Obscuring search results to increase traffic to network sites

A system for altering search results to increase traffic at network sites comprising:

• a computer system including at least one processor configured to:
• receive a search query including a fact-based inquiry;
• determine a fact-based answer to the fact-based inquiry, wherein determining comprises:
• forming a hypothetical answer, wherein forming the hypothetical answer further comprises examining the search results and determining the hypothetical answer based on common content within the search results;
• assigning a measure of confidence to the hypothetical answer;
• and
• determining that the assigned measure of confidence exceeds a confidence threshold;
• receive search results for the search query, wherein the search results include a reference enabling access to a network site and a corresponding description of content;
• filter the search results to alter the description of content by removing the fact-based answer from view within the description of content for the network site and indicating that the network site contains the fact-based answer, wherein filtering the search results includes at least one of deleting the fact-based answer from the search results and masking the fact-based answer within the search results;
• and
• display the filtered search results including the reference to the network site and altered description of content to enable access of the network site.

A computer program product for altering search results to increase traffic at network sites comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising computer readable program code configured to:
• receive a search query including a fact-based inquiry;
• determine a fact-based answer to the fact-based inquiry, wherein determining comprises:
• forming a hypothetical answer, wherein forming the hypothetical answer further comprises examining the search results and determining the hypothetical answer based on common content within the search results;
• assigning a measure of confidence to the hypothetical answer;
• and determining that the assigned measure of confidence exceeds a confidence threshold;
• receive search results for the search query, wherein the search results include a reference enabling access to a network site and a corresponding description of content;
• filter the search results to alter the description of content by removing the fact-based answer from view within the description of content for the network site and indicating that the network site contains the fact-based answer, wherein filtering the search results includes at least one of deleting the fact-based answer from the search results and masking the fact-based answer within the search results;
• and
• display the filtered search results including the reference to the network site and altered description of content to enable access of the network site.

A computer-implemented method of determining search results comprising:

• receiving a search query that includes a fact-based inquiry;
• determining a fact-based answer to the fact-based inquiry, wherein determining comprises:
• forming a hypothetical answer, wherein forming the hypothetical answer further comprises examining the search results and determining the hypothetical answer based on common content within the search results;
• assigning a measure of confidence to the hypothetical answer;
• and determining that the assigned measure of confidence exceeds a confidence threshold;
• determining search results for the search query, wherein the search results include a reference enabling access to a network site and a corresponding description of content;
• determining that the description of content contains the determined answer;
• filtering the search results to visually distinguish the determined fact-based answer from the search results within the description of content for the network site, wherein filtering the search results includes at least one of deleting the fact-based answer from the search results and masking the fact-based answer within the search results;
• and
• displaying the visually distinguishable determined answer in the description of content within the search results.