Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to using document feature(s) of a document that is responsive to a query, and optionally query feature(s) of the query, to determine a presentation characteristic for presenting a search result that corresponds to the document. In some implementations, measures associated with the document feature(s) and/or query feature(s) may be used to determine the presentation characteristic. The measures may be based on past interactions, by corresponding users, with other documents that share one or more of the document features with the document, where a plurality of the other documents are different from the document (and optionally each different from one another). In some implementations, the document and/or the other documents include, or are restricted to, documents that are access restricted.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for automatically determining the relevance of matches between entities. A set of one or more indicators of relevance for each of a plurality of matches may be detected, where each of the plurality of matches exists between a first entity and a different one of a plurality of entities. Each set of one or more indicators of relevance indicates a degree of two-way interest for a corresponding one of the plurality of matches, the degree of two-way interest indicating both a degree of interest of the first entity in the corresponding one of the plurality of entities and a degree of interest of the corresponding one of the plurality of entities in the first entity. A probability of relevance of each of the plurality of matches may be determined based at least in part upon a corresponding set of one or more indicators of relevance. Each of the plurality of matches may be ranked based at least in part on the corresponding probability of relevance.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to using document feature(s) of a document that is responsive to a query, and optionally query feature(s) of the query, to determine a presentation characteristic for presenting a search result that corresponds to the document. In some implementations, measures associated with the document feature(s) and/or query feature(s) may be used to determine the presentation characteristic. The measures may be based on past interactions, by corresponding users, with other documents that share one or more of the document features with the document, where a plurality of the other documents are different from the document (and optionally each different from one another). In some implementations, the document and/or the other documents include, or are restricted to, documents that are access restricted.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to using document feature(s) of a document that is responsive to a query, and optionally query feature(s) of the query, to determine a presentation characteristic for presenting a search result that corresponds to the document. In some implementations, measures associated with the document feature(s) and/or query feature(s) may be used to determine the presentation characteristic. The measures may be based on past interactions, by corresponding users, with other documents that share one or more of the document features with the document, where a plurality of the other documents are different from the document (and optionally each different from one another). In some implementations, the document and/or the other documents include, or are restricted to, documents that are access restricted.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for automatically determining the relevance of matches between entities. A set of one or more indicators of relevance for each of a plurality of matches may be detected, where each of the plurality of matches exists between a first entity and a different one of a plurality of entities. Each set of one or more indicators of relevance indicates a degree of two-way interest for a corresponding one of the plurality of matches, the degree of two-way interest indicating both a degree of interest of the first entity in the corresponding one of the plurality of entities and a degree of interest of the corresponding one of the plurality of entities in the first entity. A probability of relevance of each of the plurality of matches may be determined based at least in part upon a corresponding set of one or more indicators of relevance. Each of the plurality of matches may be ranked based at least in part on the corresponding probability of relevance.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to using document feature(s) of a document that is responsive to a query, and optionally query feature(s) of the query, to determine a presentation characteristic for presenting a search result that corresponds to the document. In some implementations, measures associated with the document feature(s) and/or query feature(s) may be used to determine the presentation characteristic. The measures may be based on past interactions, by corresponding users, with other documents that share one or more of the document features with the document, where a plurality of the other documents are different from the document (and optionally each different from one another). In some implementations, the document and/or the other documents include, or are restricted to, documents that are access restricted.

Abstract: In various implementations, a plurality of non-private n-grams that satisfy a privacy criterion may be identified within a search log of private search queries and corresponding post-search activity. A plurality of query patterns may be generated based on the plurality of non-private n-grams. Aggregate search activity statistics associated with each of the plurality of query patterns may be determined from the search log. Aggregate search activity statistics associated with each query pattern may be indicative of search activity associated with a plurality of private search queries in the search log that match the query pattern. In response to a determination that aggregate search activity statistics for a given query pattern satisfy a performance criterion, a methodology for generating data that is presented in response to search queries that match the given query pattern may be altered based on aggregate search activity statistics associated with the given query pattern.

Abstract: In various implementations, a plurality of non-private n-grams that satisfy a privacy criterion may be identified within a search log of private search queries and corresponding post-search activity. A plurality of query patterns may be generated based on the plurality of non-private n-grams. Aggregate search activity statistics associated with each of the plurality of query patterns may be determined from the search log. Aggregate search activity statistics associated with each query pattern may be indicative of search activity associated with a plurality of private search queries in the search log that match the query pattern. In response to a determination that aggregate search activity statistics for a given query pattern satisfy a performance criterion, a methodology for generating data that is presented in response to search queries that match the given query pattern may be altered based on aggregate search activity statistics associated with the given query pattern.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for automatically determining the relevance of matches between entities. A set of one or more indicators of relevance for each of a plurality of matches may be detected, where each of the plurality of matches exists between a first entity and a different one of a plurality of entities. Each set of one or more indicators of relevance indicates a degree of two-way interest for a corresponding one of the plurality of matches, the degree of two-way interest indicating both a degree of interest of the first entity in the corresponding one of the plurality of entities and a degree of interest of the corresponding one of the plurality of entities in the first entity. A probability of relevance of each of the plurality of matches may be determined based at least in part upon a corresponding set of one or more indicators of relevance. Each of the plurality of matches may be ranked based at least in part on the corresponding probability of relevance.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for automatically determining the relevance of matches between entities. A set of one or more indicators of relevance for each of a plurality of matches may be detected, where each of the plurality of matches exists between a first entity and a different one of a plurality of entities. Each set of one or more indicators of relevance indicates a degree of two-way interest for a corresponding one of the plurality of matches, the degree of two-way interest indicating both a degree of interest of the first entity in the corresponding one of the plurality of entities and a degree of interest of the corresponding one of the plurality of entities in the first entity. A probability of relevance of each of the plurality of matches may be determined based at least in part upon a corresponding set of one or more indicators of relevance. Each of the plurality of matches may be ranked based at least in part on the corresponding probability of relevance.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for expansion of rare queries to improve advertisement results, including receiving a query from a user by a search engine; determining that the query does not match an entry in an ad query lookup table coupled with the search engine; retrieving one or more expanded queries located within a query feature index whose features relate to one or more features of the received query, wherein the query feature index includes a plurality of queries expanded based on at least corresponding search results; generating, in real time and by the search engine, an ad query including an expanded version of the received query based on features of the retrieved expanded queries; and selecting one or more advertisements based on the generated ad query, wherein the one or more advertisements are displayed to the user in response to the query received from the user.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards systems, methods and computer program products for providing query-based advertising content. According to one embodiment, a method for providing query-based advertising content comprises receiving a web query and generating an ad query associated with the web query, wherein the ad query is generated on the basis of one of a query to advertisement relationship, a query to feature vector relationship, or a rewritten query vector. An advertisement is selected on the basis of the generated ad query.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for identifying implicitly temporally qualified queries, i.e., queries for which a time period is implied but not explicitly stated, and for expanding such queries to include one or more temporal references.

Abstract: Briefly, embodiments of a method or a system of contextual indexing of search results is disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for automatically determining the relevance of matches between entities. A set of one or more indicators of relevance for each of a plurality of matches may be detected, where each of the plurality of matches exists between a first entity and a different one of a plurality of entities. Each set of one or more indicators of relevance indicates a degree of two-way interest for a corresponding one of the plurality of matches, the degree of two-way interest indicating both a degree of interest of the first entity in the corresponding one of the plurality of entities and a degree of interest of the corresponding one of the plurality of entities in the first entity. A probability of relevance of each of the plurality of matches may be determined based at least in part upon a corresponding set of one or more indicators of relevance. Each of the plurality of matches may be ranked based at least in part on the corresponding probability of relevance.

Abstract: Novel and efficient methods are described for indexing advertisements (“ads”) and other resources that are defined and organized in accordance with a hierarchical schema. In accordance with at least one embodiment, an ad corpus is transformed into a collection of hierarchically structured textual documents. An indexing technique that exploits the hierarchical structure is then applied to construct a compact yet effective ad index that can be used for performing advanced match or other ad retrieval functions. Various retrieval methods are also described herein that are capable of exploiting the hierarchical structure of the ad corpus to retrieve more relevant ads than those yielded by conventional methods.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for ranking lines of text. In one embodiment, an intent of a query is ascertained. A relevance of each one of a plurality of lines of text of a document is determined based upon the intent of the query, content of the query, and content of each of the plurality of lines of text. The plurality of lines of text may then be ranked according to the determined relevance of each of the plurality of lines of text.

Abstract: A contextual advertising system selects online advertisements for display on a network location. The system may transform page content of a page received in a platform over a network into a textual representation. In addition, the system may transform received site content of a site into a site signature. The site includes the page. The system then may correct the textual representation utilizing the site signature to produce modified textual representation. The system may utilize the modified textual representation to select an online advertisement. Considering a page in the context of the entire website to which it belongs leads to better understanding and interpretation of the page topic(s) and thus yields more accurate ad matching.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided that may be used to utilize user selection data on web documents in a list of search results to provide relevant search results in response to a search query.

Abstract: A system and method for aggregating anchor text over the web graph and using the aggregated anchor text to enrich document representations. For a target page, its internal inlinks, which point to the target page and are within the site containing the target page, are identified first. Then external anchors that point to the internal inlinks from pages outside of the site are identified. Anchor text of the external anchors are collected, weighted, stored, and used to enrich document presentations. The method not only reduces the number of pages with no anchor text, but also adds lines of anchor text to URLs.