Yahoo! Inc.

Overture Services, Inc.

Peter Savich

Thomas A Soulanille

Ted Meisel

Darren J Davis

Scott W Snell

Dominic Dough-Ming Cheung

Daniel C Fain

Scott A Shifflett

Eugene F Hu

Paul T Ryan

Dennis M DeCoste

Gary W Flake

A method for providing search results to a user is disclosed. The method includes receiving a first set of information associated with a plurality of web pages. A second set of information associated with a user preference, determining a commercial score for each web page is also received. A subset of the first set of information is determined based on the second set of information. A visual indicator for the subset of the first set of information is generated in accordance with a commercial score, and the subset and the visual indicator are displayed on a display.

Method and apparatus for categorizing and presenting documents of a distributed database

A system and method for enabling information providers using a computer network to influence a search listing's position within a search result list generated by a search engine. Each network information provider has an account containing at least one search listing having at least three components: a description, a search term comprising one or more keywords, and a bid amount. A network information provider selects a search term relevant to the content of the web site. A search listing includes the search term and a description. A bidding process occurs when the network information provider enters a new bid amount for a search listing. The system then compares the various bid amounts for the same search term, and generates rank values for search listings having that search term. The rank value determines where the listing will appear on the search results page generated in response to a searcher's query.

System and method for enabling multi-element bidding for influencing a position on a search result list generated by a computer network search engine

Described herein are methods for creating categorized documents, categorizing documents in a distributed database and categorizing Resulting Pages. Also described herein is an apparatus for searching a distributed database. The method for creating categorized documents generally comprises: initially assuming all documents are of type 1; filtering out all type 2 documents and placing them in a first category; filtering out all type 3 documents and placing them in a second category; and defining all remaining documents as type 4 documents and placing all type 4 documents in a third category. The apparatus for searching a distributed database generally comprises at least one memory device; a computing apparatus; an indexer; a transactional score generator; and a category assignor; a search server; and a user interface in communication with the search server.

A system and method for enabling information providers using a computer network to influence a position for a search listing within a search result list generated by an Internet search engine. A database stores accounts for the network information providers. Each account contains at least one search listing having a description, a search term of keywords, and a bid amount. The network information provider may add, delete, or modify a search listing after authenticated login. A bidding process occurs when the network information provider enters a new bid amount for a search listing. The system and method compares the bid amount with all other bid amounts for the same search term, and generates a rank value for all search listings having that search term. The rank value determines where the listing will appear on the search results list page generated in response to a query of the search term.

A system and method of generating an ordered search list via a search engine by determining various account balances to determine where a search listing will appear, if at all, in a search results list. If a web site advertiser's account is below a threshold, the search listing associated with the advertiser will not appear in the search list. Various balances may be used. Some of the balances may be closer to real-time balances and others may be more accurate, for example by removing certain event charges that were later determined to be non-chargeable. By using and monitoring the various account balances, the search engine prevents over-delivery of advertising through search result listings and possible over-billing of the advertisers.

Search engine account monitoring

In a system and method for enabling information providers to influence a position for a search listing within a search result list, a database stores accounts for the network information providers. Each account contains contact and billing information for a network information provider. In addition, each account contains at least one search listing having at least three components: a description, a search term comprising one or more keywords, and a bid amount. The network information provider may add, delete, or modify a search listing after authenticated login. A bidding process occurs when the network information provider enters a new bid amount for a search listing. The system and method then compares the bid amount with all other bid amounts for the same search term, and generates a rank value for all search listings having that search term to determine where the listing will appear on the search results list page.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Peter Savich