Matching and ranking of sponsored search listings incorporating web search technology and web content

1. A method of generating a search result list in response to a search query from a searcher using a computer network, the method executed with a computer having a processor, the method comprising:

(a) maintaining a first database including a first plurality of search listings comprising sponsored search listings having a sponsored content;

(b) maintaining a second database including documents having a general web content;

(c) receiving, by the processor, a search query from the searcher;

(d) identifying, by the processor, from the first database a first set of search listings comprising sponsored search listings having documents generating a match with the search query, and from the second database a second set of search listings comprising general web listings having documents generating a match with the same search query as used to identify the sponsored first set of search listings;

(e) determining, by the processor, a confidence score for each listing from the first set of search listings, wherein the confidence score is determined in accordance with a relevance of each listing when compared to the listings of the second set of search listings after execution of step (d);

(f) ranking, by the processor, the sponsored first set of search listings in accordance, at least in part, with the confidence score for each search listing thereof,

wherein the processor associates the sponsored first set of search listings with at least one feature different than the relevance of each search listing when compared to the listings of the second set of search listings, and the processor further orders the sponsored first set of search listings in accordance with the at least one feature, the at least one feature comprising any of a number of clicks, a click-through rate, and a conversion rate derived from historical click-through and conversion data from user activity on the sponsored first set of search listings;

(g) computing a plurality of demotion terms related to a plurality of the top-ranked sponsored first set of search listings, wherein the demotion terms capture non-ideal characteristics thereof;

(h) updating the confidence score of each of the top-ranked sponsored first set of search listings based on the plurality of demotion terms; and

(i) re-ranking the top-ranked sponsored first set of search listings according to the updated confidence scores.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each search listing is associated with one or more search terms.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the one or more search terms associated with at least one search listing is automatically generated based on information located at a first address associated with the at least one search listing.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

modifying the query before identifying the first and second sets of search listings in step (d).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each listing from the first set of search listings is associated with a first set of attributes, each attribute of the first set of attributes associated with an attribute weight, and wherein the confidence score is determined by weighting at least one attribute for each listing with the associated attribute weight.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the searcher is associated with a geographical region, and wherein the confidence score is determined by weighting at least one attribute for each listing with a second set of attribute weights associated with the geographical region.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising discarding at least one of the sponsored first set of search listings in accordance with a list of negative keywords.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the confidence scores are determined using a machine-learning method.

9. A server for generating a search result list in response to a search query from a searcher using a computer network, comprising:

(a) a memory for use in storing data and instructions; and

(b) a processor in communication with the memory and for enabling actions based on the stored instructions, the stored instructions including instructions for:

(i) communicating with a first database, the first database including a first plurality of search listings comprising sponsored search listings having a sponsored content;

(ii) communicating with a second database, the second database including documents having a general web content;

(iii) receiving a search query from the searcher;

(iv) identifying from the first database a first set of search listings comprising sponsored search listings having documents generating a match with the search query, and from the second database a second set of search listings comprising general web listings having documents generating a match with the same search query as used to identify the sponsored first set of search listings;

(v) determining a confidence score for each listing from the first set of search listings, wherein the confidence score is determined in accordance with a relevance of each listing when compared to the listings of the second set of search listings after execution of step (b)(iv); and

(vi) ordering the identified sponsored first set of search listings in accordance, at least in part, with the confidence score for each search listing thereof,

wherein the sponsored first set of search listings are associated with at least one feature different than the relevance of each search listing when compared to the listings of the second set of search listings, and the sponsored first set of search listings are further ordered in accordance with the at least one feature, the at least one feature comprising any of a number of clicks, a click-through rate, and a conversion rate derived from historical click-through and conversion data from user activity on the sponsored first set of search listings;

(vii) computing a plurality of demotion terms related to a plurality of the top-ranked sponsored first set of search listings, wherein the demotion terms capture non-ideal characteristics thereof;

(viii) updating the confidence score of each of the top-ranked sponsored first set of search listings based on the plurality of demotion terms; and

(ix) re-ranking the top-ranked sponsored first set of search listings according to the updated confidence scores.

10. The server of claim 9 , wherein the stored instructions further comprise instructions for

modifying the search query in a first manner for identifying the first set of search listings; and

modifying the search query in a second manner for identifying the second set of search listings.

11. The server of claim 10 , wherein each listing from the first set of search listings is associated with a first set of attributes, each attribute of the first set of attributes associated with an attribute weight, and wherein the confidence score is determined by weighting at least one attribute for each listing with the associated attribute weight.

12. The server of claim 9 , wherein the stored instructions further comprise instructions for:

storing the second set of search listings; and

updating, automatically, the second set of search listings after a predetermined period of time.

13. The server of claim 9 , wherein the first database is maintained by a first entity and the second database is maintained by a second, specific entity.

14. The server of claim 9 , wherein the processor executes instructions to discard at least one of the sponsored first set of search listings in accordance with a list of negative keywords.

15. The server of claim 9 , wherein each search listing is associated with one or more search terms.

16. A processor-readable medium having processor-executable code thereon for enabling and performing operations to generate a search result list in response to a search query from a searcher using a computer network, the operations comprising:

(a) maintaining a first database including a first plurality of search listings comprising sponsored search listings having a sponsored content;

(b) maintaining a second database including documents having a general web content;

(c) receiving a search query from the searcher;

(d) identifying from the first database a first set of search listings comprising sponsored search listings having documents generating a match with the search query, and from the second database a second set of search listings comprising general web listings having documents generating a match with the same search query as used to identify the sponsored first set of search listings;

(e) determining a confidence score for each listing from the first set of search listings wherein the confidence score is determined in accordance with a relevance of each listing when compared to the listings of the second set of search listings after execution of step (d); and

(f) ordering the sponsored first set of search listings in accordance, at least in part, with the confidence score for each search listing thereof,

wherein the sponsored first set of search listings are associated with at least one feature different than the relevance of each search listing when compared to the listings of the second set of search listings, and the sponsored first set of search listings are further ordered in accordance with the at least one feature, the at least one feature comprising any of a number of clicks, a click-through rate, and a conversion rate derived from historical click-through and conversion data from user activity on the sponsored first set of search listings;

(g) computing a plurality of demotion terms related to a plurality of the top-ranked sponsored first set of search listings, wherein the demotion terms capture non-ideal characteristics thereof;

(h) updating the confidence score of each of the top-ranked sponsored first set of search listings based on the plurality of demotion terms; and

(i) re-ranking the top-ranked sponsored first set of search listings according to the updated confidence scores.

17. The processor-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the identified search listings are further ordered in accordance with a list of trademark keywords.

18. The processor-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the at least one feature is selected from the group consisting of whether a match occurred in an abstract, whether a match occurred in a display host, whether a match occurred in an algorithmically generated keyword, and whether a match occurred in an algorithmically generated summary.

19. The processor-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein each search listing may be associated with one or more search terms.

20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

optimizing placement of the search listings on a location of a search results page based on the confidence score, wherein the location comprises a top, a side, or a bottom of the search results page.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one feature further comprises a rank among a sorted set of top search listings of the sponsored first set of search listings from a combination of the sponsored first set of search listings and the second set of search listings.

22. The server of claim 10 , wherein the first manner comprises giving query terms of the search query different weights for different search providers.

23. The server of claim 9 , wherein the at least one feature further comprises a rank among a sorted set of top search listings of the sponsored first set of search listings from a combination of the identified search listings and the second set of search listings.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the demotion terms comprise demotion metrics computed for: (i) a document section consisting of an abstract, a bidded term, or a list of key topics, or (ii) for whether or not the listing has been editorially reviewed.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one feature further comprises whether the search query appears in any of: a display host, an algorithmically generated keyword or summary, or a combination thereof.

26. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one feature further comprises whether the search query appears in at least one of: a display host, an algorithmically generated keyword or summary, or a combination thereof.