Google’s mission has always been “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Their name “Google” is actually derived from the word “googol”, which means “1 followed by 100 zeros” mathematically. Their name correlates with Google’s goal to collect the enormous amount of information that is exists, and make it available to end users like you and me. With this vision in mind, Google has come out with yet another unique idea to make searching the internet even more productive. It is the creation of the system for optimizing search accuracy with the monitoring of a user’s mouse pointers activity. The main points from the awarded patent are discussed below.
General search querying techniques
There are various ways how a search is modulated to give the most relevant results. In most of the cases, the user’s pointer is monitored by its movement within a specified region. When the pointer leaves that area, the server then looks for the most relevant results within the specified field of the searched query using the pointer’s hover time. When the server is about to deliver the new search results, it sorts the informational links, making the most relevant first and the least relevant last. Normally, the server decides based on searches and the most visited links related to those searches.
Introduction to mouse pointer monitoring
SEO Bill Slawski explains that the patent makes a few assumptions about how a mouse pointer’s movement could be read. For example, the longer the mouse stays over a searched result the more relevant it is to the user and the searched query. Additionally, if the pointer scrolls through each line, it shows that the results are gaining attention of the reader rather than if the pointer stays at a certain result without any movement.
Basic mouse pointer behaviors and their meanings
The movement of the pointer within the results page signifies users’ interest in the results provided. The sponsored links and ads also depict a trend. If the user clicks on one ad and ignores another one, it shows that the browsed ad is more attractive and important then the ignored advertisement. If the website shows a map, an explanation or other results which the user’s pointer hovers on for some time then this shows that the user found the other link more informative and helpful. Thus, the server keeps a record to assure that the next time someone makes a search with the same key words, it knows the most relevant information to display.
The Google applied for the patent in 2005. Now, after almost 5 years, no one can predict whether or not Google will use it. The way we use the internet and how people perceive it has changed in these five years. Although Google has been granted the authorization to use this patent, Google may already have something else in store for the world.
