   receiving an indication of a selection, by the second user, of the alternative search result and, in response, incrementing a selection count representing a number of times that the alternative search result was selected by users in the first subpopulation of users to generate a modified selection count;   determining that the modified selection count exceeds a threshold number and, in response, determining a second subpopulation of users to which the alternative search result will be provided;   receiving a third query submitted by a different third user, the different third user not being a member of the first subpopulation of users; and   determining that the first query matches the third query and that the different third user is a member of the second subpopulation of users and, in response, providing the alternative search result for presentation to the third user along with one or more other search results generated by the search engine in a response to the third query.   
     
     
         36 . The computer program product of  claim 35 , wherein generating the second subpopulation of users comprises generating a subpopulation of users that includes the first subpopulation of users. 
     
     
         37 . The computer program product of  claim 35 , wherein the operations further comprise generating the first subpopulation of users from a plurality of friends of the first user in a social networking system. 
     
     
         38 . The computer program product of  claim 35 , wherein the second subpopulation of users comprises all users of the search engine.