Search Engine Navigational Result Surfacing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Search engines often return a multitude of irrelevant results for navigational search queries, making it difficult for users to quickly find the most pertinent information they are seeking.
Innovation Solution
A method that identifies a superset of candidate navigational search results based on partial queries and selects a subset using various signals, such as query characteristics and user history, to prioritize and prominently display the most relevant results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If search engines return multiple search results for navigational queries, then the user has more options to choose from, but the user experience deteriorates due to result clutter and difficulty in finding the most pertinent information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and surfaces the most relevant navigational search result to the top position, separating it from the rest of the search results. This extraction principle allows the system to provide multiple results while highlighting the most pertinent one, thus maintaining versatility while improving ease of operation by reducing visual clutter and making the primary result immediately visible
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the search results into distinct categories: surfaced navigational results (most relevant) and other search results (less relevant). This segmentation allows the system to preserve the full set of options while organizing them in a way that improves user experience by clearly distinguishing between high-priority and secondary results
2Loss of information
If search engines provide comprehensive search results, then information completeness is improved, but the time required for users to find desired information increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-surfacing the most relevant navigational search result before the user even finishes typing or reviewing all options. The system proactively identifies and surfaces the top result based on available signals, allowing users to immediately see the most pertinent information without having to scan through comprehensive but unorganized results, thus reducing information retrieval time while maintaining completeness
3Quantity of substance
If search engines display all candidate navigational search results, then result comprehensiveness is improved, but result relevance deteriorates due to inclusion of less pertinent results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by treating different search results with different levels of prominence based on their relevance. The most relevant navigational result receives special treatment through surfacing (enhanced visibility), while other results are displayed in a standard manner. This differentiated approach maintains the quantity of results while improving overall relevance by ensuring the most pertinent information receives the highest quality presentation
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for determining navigational search results based on one or more signals are presented. A partial search query of a user may be received. A superset of candidate navigational search results may be determined based on the partial query. A subset of navigational search results may be selected from the superset based at least in part on one or more signals. The subset of navigational search results may then be provided for presentation to the user independently from presentation to the user of other search results that are responsive to the partial query.