Combining content with a search result

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9342839-B2
Application number	US-201313943370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2013
Priority date	Jul 16, 2013
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus include computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, including a method for providing content. A search query is received. Search results responsive to the query are identified, including identifying a first search result in a top set of search results that is associated with a brand. Based at least in part on the query, one or more eligible content items are identified for delivery along with the search results responsive to the query. A determination is made as to when at least one of the eligible content items is associated with a same brand as the brand associated with the first search result. The first search result and one of the determined at least one eligible content items are combined into a combined content item and providing the combined content item as a search result responsive to the request.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving a search query;
identifying search results responsive to the query, including identifying a first search result in a top set of search results that is associated with a first brand;
determining the first brand associated with the first search result;
based at least in part on the query, identifying one or more eligible content items for delivery along with the search results responsive to the query;
determining a second brand associated with at least one of the eligible content items;
comparing the first and second brands, and when the first and second brands are the same, creating a combined content item, the combined content item being a single display unit including at least a portion of the first search result and at least a portion of content from the first eligible content item, wherein the respective portions are less than an entire portion of content and being presented along with other search results responsive to the search query, wherein creating further includes determining content sponsor preferences associated with a content sponsor of the first eligible content item, the content sponsor preferences including one or more specifications for how to combine the first eligible content item with the first search result, and wherein creating further includes generating the combined content item in accordance with the content sponsor preferences; and
providing the combined content item as a search result responsive to the request.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first search result is the top search result.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining when the at least one of the eligible content items is associated with a same brand includes determining that one content item is sponsored by an owner of the brand.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein combining includes combining a visual universal resource locator (VisURL), a title, text from the determined one eligible content item and a link to a landing page from the determined one eligible content item into the combined content item.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising combining other information associated with the brand in the combination content item.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein other information includes a map to retail locations associated with brand retail presence.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein other information includes retail location information associated with the brand.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the other information includes an image or logo associated with the brand.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the other information includes one or more products associated with the brand.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein the other information includes additional links associated with the brand.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first search result is not the top result.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein determining when at least one of the eligible content items is associated with a same brand includes determining that one eligible content item is associated with a retailer associated with the brand.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein combining includes designating content from the at least one eligible content item that is included in the combined content item as sponsored content.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising monetizing interactions with material that is included from the at least one eligible content item that is included in the combined content item based on user interactions with the material.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the first search result is associated with the brand by being a product or retailer of the brand.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein combining includes combining additional links relevant to the result.

17. A non-transitive computer-readable medium including instructions, that when executed, cause one or more processors to:
receive a search query;
identify search results responsive to the query, including identifying a first search result in a top set of search results that is associated with a first brand;
determine the first brand associated with the first search result;
based at least in part on the query, identify one or more eligible content items for delivery along with the search results responsive to the query;
determine a second brand associated with at least one of the eligible content items;
compare the first and second brands, and when the first and second brands are the same, create a combined content item, the combined content item being a single display unit including at least a portion of the first search result and at least a portion of content from the first eligible content item, wherein the respective portions are less than an entire portion of content and being presented along with other search results responsive to the search query, wherein creating further includes determining content sponsor preferences associated with a content sponsor of the first eligible content item, the content sponsor preferences including one or more specifications for how to combine the first eligible content item with the first search result, and wherein creating further includes generating the combined content item in accordance with the content sponsor preferences; and
provide the combined content item as a search result responsive to the request.

18. A system comprising:
a content identification engine that evaluates terms and phrases in a received query to identify content responsive to the request;
an entity/brand determination engine that determines when at least one of the eligible content items identified by the content identification engine is associated with a same entity/brand as the entity/brand associated with the first search result of the search results;
a content item combination engine that combines a first search result and one of the determined at least one eligible content items into a combined content item;
a request handler that handles requests for content received by the content management system;
a request handler that handles requests for content received by a content management system, the content management system selecting and providing content in response to requests for content;
one or more processors; and
one or more memory elements including instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:
receive a search query;
identify search results responsive to the query, including identifying a first search result in a top set of search results that is associated with a first brand;
determine the first brand associated with the first search result;
based at least in part on the query, identify one or more eligible content items for delivery along with the search results responsive to the query;
determine a second brand associated with at least one of the eligible content items;
compare the first and second brands, and when the first and second brands are the same, create a combined content item, the combined content item being a single display unit including at least a portion of the first search result and at least a portion of content from the first eligible content item, wherein the respective portions are less than an entire portion of content and being presented along with other search results responsive to the search query, wherein creating further includes determining content sponsor preferences associated with a content sponsor of the first eligible content item, the content sponsor preferences including one or more specifications for how to combine the f

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Wai Conrad
• Souvey Christopher
• Denizen Lewis
• Garg Gaurav
• Verma Awaneesh
• Moxley Emily K
• Silber Jeremy
• De M Rocha Daniel A
• Fischer Alexander

Classifications

• G06F16/951

  Indexing; Web crawling techniques · CPC title

• G06F16/248

  Presentation of query results · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06Q30/0241 Primary

  Advertisements · CPC title