Patent ID: 8631026

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: identifying, by a computer system, a first search query that includes one or more first terms, the first search query identified from a group of previously received search queries; identifying one or more second terms as candidates for substitution into the first search query in place of the one or more first terms; determining a popularity of the one or more first terms in the first search query based on frequencies of occurrence of the one or more first terms in records of past search queries; determining a popularity of the one or more second terms based on frequencies of occurrence of the one or more second terms in the records of the past search queries; comparing the popularity of the one or more first terms from the first search query with the popularity of the one or more second terms that have been identified as candidates for substitution into the first search query; in response to determining that the one or more second terms are more popular than the one or more first terms, rewriting the first search query into a second search query that is different than the first search query, the rewriting including substituting the one or more first terms from the first search query with the one or more second terms, wherein the second search query includes the one or more second terms; determining, by the computer system, whether there is at least a threshold probability that users will prefer second search results provided for the second search query over first search results provided for the first search query; and based on the determination of whether there is at least the threshold probability, generating a mapping of the first search query to the second search query that directs the second search query to be used in place of the first search query.