Online advertising system and method

• US 20050149396A1
• Filed: 11/19/2004
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Marchex Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Marchex Incorporated
• Inventors: Lim, Yang, Korman, Walter, Keister, John, Christothoulou, Peter, Horowitz, Russell C., Caldwell, Ethan, Busby, John
• Application Number:
  US10/992,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20050149396A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.410
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product for online advertising, including generating pricing for an advertisement campaign of an advertiser paying on a Cost-Per-Click (CPC) basis or Cost-Per-Acquisition (CPA) based on internal tracking metrics and/or pricing and performance analysis of advertisements from an advertising distribution network; and distributing the advertisement as a CPC-based advertisement and/or CPA-based advertisement to an advertising distribution network.

Claims

1. A method for online advertising, comprising:

generating pricing for an advertisement campaign of an advertiser paying on a Cost-Per-Click (CPC) basis or Cost-Per-Acquisition (CPA) based on internal tracking metrics and/or pricing and performance analysis of advertisements from an advertising distribution network; and

distributing the advertisement as a CPC-based advertisement and/or CPA-based advertisement to an advertising distribution network.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising tracking a number of clicks that are generated by the advertisement, and a time of actual conversion or acquisition, including a deferred conversion.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising tracking standard conversions that occur during a session in which a user clicks on the advertisement.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising distributing the advertisement to the advertising distribution network, including one of a cost-per-1,000 (CPM) advertising distribution network, a CPC advertising distribution network, and a CPA advertising distribution network.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising distributing the advertisement in a CPC-equivalent format, a CPM-equivalent format, and/or a CPA format.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising tracking end user click-throughs, conversions, and/or end user acquisitions, associated with the advertisement, based on tracking the end user, directly tracking conversion information on a site of the advertiser, and/or the advertiser returning conversion information.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising tracking standard conversions that occur outside a session in which a user clicks on the advertisement.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising tracking standard conversions that occur in a session separate than a session in which a user clicks on the advertisement.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising factoring in distribution costs of a pay-for-performance search engine(PFPSE), when determining the CPC for a keyword or phrase associated with the advertisement.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising factoring in desired ranking and placement on particular distribution partners or across a distribution network, when determining the CPC for a keyword or phrase associated with the advertisement.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the advertising distribution network is an online-based advertising distribution network.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein the advertising distribution network is an Internet-based advertising distribution network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising distribution network for generating the pricing for the advertisement campaign includes a pay-for-performance search engine (PFPSE).

14. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable instructions configured to cause one or more computer processors to execute the steps recited in claim 1.

15. A computer system comprising one or more computer processors configured to execute the steps recited in claim 1.

16. An online advertising system, comprising:

means for generating pricing for an advertisement campaign of an advertiser paying on a Cost-Per-Click (CPC) basis or Cost-Per-Acquisition (CPA) based on internal tracking metrics and/or pricing and performance analysis of advertisements from an advertising distribution network; and

means for distributing the advertisement as a CPC-based advertisement and/or CPA-based advertisement to an advertising distribution network.

17. The system of claim 16, comprising means for tracking a number of clicks that are generated by the advertisement, and a time of actual conversion or acquisition, including a deferred conversion.

18. The system of claim 16, comprising means for tracking standard conversions that occur during a session in which a user clicks on the advertisement.

19. The system of claim 16, comprising means for distributing the advertisement to the advertising distribution network, including one of a cost-per-1,000 (CPM) advertising distribution network, a CPC advertising distribution network, and a CPA advertising distribution network.

20. The system of claim 16, comprising means for distributing the advertisement in a CPC-equivalent format, a CPM-equivalent format, and/or a CPA format.

21. The system of claim 16, comprising means for tracking end user click-throughs, conversions, and/or end user acquisitions, associated with the advertisement, based on tracking the end user, directly tracking conversion information on a site of the advertiser, and/or the advertiser returning conversion information.

22. The system of claim 16, comprising means for tracking standard conversions that occur outside a session in which a user clicks on the advertisement.

23. The system of claim 16, comprising means for tracking standard conversions that occur in a session separate than a session in which a user clicks on the advertisement.

24. The system of claim 16, comprising means for factoring in distribution costs of a pay-for-performance search engine (PFPSE), when determining the CPC for a keyword or phrase associated with the advertisement.

25. The system of claim 16, comprising means for factoring in desired ranking and placement on particular distribution partners or across a distribution network, when determining the CPC for a keyword or phrase associated with the advertisement.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the advertising distribution network is an online-based advertising distribution network.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the advertising distribution network is an Internet-based advertising distribution network.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein the advertising distribution network for generating the pricing for the advertisement campaign includes a pay-for-performance search engine (PFPSE).