System and methods for searching and communication
Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, comprising the steps of, or structure for, storing a plurality of expert profiles in a database, each of the plurality of expert profiles comprising information associated with a person having knowledge in a particular category, subject or topic; receiving search criteria over a network from a query source; selecting at least one of the plurality of expert profiles comprising information that satisfy the search criteria; and transmitting expert profile data for each of the selected expert profiles to the remote search engine, the expert profile data comprising data that defines a displayable representation of a corresponding expert profile, the expert profile data further comprising data that facilitates a client-initiated, real-time communication session over the network with a person associated with the corresponding expert profile.
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving real-time search criteria data, wherein the real-time search criteria data is responsive to a user post on a social media site;
accessing agent profile data associated with the real-time search criteria data, wherein the agent profile data includes an availability status value indicating an online status or an offline status for a plurality of agents associated with the agent profile data;
generating an online ranking for one or more agents associated with the online status, wherein the online ranking is generated using the real-time search criteria data and the agent profile data;
generating an offline ranking for one or more agents associated with the offline status, wherein the offline ranking is generated using the real-time search criteria data and the agent profile data; and
transmitting search result data including the online ranking and the offline ranking as a listing of agent profiles, wherein when the real-time search criteria data is received from a category page, the real-time search criteria data includes a hard-coded search query associated with a user selectable category used to generate the search result data.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the search result data includes instructions for initiating real-time contact with the plurality of agents associated with the online status; and
wherein the search result data includes instructions for initiating offline contact with the plurality of agents associated with the offline status.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein generating the online ranking includes:
generating a ranked list of profiles for the plurality of agents associated with the online status; and
randomly increasing a ranking position for at least one profile within the ranked list of profiles, wherein the ranking position for the at least one profile is selected to compensate for position bias in history data used to generate the online ranking.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving tracking information associated with the search result data, the tracking information including a profile identifier of a selected profile, and a position of the selected profile in a ranked list of profiles for the plurality of agents associated with the online status; and
updating the agent profile data using the tracking information.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving tracking information associated with the search result data, the tracking information including context data associated with the real-time search criteria data;
updating the agent profile data using the tracking information to generate updated agent profile data; and
transmitting the updated agent profile data, wherein when the updated agent profile data is received at a service server associated with the agent profile data, the updated agent profile data is used to update locally cached data used for generating agent searches.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the real-time search criteria data is associated with a registered user; and
wherein the plurality of agents associated with the agent profile data for the real-time search criteria data is limited to a set of profiles associated with the registered user.
7. A system, comprising:
a memory; and
one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to perform operations including:
receiving real-time search criteria data, wherein the real-time search criteria data is responsive to a user post on a social media site;
accessing agent profile data associated with the real-time search criteria data, wherein the agent profile data includes an availability status value indicating an online status or an offline status for a plurality of agents associated with the agent profile data;
generating an online ranking for one or more agents associated with the online status, wherein the online ranking is generated using the real-time search criteria data and the agent profile data;
generating an offline ranking for one or more agents associated with the offline status, wherein the offline ranking is generated using the real-time search criteria data and the agent profile data; and
transmitting search result data including the online ranking and the offline ranking as a listing of agent profiles, wherein when the real-time search criteria data is received from a category page, the real-time search criteria data includes a hard-coded search query associated with a user selectable category used to generate the search result data.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the search result data includes instructions for initiating real-time contact with the plurality of agents associated with the online status; and
wherein the search result data includes instructions for initiating offline contact with the plurality of agents associated with the offline status.
9. The system of claim 7 , wherein generating the online ranking includes:
generating a ranked list of profiles for the plurality of agents associated with the online status; and
randomly increasing a ranking position for at least one profile within the ranked list of profiles, wherein the ranking position for the at least one profile is selected to compensate for position bias in history data used to generate the online ranking.
10. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving tracking information associated with the search result data, the tracking information including a profile identifier of a selected profile, and a position of the selected profile in a ranked list of profiles for the plurality of agents associated with the online status; and
updating the agent profile data using the tracking information.
11. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving tracking information associated with the search result data, the tracking information including context data associated with the real-time search criteria data;
updating the agent profile data using the tracking information to generate updated agent profile data; and
transmitting the updated agent profile data, wherein when the updated agent profile data is received at a service server associated with the agent profile data, the updated agent profile data is used to update locally cached data used for generating agent searches.
12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the real-time search criteria data is associated with a registered user; and
wherein the plurality of agents associated with the agent profile data for the real-time search criteria data is limited to a set of profiles associated with the registered user.
13. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the device to perform operations comprising:
receiving real-time search criteria data, wherein the real-time search criteria data is responsive to a user post on a social media site;
accessing agent profile data associated with the real-time search criteria data, wherein the agent profile data includes an availability status value indicating an online status or an offline status for a plurality of agents associated with the agent profile data;
generating an online ranking for one or more agents associated with the online status, wherein the online ranking is generated using the real-time search criteria data and the agent profile data;
generating an offline ranking for one or more agents associated with the offline status, wherein the offline ranking is generated using the real-time search criteria data and the agent profile data; and
transmitting search result data including the online ranking and the offline ranking as a listing of agent profiles, wherein when the real-time search criteria data is received from a category page, the real-time search criteria data includes a hard-coded search query associated with a user selectable category used to generate the search result data.
14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the search result data includes instructions for initiating real-time contact with the plurality of agents associated with the online status; and
wherein the search result data includes instructions for initiating offline contact with the plurality of agents associated with the offline status.
15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein generating the online ranking includes:
generating a ranked list of profiles for the plurality of agents associated with the online status; and
randomly increasing a ranking position for at least one profile within the ranked list of profiles, wherein the ranking position for the at least one profile is selected to compensate for position bias in history data used to generate the online ranking.
16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving tracking information associated with the search result data, the tracking information including a profile identifier of a selected profile, and a position of the selected profile in a ranked list of profiles for the plurality of agents associated with the online status; and
updating the agent profile data using the tracking information.
17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving tracking information associated with the search result data, the tracking information including context data associated with the real-time search criteria data;
updating the agent profile data using the tracking information to generate updated agent profile data; and
transmitting the updated agent profile data, wherein when the updated agent profile data is received at a service server associated with the agent profile data, the updated agent profile data is used to update locally cached data used for generating agent searches.
18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the real-time search criteria data is associated with a registered user; and
wherein the plurality of agents associated with the agent profile data for the real-time search criteria data is limited to a set of profiles associated with the registered user.