Paid search engine bid management

• US 20030088525A1
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paid Search Engine Tools LLC
• Original Assignee: Paid Search Engine Tools LLC
• Inventors: Velez, Juan C., Murrer, Daren
• Granted Patent: US 7,043,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0249 based upon budgets or funds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

A method and apparatus (information processing system) for overcoming deficiencies and inefficiencies in the current paid search engine keyword bidding market, by providing keyword bidders with information they need to better optimize their use of paid search engines. The system accumulates bid amounts for a plurality of target keywords at one or more paid Internet search engines, and presents the bid amounts to a user, enabling the user to evaluate and optimize bids on those keywords. The system also presents bid amounts for a keyword at one or more paid Internet search engines, in a manner highlighting one or more selected bid amounts of interest to a potential bidder. This permits a bidder to identify the bidder'"'"'s own bid, and/or to identify a differential in bid amounts that indicates an opportunity for bid optimization. The system further monitors keyword bids at one or more paid Internet search engines to identify bid changes of interest to a potential bidder.

Claims

1. A method of managing paid search engine bids, comprising

accumulating bid amounts for a plurality of target keywords at one or more paid Internet search engines, and

presenting the bid amounts to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said accumulating step comprises accumulating bid amounts for multiple paid Internet search engines.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said accumulating step comprises accumulating the 20 largest bids for each target keyword.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said accumulating step further comprises accumulating a statistic on one or more of:

the rate of use of a target keyword by users of a paid search engine,

demographics of users of a target keyword,

demographics or commercial information regarding bidders for a target keyword,

identification of additional keywords used in conjunction with the target keywords of users of a paid Internet search engine, and

identification of additional keywords bid upon by bidders for a target keyword.

5. A method of managing paid search engine bids, comprising presenting bid amounts for a keyword at one or more paid Internet search engines, in a manner highlighting one or more selected bid amounts of interest to a potential bidder.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more highlighted bid amounts are bids submitted by an identified entity.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the identified entity is an entity to which said bid amounts are presented.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the one or more highlighted bid amounts are associated with a differential in bid amounts meeting certain criteria.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the criteria identify differentials in bid amounts characteristic of an opportunity for bid optimization.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said differentials are larger than a minimum currency amount.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the criteria identify differentials between bids of the entity to whom the presentation is made, and bids of other parties.

12. A method of managing paid search engine bids, comprising monitoring keyword bids at one or more paid Internet search engines to identify bid changes of interest to a potential bidder.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the identified changes are those which create a differential in bid amounts meeting certain criteria.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said criteria identify differentials in bid amounts characteristic of bid optimization opportunities.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the criteria identify differentials between bids larger than a minimum currency amount.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the criteria identify differentials between bids of the entity to whom the presentation is made, and bids of other parties.