Business-oriented search

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• determining, based at least in part on query terms, a set of search results that are relevant relative to the query terms;
• determining whether a user that submitted the query terms has established an account with a service that maintains information about one or more selling entities;
• and
• in response to determining that the user has not established an account with the service, obscuring one or more details about one or more particular search results in the set of search results;
• wherein the one or more details about the one or more particular search results are displayed to users that have established accounts with the service.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• determining a set of two or more selling entities that are each associated with a particular attribute of a particular search result, wherein the particular attribute with which each of the two or more selling entities is associated is the same;
• determining, for a first selling entity of the two or more selling entities, that the first selling entity has specified that at least some information about the first selling entity should not be presented to users who have not established an account with a service that maintains information about the two or more selling entities;
• determining whether a first user has established an account with the service;
• in response to determining that (a) the first selling entity has specified that at least some information about the first selling entity should not be presented to users who have not established an account with the service and (b) the first user has not established an account with the service, presenting, to the particular user, information that indicates that the first selling entity does not allow at least some information about the selling entity to be presented to users who have not established an account with the service;
• and
• presenting, to the first user, information about a second selling entity of the two or more selling entities.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• selecting a particular sponsored search result from among a plurality of sponsored search results based at least in part on at least one of:
• (a) a reputation of at least one selling entity that is associated with at least one attribute of the particular sponsored search result,
• (b) a quality of a match between (1) attributes of a user that submitted query terms, and (2) criteria specified by at least one selling entity that is associated with at least one attribute of the particular sponsored search result, and
• (c) a filter score that is based on an extent to which filter criteria specified by the user are satisfied by attributes of at least one selling entity that is associated with at least one attribute of the particular sponsored search result;
• and
• generating a search results page that includes the particular sponsored search result.

A method comprising:

• receiving, from a sponsor, an indication of an amount of money that the sponsor is willing to pay in exchange for a hyperlink activator's engagement in a business event;
• in response to receiving the indication, causing a sponsored search result of the sponsor to be included within a search results page;
• and
• in response to an occurrence of a business event between the sponsor and a user that activated a hyperlink that is associated with the sponsored search result, charging the sponsor a particular fee that is based at least in part on the amount of money.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• receiving an identity of a selling entity and an identity of a search engine in response to a user's activation of a hyperlink that is associated with a search result that is sponsored by the selling entity;
• determining that the user and the selling entity have engaged in a business event with each other;
• and
• in response to determining that the user and the selling entity have engaged in a business event with each other, sending, to a particular entity associated with the search engine, information that indicates that the user and the selling entity have engaged in a business event with each other;
• wherein the search engine caused the search result to be presented to the user.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• receiving a set of query terms;
• determining, based on the query terms, a set of one or more search results;
• determining that one or more selling entities are associated with at least one attribute of a particular search result of the one or more search results;
• determining, based on (a) filter criteria specified by a submitter of the query terms, and (b) seller attributes that are associated with the one or more selling entities, a separate filter score for each of the one or more selling entities;
• and
• presenting, in connection with the particular search result, seller-specific information for those of the one or more selling entities that are associated with a filter score that is at least as great as a specified threshold without presenting, in connection with the particular search result, any seller-specific information for any of the one or more selling entities that are associated with a filter score that is less than the specified threshold.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• receiving, from a particular selling entity, a set of characteristics that can be specified in criteria provided by a buying entity;
• receiving particular criteria from a particular buying entity, wherein the particular criteria indicate at least one of:
• (a) kinds of selling entities for which the particular buying entity is seeking, (b) kinds of companies for which the particular buying entity is seeking, (c) kinds of products for which the particular buying entity is seeking, and (d) kinds of services for which the particular buying entity is seeking;
• determining that the set of characteristics does not satisfy the particular criteria;
• and
• in response to determining that the set of characteristics does not satisfy the particular criteria, preventing information about the particular selling entity from being included in a document that is generated for presentation to the particular buying entity even if buying entity-specified attributes of the particular buying entity satisfy selling entity-specified criteria that indicate kinds of buying entities for which the particular selling entity is seeking.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• receiving, from an organization, a bid for an ad word;
• determining whether the organization is associated with at least one selling entity that has an account registered with a particular service;
• and
• in response to determining that the organization is associated with at least one selling entity that has an account registered with the particular service, weighting the organization's bid favorably relative to other bids of other organizations that are not associated with any selling entities that have accounts registered with the particular service.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• determining that a hyperlink associated with a sponsored search result has been activated;
• in response to determining that the hyperlink has been activated, determining whether there is associated, with at least one attribute of the sponsored search result, at least one selling entity that has established an account with a particular service;
• if there is not associated, with at least one attribute of the sponsored search result, at least one selling entity that has established an account with the particular service, then charging a fee for the hyperlink's activation;
• and
• if there is associated, with at least one attribute of the sponsored search result, at least one selling entity that has established an account with the particular service, then preventing any fee from being charged for the hyperlink's activation.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• receiving one or more search query terms from a searching user;
• determining one or more search results based at least in part on the one or more search query terms;
• determining that at least one attribute of a particular search result of the one or more search results is associated with one or more selling entities;
• for each particular selling entity of the one or more selling entities, determining, for that particular selling entity, a trusted buyer network score that is based at least in part on one or more ratings that were assigned to the particular selling entity by one or more buying entities that were selected for inclusion within a trusted buyer network by the searching user;
• and
• in a search results page, in connection with the particular search result, for each particular selling entity of the one or more selling entities, displaying information about that particular selling entity only if the trusted buyer network score for that particular selling entity meets a specified threshold.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• determining that a selling entity is attempting to associate a particular URL with the selling entity;
• in response to determining that the selling entity is attempting to associate the particular URL with the selling entity, requesting, from a bidding entity that submitted a bid for a sponsored search result that is associated with the particular URL, permission for the selling entity to be associated with the particular URL;
• if the bidding entity grants permission for the selling entity to be associated with the particular URL, then establishing an association between the selling entity and the particular URL;
• and
• if the bidding entity does not grant permission for the selling entity to be associated with the particular URL, then preventing any association between the selling entity and the particular URL from being established for the bidding entity.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• receiving criteria from a bidding entity that submitted a bid for a sponsored search result;
• determining a set of selling entities that are associated with at least one attribute of the sponsored search result;
• and
• for each particular selling entity in the set of selling entities that are associated with at least one attribute of the sponsored search result, performing steps comprising:
• determining whether attributes associated with the particular selling entity satisfy the criteria, and
• displaying seller-specific information about the particular selling entity in connection with the sponsored search result only if the attributes associated with the particular selling entity satisfy the criteria.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• receiving one or more ad words from a bidding entity that submitted a bid for a sponsored search result;
• establishing an association between the one or more ad words and one or more selling entities specified by the bidding entity;
• receiving one or more query terms from a searching user;
• and
• for each particular selling entity in a set of selling entities that are associated with at least one attribute of the sponsored search result, performing steps comprising:
• determining whether any ad words that are associated with the particular selling entity occur within the query terms, and
• displaying seller-specific information about the particular selling entity in connection with the sponsored search result only if at least one ad word that is associated with the particular selling entity occurs within the query terms.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• receiving a buyer profile from a bidding entity that submitted a bid for a sponsored advertisement;
• establishing an association between the buyer profile and one or more selling entities specified by the bidding entity;
• receiving one or more query terms from a searching user;
• and
• for each particular selling entity in a set of selling entities that are associated with at least one attribute of the sponsored advertisement, performing steps comprising:
• determining whether attributes that are associated with the searching user satisfy at least one buyer profile that is associated with the particular selling entity, and
• displaying seller-specific information about the particular selling entity in connection with the sponsored advertisement only if the attributes that are associated with the searching user satisfy at least one buyer profile that is associated with the particular selling entity.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• receiving one or more query terms;
• determining a set of search results based at least in part on the one or more query terms;
• determining, for each search result in the set of search results:
• (a) a relevance ranking that is based on an extent to which a resource to which that search result refers is relevant to the one or more query terms, and
• (b) a presentation order that is based at least in part on a metric that is associated with one or more selling entities that are associated with at least one attribute of that search result,
• wherein determining the presentation order based at least in part on the metric comprises weighting the metric by a factor that is based at least in part on the relevance ranking;
• wherein the metric is at least one of:
• (1) a filter score that is based on an extent to which one or more attributes of the one or more selling entities satisfy filter criteria that were specified by a user from whom the one or more query terms were received, (2) a rating that is based on input from one or more buying entities that have interacted with the one or more selling entities, and (3) a trusted buyer network score that is based on input from one or more buying entities that have been identified, by a user from whom the one or more query terms were received, as being buying entities that the user trusts;
• and
• generating a search results page in which two or more search results of the set of search results are ordered by presentation orders of the two or more search results.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• receiving one or more query terms;
• determining a set of search results based at least in part on (a) the one or more query terms and (b) a set of attributes, submitted by a user from whom the one or more query terms were received, which describe characteristics of the user;
• and
• generating a search results page that comprises one or more search results from the set of search results.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• receiving one or more query terms;
• determining a set of search results based at least in part on (a) the one or more query terms and (b) a set of filter criteria, submitted by a user from whom the one or more query terms were received, which indicate characteristics of entities with whom the user desires to do business;
• and
• generating a search results page that comprises one or more search results from the set of search results.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• receiving one or more query terms;
• determining a set of search results based at least in part on (a) the one or more query terms, (b) previous experiences, of a particular user from whom the one or more query terms were received, with entities that are associated with one or more attributes of one or more search results in a pool of potential search results from which the set of search results is selected, and (c) previous experiences, of one or more other users in a trusted buyer network of the particular user, with the entities;
• and
• generating a search results page that comprises one or more search results from the set of search results.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• determining, based at least in part on query terms, a set of search results that are relevant relative to the query terms;
• determining whether a user that submitted the query terms has declared at least one need category;
• and
• in response to determining that the user has not declared at least one need category, obscuring one or more details about a particular search result in the set of search results;
• wherein the one or more details about the particular search result are displayed to users that have declared at least one need category that was specified by at least one selling entity that is associated with at least one attribute of the particular search result.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• receiving query terms;
• determining, based at least in part on the query terms, a first set of search results that are ranked based on relevance;
• determining, based at least in part on the query terms, a second set of search results that are ranked based on one or more factors, wherein the one or more factors include at least one of:
• (a) ratings that one or more users assigned to selling entities and (b) filter scores that are derived based on an extent to which attributes of selling entities satisfy filter criteria that were specified by a user that submitted the query terms;
• and
• generating a split search results page, wherein on one side of the split, the search results page contains ranked search results from the first set, and wherein on another side of the split, the search results page contains ranked search results from the second set;
• wherein the first set of search results is not ranked based on any of the one or more factors.

A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• receiving information from a person who is employed, contracted, or compensated by an organization but is not necessarily employed by the organization in an advertising capacity;
• wherein the information is at least one of:
• (a) a product offer of the person's choosing and (b) an advertisement of the person's choosing;
• receiving one or more query terms from a searching user;
• determining one or more search results based at least in part on the query terms;
• wherein the search results include a particular search result that is associated with the organization;
• and
• presenting the information to the searching user in at least one of:
• (1) a search results page in conjunction with the particular search result and (2) an interface that presents seller-specific information about one or more selling entities that are associated with at least one attribute of the particular search result.