Abstract: A third party website provides a search interface to a general search engine. A site profile of the third party website describes various topics, keywords, or domains that are potentially relevant or of interest to users who access the third party website. The topics are associated with a topical directory, with domains associated with each topic; the domains in a given topic are given various weightings. When a search is submitted to the general search engine from the third party website via the search interface, the general search engine uses the site profile to customize the search results. The search results are customized by weighting the ranking of documents from websites associated with the topics in the site profile. The site profile can be manually or automatically constructed.

Abstract: A third party website provides a search interface to a general search engine. A site profile of the third party website describes various topics, keywords, or domains that are potentially relevant or of interest to users who access the third party website. The topics are associated with a topical directory, with domains associated with each topic; the domains in a given topic are given various weightings. When a search is submitted to the general search engine from the third party website via the search interface, the general search engine uses the site profile to customize the search results. The search results are customized by weighting the ranking of documents from websites associated with the topics in the site profile. The site profile can be manually or automatically constructed.

Abstract: A method of producing search results is disclosed. The method comprises, at a computerized search engine system distinct from a client system: receiving a search request associated with a user from the client system, the search request having one or more search terms; obtaining a user profile corresponding to the user, where the user profile is generated based in part on the user's prior computing activities, comprising one or more of browsing, searching, and messaging; obtaining search results for the search request; generating a personalized snippet for at least one of the search results in accordance with the obtained user profile, the snippet comprising a text portion of the search result chosen based on at least one or more search terms and one or more terms of the obtained user profile; and transmitting the search results and personalized snippet to the client system for display.

Abstract: A method of producing search results is disclosed. The method comprises, at a computerized search engine system distinct from a client system: receiving a search request associated with a user from the client system, the search request having one or more search terms; obtaining a user profile corresponding to the user, where the user profile is generated based in part on the user's prior computing activities, comprising one or more of browsing, searching, and messaging; obtaining search results for the search request; generating a personalized snippet for at least one of the search results in accordance with the obtained user profile, the snippet comprising a text portion of the search result chosen based on at least one or more search terms and one or more terms of the obtained user profile; and transmitting the search results and personalized snippet to the client system for display.

Abstract: A method of producing search results is disclosed. The method comprises, at a computerized search engine system distinct from a client system: receiving a search request associated with a user from the client system, the search request having one or more search terms; obtaining a user profile corresponding to the user, where the user profile is generated based in part on the user's prior computing activities, comprising one or more of browsing, searching, and messaging; obtaining search results for the search request; generating a personalized snippet for at least one of the search results in accordance with the obtained user profile, the snippet comprising a text portion of the search result chosen based on at least one or more search terms and one or more terms of the obtained user profile; and transmitting the search results and personalized snippet to the client system for display.

Abstract: A search system monitors the input of a search query by a user. Before the user finishes entering the search query, the search system identifies and sends a portion of the query as a partial query to the search engine. Based on the partial query, the search engine creates a set of predicted queries. This process may take into account prior queries submitted by a community of users, and may take into account a user profile. The predicted queries are to be sent back to the user for possible selection. The search system may also cache search results corresponding to one or more of the predicted queries in anticipation of the user selecting one of the predicted queries. The search engine may also return at least a portion of the search results corresponding to one or more of the predicted queries.

Abstract: A search system monitors the input of a search query by a user. Before the user finishes entering the search query, the search system identifies and sends a portion of the query as a partial query to the search engine. Based on the partial query, the search engine creates a set of predicted queries. This process may take into account prior queries submitted by a community of users, and may take into account a user profile. The predicted queries are to be sent back to the user for possible selection. The search system may also cache search results corresponding to one or more of the predicted queries in anticipation of the user selecting one of the predicted queries. The search engine may also return at least a portion of the search results corresponding to one or more of the predicted queries.

Abstract: A third party website provides a search interface to a general search engine. A site profile of the third party website describes various topics, keywords, or domains that are potentially relevant or of interest to users who access the third party website. The topics are associated with a topical directory, with domains associated with each topic; the domains in a given topic are given various weightings. When a search is submitted to the general search engine from the third party website via the search interface, the general search engine uses the site profile to customize the search results. The search results are customized by weighting the ranking of documents from websites associated with the topics in the site profile. The site profile can be manually or automatically constructed.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs, for a social search engine. In one aspect, a method includes receiving an answer to a question from an answerer; identifying an entity in the answer, in which the entity refers to a product, a service, a company, or a merchant; obtaining permission from the answerer to provide an interactive link for the entity in the answer to a resource from which the entity can be obtained; receiving a user submitted query and determining that the query is related to the entity; and responsive to determining, providing the answer, including the link to the resource, as part of search results that are responsive to the query.

Abstract: A set of ordered predicted completion strings are presented to a user as the user enters text in a text entry box (e.g., a browser or a toolbar). The predicted completion strings can be in the form of URLs or query strings. The ordering may be based on any number of factors (e.g., a query's frequency of submission from a community of users). URLs can be ranked based on an importance value of the URL. Privacy is taken into account in a number of ways, such as using a previously submitted query only when more than a certain number of unique requesters have made the query. The sets of ordered predicted completion strings is obtained by matching a fingerprint value of the user's entry string to a fingerprint to table map which contains the set of ordered predicted completion strings.

Abstract: A search engine provides personalized rankings of search results. A user interest profile identifies topics of interest to a user. Each topic is associated with one or more sites, and a boost value, which can be used to augment an information retrieval score of any document from the site. Search results from any search are provided to the user, with a variable control of the ranking of the results. The results can be ranked by their unboosted information retrieval score, thus reflecting no personalization, or by their fully or partially boosted information retrieval scores. This allows the user to selectively control how their interests affect the ranking of the documents.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs, for a social search engine. In one aspect, a method includes receiving an answer to a question from an answerer; identifying an entity in the answer, in which the entity refers to a product, a service, a company, or a merchant; obtaining permission from the answerer to provide an interactive link for the entity in the answer to a resource from which the entity can be obtained; receiving a user submitted query and determining that the query is related to the entity; and responsive to determining, providing the answer, including the link to the resource, as part of search results that are responsive to the query.

Abstract: In a method of generating a search boost vector, a first set of content location identifiers for first content are provided. A second set of content location identifiers for second content are identified. The second content is related to the first content in accordance with one or more predefined criteria. A search boost vector is generated by determining weights corresponding to content location identifiers in the second set of content location identifiers. The search boost vector may also be generated by determining weights corresponding to content location identifiers in the first set of content location identifiers. The predefined criteria may include one or more additional content location identifiers that are co-visited with one or more content location identifiers for the first set of content location identifiers. Co-visits are by a community of users during an interval of time.

Abstract: A search engine provides personalized rankings of search results. A user interest profile identifies topics of interest to a user. Each topic is associated with one or more sites, and a boost value, which can be used to augment an information retrieval score of any document from the site. Search results from any search are provided to the user, with a variable control of the ranking of the results. The results can be ranked by their unboosted information retrieval score, thus reflecting no personalization, or by their fully or partially boosted information retrieval scores. This allows the user to selectively control how their interests affect the ranking of the documents.

Abstract: A third party website provides a search interface to a general search engine. A site profile of the third party website describes various topics, keywords, or domains that are potentially relevant or of interest to users who access the third party website. The topics are associated with a topical directory, with domains associated with each topic; the domains in a given topic are given various weightings. When a search is submitted to the general search engine from the third party website via the search interface, the general search engine uses the site profile to customize the search results. The search results are customized by weighting the ranking of documents from websites associated with the topics in the site profile. The site profile can be manually or automatically constructed.

Abstract: A method of producing search results is disclosed. The method comprises, at a computerized search engine system distinct from a client system: receiving a search request associated with a user from the client system, the search request having one or more search terms; obtaining a user profile corresponding to the user, where the user profile is generated based in part on the user's prior computing activities, comprising one or more of browsing, searching, and messaging; obtaining search results for the search request; generating a personalized snippet for at least one of the search results in accordance with the obtained user profile, the snippet comprising a text portion of the search result chosen based on at least one or more search terms and one or more terms of the obtained user profile; and transmitting the search results and personalized snippet to the client system for display.

Abstract: Snippets of text provided are generated based in part on a user's profile. An item, such as a document, is examined to identify terms related to the user's profile. A term profile for an identified term is compared to a user's profile. The more closely related the identified term is to the user's profile, the higher a similarity score will be. Alternatively, terms found in a document may have a user profile score which may be obtained by looking the term up in the user's profile. Terms having high profile similarity scores or high user profile scores are used in identifying snippets which may be relevant to a user. The high scoring terms may be added to search terms and provided to a snippet generator.

Abstract: A search engine provides personalized rankings of search results. A user interest profile identifies topics of interest to a user. Each topic is associated with one or more sites, and a boost value, which can be used to augment an information retrieval score of any document from the site. Search results from any search are provided to the user, with a variable control of the ranking of the results. The results can be ranked by their unboosted information retrieval score, thus reflecting no personalization, or by their fully or partially boosted information retrieval scores. This allows the user to selectively control how their interests affect the ranking of the documents.

Abstract: Targeted advertisements are provided to an advertisement consumer based on a user profile, a page profile, or a combination thereof. In embodiment where a user of a search engine is an advertisement consumer, the user utilizes a search engine to obtain search results relevant to a search query. A user profile of the user's interests is used to select advertisements for inclusion with search results. The user profile is evaluated by an advertisement server which determines which advertiser(s) offers a highest price for the user profile. Advertisements from these advertisers are then selected. In another embodiment, where the user is accessing a page on a third party website, the page may include a request for advertisements. A page profile is evaluated by an advertisement server that determines which advertiser(s) offers a highest price for the page profile. Advertisements from these advertisers are then selected, and provided to the user, where they are included in the retrieved page.

Abstract: A search system monitors the input of a search query by a user. Before the user finishes entering the search query, the search system identifies and sends a portion of the query as a partial query to the search engine. Based on the partial query, the search engine creates a set of predicted queries. This process may take into account prior queries submitted by a community of users, and may take into account a user profile. The predicted queries are to be sent back to the user for possible selection. The search system may also cache search results corresponding to one or more of the predicted queries in anticipation of the user selecting one of the predicted queries. The search engine may also return at least a portion of the search results corresponding to one or more of the predicted queries.