System and method for customization of search results

Abstract

A system and method are provided for customizing search result descriptions for results returned by a search engine. The search result descriptions may be obtained through a search over a computer network. The system includes a search result description request component for enabling selection of particular data for retrieval by the search engine. The system additionally includes a search result description generator for retrieving and returning the requested data. The system also includes a search result description renderer for displaying search result descriptions in a selected manner.

1 . One or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed, facilitate a method for customizing a search-result description of a document identified by a search engine, the method comprising:
 receiving an instruction encoded together with a search query, which is usable by the search engine to identify the document, wherein the instruction includes parameters that are input via a customizable-search API, which allows a search-result consumer to program the parameters prior to the search query being sent to the search engine;   extracting data from the document, wherein the data complies with the parameters; and   generating the search-result description to include the data that complies with the parameters, such that, when the search-result description is rendered to the search-result consumer, the data is presented as part of the search-result description.   
     
     
         2 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 1 , further comprising rendering the search-result description selectively by implementing a search-result-description renderer. 
     
     
         3 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 1 , wherein the document is a webpage of a predetermined website and wherein the search-result consumer is a developer of the predetermined website. 
     
     
         4 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 1 , wherein a search-result-description generator functions to retrieve the data and wherein the search-result-description generator includes a plurality of components that allow various types of data to be extracted from the document. 
     
     
         5 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of components includes an attribute-retrieval component that functions to retrieve a programmable set of data pulled from attributes of the document. 
     
     
         6 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 5 , wherein the attributes comprise at least one of document size, document date, and document domain, and wherein the programmable set of data is presented as part of the search-result description. 
     
     
         7 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of components includes a structured-data retrieval component that functions to retrieve structured data of the document. 
     
     
         8 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 7 , wherein the structured data comprise at least one of metatags, XML, and RDF, and wherein the structured data is presented as part of the search-result description. 
     
     
         9 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of components includes an excerpt retrieval component that functions to retrieve programmable excerpts from text of the document. 
     
     
         10 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 9 , wherein the programmable excerpts are retrievable using a criterion, which includes at least one of a location within the text of the document, an excerpt length, and a number of different excerpts. 
     
     
         11 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of components includes an anchor-text retrieval component that functions to retrieve anchor text of a hyperlink that is included among text of another webpage and that, when selected, enables browser navigation to the document. 
     
     
         12 . One or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed, facilitate a method for customizing a search-result description of a document identified by a search engine, the method comprising:
 receiving an instruction encoded together with a search query, which is usable by the search engine to identify a webpage deemed relevant to the search query,   (1) wherein the instruction is programmed by a search-result consumer prior to the search query being sent to the search engine, and   (2) wherein the instruction requests that the search-result description include anchor text that is arranged among content of another webpage and that, when selected by an input device, facilitates navigation by a browser to the webpage;   pursuant to the instruction, extracting a portion of the anchor text; and   generating the search-result description to include the portion of the anchor text, such that, when the search-result description is rendered to the search-result consumer, the portion of the anchor text is presented as part of the search-result description.   
     
     
         13 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 12 , further comprising rendering the search-result description selectively by implementing a search-result-description renderer. 
     
     
         14 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 12 , wherein the webpage is a part of a predetermined website and wherein the search-result consumer is a developer of the predetermined website. 
     
     
         15 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 12 , wherein the other webpage is not a search-results page, which presents the search-result description. 
     
     
         16 . One or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed, facilitate a method for customizing a search-result description of a document identified by a search engine, the method comprising:
 receiving an instruction encoded together with a search query, which is usable by the search engine to identify a webpage deemed relevant to the search query,
 (1) wherein the instruction is programmed by a search-result consumer prior to the search query being sent to the search engine, and 
 (2) wherein the instruction requests that the search-result description include an excerpt of text that is included among content of the webpage and that possesses programmed features; 
   upon identification of the webpage, retrieving a portion of the content of the webpage that complies with the programmed features; and   generating the search-result description to include the portion of the content, such that, when the search-result description is rendered to the search-result consumer, the portion of the content is presented as part of the search-result description.   
     
     
         17 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 16 , wherein one of the programmed features specifies a maximum number of words that are allowed to be included in the portion. 
     
     
         18 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 16 , wherein one of the programmed features specifies a location of the portion among the content. 
     
     
         19 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 16 , further comprising rendering the search-result description selectively by implementing a search-result-description renderer. 
     
     
         20 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 16 , wherein the webpage is a part of a predetermined website and wherein the search-result consumer is a developer of the predetermined website.