Ranking image search results using hover data

A method performed by data processing apparatus, the method comprising:

• determining a click count for an image and a search query pair, the click count specifying a number of times that an image search result that includes a representation of the image has been selected when provided in response to the search query;
• determining a hover count for the image and the search query pair, the hover count specifying a number of times that the representation of the image has been hovered over by a cursor when the image search result has been provided in response to the search query;
• determining a quality measure for the image with respect to the search query, the quality measure being based at least on the click count and the hover count, wherein determining the quality measure comprises:
• obtaining an initial quality score for the image with respect to the search query;
• determining an impression count for the image and the search query pair, the impression count being a number of times the image search result was provided in response to the search query;
• determining whether the impression count satisfies a first threshold;
• and
• in response to determining that the impression count satisfies the first threshold:
• determining a total selection count for the image and the search query pair, the total selection count being the sum of the click count and the hover count;
• determining a click through rate for the image and the search query pair, the click through rate being a ratio of the total selection count to the impression count;
• determining a click to hover ratio for the image and the search query pair, the click to hover ratio being a ratio of the of the click count to the hover count;
• and
• determining the quality measure for the image and the search query pair using the initial quality score, the click through rate, and the click to hover ratio;
• and
• adjusting a ranking of the image relative to a plurality of other images for the search query, the ranking being based on the quality measure for the image.

A system comprising:

• a processing apparatus;
• a memory storage apparatus in data communication with the data processing apparatus, the memory storage apparatus storing instructions executable by the data processing apparatus and that upon such execution cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
• determining a click count for an image and a search query pair, the click count specifying a number of times that an image search result that includes a representation of the image has been selected when provided in response to the search query;
• determining a hover count for the image and the search query pair, the hover count specifying a number of times that the representation of the image has been hovered over by a cursor when the image search result has been provided in response to the search query;
• determining a quality measure for the image with respect to the search query, the quality measure being based at least on the click count and the hover count, wherein determining the quality measure comprises:
• determining a hover weighting for the search query based on a total click count for the search query, the total click count being a total click count for all image and search query pairs that the search query is a member, the hover weighting specifying an amount to adjust the hover count relative to the click count;
• adjusting the hover count using the hover weighting to generate an adjusted hover count;
• summing the click count and the adjusted hover count together to generate a total image selection count;
• and
• providing the total image selection count as an input to an image ranking process that determines the quality measure using at least the total image selection count;
• and
• adjusting a ranking of the image relative to a plurality of other images for the search query, the ranking being based on the quality measure for the image.

A system comprising:

• a processing apparatus;
• a memory storage apparatus in data communication with the data processing apparatus, the memory storage apparatus storing instructions executable by the data processing apparatus and that upon such execution cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
• determining a click count for an image and a search query pair, the click count specifying a number of times that an image search result that includes a representation of the image has been selected when provided in response to the search query;
• determining a hover count for the image and the search query pair, the hover count specifying a number of times that the representation of the image has been hovered over by a cursor when the image search result has been provided in response to the search query;
• determining a quality measure for the image with respect to the search query, the quality measure being based at least on the click count and the hover count, wherein determining the quality measure comprises:
• obtaining an initial quality score for the image with respect to the search query;
• determining an impression count for the image and the search query pair, the impression count being a number of times the image search result was provided in response to the search query;
• determining whether the impression count satisfies a first threshold;
• and
• in response to determining that the impression count satisfies the first threshold:
• determining a total selection count for the image and the search query pair, the total selection count being the sum of the click count and the hover count;
• determining a click through rate for the image and the search query pair, the click through rate being a ratio of the total selection count to the impression count;
• determining a click to hover ratio for the image and the search query pair, the click to hover ratio being a ratio of the of the click count to the hover count;
• and
• determining the quality measure for the image and the search query pair using the initial quality score, the click through rate, and the click to hover ratio;
• and
• adjusting a ranking of the image relative to a plurality of other images for the search query, the ranking being based on the quality measure for the image.

A computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

• determining a click count for an image and a search query pair, the click count specifying a number of times that an image search result that includes a representation of the image has been selected when provided in response to the search query;
• determining a hover count for the image and the search query pair, the hover count specifying a number of times that the representation of the image has been hovered over by a cursor when the image search result has been provided in response to the search query;
• determining a quality measure for the image with respect to the search query, the quality measure being based at least on the click count and the hover count, wherein determining the quality measure comprises:
• determining a hover weighting for the search query based on a total click count for the search query, the total click count being a total click count for all image and search query pairs that the search query is a member, the hover weighting specifying an amount to adjust the hover count relative to the click count;
• adjusting the hover count using the hover weighting to generate an adjusted hover count;
• summing the click count and the adjusted hover count together to generate a total image selection count;
• and
• providing the total image selection count as an input to an image ranking process that determines the quality measure using at least the total image selection count;
• and
• adjusting a ranking of the image relative to a plurality of other images for the search query, the ranking being based on the quality measure for the image.