Location identification using hierarchical nature of geographic locations

1. A computer-implemented method for location identification, the method comprising:

identifying, with one or more computing devices, a document;

calculating, with the one or more computing devices, a first score for each of two or more first geographic regions, each first score being based on one or more first signals, the one or more first signals providing a measure of inferred association between the document and each of the first geographic regions; and

calculating, with the one or more computing devices, a second score for each of two or more second geographic regions identified based on the first score for each of two or more first geographic regions, the second geographic regions being contained within one of the first geographic regions, each second score being based on one or more second signals, the one or more second signals providing a measure of inferred association between the document and each of the second geographic regions.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein each first score is used to infer an association between the document and one of the first geographic regions.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein each second score is used to infer an association between the document and one of the second geographic regions.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the document is identified in response to a search query and is selected by a user.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the one or more first signals comprises a location in the search query.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the one or more first signals comprises a location corresponding to the location of the user selecting the document.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more first signals comprises a location of a business identified in the document.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising geocoding the document based on each first score and each second score.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising promoting the document in a search query based on the geocoding.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising demoting the document in a search query based on the geocoding.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating, with the one or more computing devices, a third score for each of two or more third geographic regions, the third geographic regions being contained within one of the second geographic regions, each third score being based on one or more third signals, the one or more third signals providing a measure of inferred association between the document and each of the third geographic regions.

12. A computing system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory, the at least one memory storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a user search query via a network interface;

identifying a document responsive to the user search query;

receiving a user input via the network interface representative of user selection of the document;

calculating a first score for each of two or more first geographic regions, each first score being based on one or more first signals, the one or more first signals providing a measure of inferred association between the document and each of the first geographic regions;

calculating a second score for each of two or more second geographic regions identified based on the first score for each of two or more first geographic regions, the second geographic regions being contained within one of the first geographic regions, each second score being based on one or more second signals, the one or more second signals providing a measure of inferred association between the document and each of the second geographic regions; and

geocoding the document based on each first score and each second score.

13. The computing system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the one or more first signals comprises a location in the search query.

14. The computing system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the one or more first signals comprises a location corresponding to the location of the user selecting the document.

15. The computing system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the one or more first signals comprises a location of a business identified in the document.

16. A computer-implemented method for location identification, the method comprising:

identifying a document;

calculating, with one or more computing devices, a first score for each of two or more first geographic regions, each first score being based on one or more first signals, the one or more first signals providing a measure of inferred association between the document and each of the first geographic regions;

calculating, with the one or more computing devices, a second score for each of two or more second geographic regions identified based on the first score for each of two or more first geographic regions, the second geographic regions being contained within one of the first geographic regions, each second score being based on one or more second signals, the one or more second signals providing a measure of inferred association between the document and each of the second geographic regions

geocoding the document based on each first score and each second score.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , further comprising promoting the document in a search query based on the geocoding.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , further comprising demoting the document in a search query based on the geocoding.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the one or more first signals comprises a keyword identified in the document.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 , wherein the keyword identifies a geographic region.