Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for resolving ambiguous queries. A search query is received and metrics are identified for the query that are associated with respective categories. Each metric indicates a user preference for search results that are responsive to the query and associated with the metric's respective category. The identified metrics are used to determine whether the query is ambiguous. Responsive to determining that the query is ambiguous, the identified metrics are used to determine a user preference for one or more categories of search results responsive to the ambiguous query. Search results associated with the one or more user preferred categories are ranked higher than search results that are not associated with the one or more user preferred categories.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on one or more computer storage devices, for determining a distance importance factor for a search query, region or both. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a query from a client computing device and obtaining search results responsive to the query. A distance importance factor for the query is obtained that indicates the importance of proximity of a search result location to a query location. The search result location is a geographic location associated with a search result and the query location is a geographic location associated with the query. For each search result, based on the distance importance factor and on the proximity of the search result location to the query location, a proximity value is determined. The proximity values for the search results are provided to a ranking module configured to rank the search results.