Method for monitoring link & content changes in web pages

• US 20060004704A1
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xylon LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hayley Logistics LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Gross, John N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,966,342 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring content/link behavior of web pages/web sites over time can be used for, among other things, compiling relevant information, implementing/influencing a search engine, etc. Certain web pages/web sites can be characterized as trendsetters by studying historical adoption behavior of a group within the universe of websites, or by reference to known indicia.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring content of an electronic World Wide Web (WWW accessible web page at an electronic server comprising:

(a) identifying when content concerning one or more items was presented within a set of web pages based on an electronic historical evaluation of content of such set of web pages;

(b) designating one or more web pages from said set of web pages as leading web pages for said one or more items at least in part based in accordance with step (a).

(c) presenting information over the Internet concerning said one or more items from the electronic server based at least in part on evaluating content from said leading web pages.

3. The method of claim 1, further including a step:

identifying whether said web page qualifies as a leading web page by evaluating a total amount of content changed over time.

4. The method of claim. 1 wherein said items include auction items presented at an online auction service.

5. The method of claim 1, further including a step:

reviewing said leading web pages to measure a prevalence of content for a new item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said content includes a link to or from respective ones of said set of web pages.

7. The method of claim 1, further including a step:

designating a web site as a leading web site based on step (a), such that the electronic server evaluates content from said leading website during step (c).

2. The method of claim 2, wherein said information is presented in response to a search query presented to a search engine.

8. A method of monitoring content of an electronic World Wide Web (WWW) accessible web page comprising:

(a) identifying when content concerning one or more items was presented within a web page based on an electronic historical evaluation of content of such web page;

(b) adjusting an electronic search engine response associated with the one or more items based at least in part on age of said content on said web page.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said content is a link to another web page.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said content is text data concerning said one or ore items.

11. The method of claim 8 further including a step:

ranking one or more web pages at least in part based on a first time in which a first content for a first designated item was first presented at such respective sites.

12. A method of monitoring content of an electronic World Wide Web (WWW accessible web page comprising:

(a) identifying a first content present at the web page at a first time;

(b) identifying a second content present at the web page at a second time;

wherein a search engine response to a search query concerning an item is based at least in part on electronically detecting changes in content over time at the web page.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said content is a link to another web page.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said content is human perceptible content.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said first content and said second content both relate to said item.

16. The method of claim 12, further including a step:

designating said web page as a trendsetter page based on a determination that said web page is an early presenter of content for the item.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said search engine response identifies a web page and/or website which is determined to most likely have current information for said item.

18. A method of monitoring linking to an electronic World Wide Web (WWW) accessible web page comprising:

(a) identifying a first set of links to the web page at a first time;

(b) identifying a second set of links to the web page at a second time;

wherein a search engine response to a search query concerning an item is based at least in part on electronically evaluating changes in links over time to the web page.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein a rate of change of links is determined for said webpage based on a time period between said first time and said second time.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said changes in links are used to designate said webpage and/or an associated website with a trendsetter status.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said trendsetter status is used to boost a ranking of said web page in response to a search engine query.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein changes in links below a predetermined threshold are used to designate webpage and/or an associated website with a trend laggard status.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said trend laggard status is used to reduce a ranking of said web page in response to a search engine query.

24. The method of claim 18, further including a step:

predicting a future linking behavior to said web page based on measuring said changes in links.

25. The method of claim 18, further including a step:

adjusting an amount of electronic advertising presented to visitors of the web page based on said changes in links.

26. A method of responding to a search engine query comprising:

(a) evaluating historical content changes for a set of Internet accessible web pages;

(b) designating one or more web pages from said set of Internet accessible web pages as leading web pages for one or more query subject areas;

wherein said leading web pages comprise a reduced group taken from said set of Internet accessible web pages;

(c) presenting information over the Internet concerning said one or more query subject areas using content derived only from said leading web pages.

27. The method of claim 26, further including a step:

measuring a change in prevalence rate among the trendsetter web pages for content associated with a newly introduced item.

28. The method of claim 27 further including a step:

generating a popularity prediction rating for the newly introduced item.

29. The method of claim 26, further including a step:

reviewing said leading web pages to extract new content introduced and presented at such web pages.

30. The method of claim 26 measuring a change in prevalence rate among the trendsetter web pages for content associated with a newly introduced item.

31. The method of claim 26 further including a step:

ranking said leading web pages and presenting a response to a search query in accordance with said ranking.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein said query subject areas correspond to auction items at an online auction website.

33. The method of claim 32, further including a step:

generating a prediction of auction items which are likely to experience demand based on evaluating said leading web pages.

34. A method of monitoring Internet accessible web pages comprising:

(a) specifying electronic content data describing a first item;

(b) reviewing a set of Internet accessible web pages to detect instances of said electronic content data;

(c) identifying a time of adoption for such instances of said electronic content data within said set of Internet accessible web pages;

(d) ranking said set of Internet accessible web pages at least in part in accordance with said time of adoption to generate a first ranked set of Internet accessible web pages;

(e) repeating steps (a) through (d) at a later time for a second item to generate a second ranked set of Internet accessible web pages.

35. The method of claim 34, further including a step:

adjusting electronic advertising presented to visitors of the set of Internet accessible web pages based on said changes rankings and/or changes in rankings.

36. The method of claim 34, further including a step:

identifying individual web pages and/or web sites with a trendsetter designation based on a historical adoption behavior.

37. The method of claim 34, further including a step:

providing an incentive and/or reward to one or more of said set of Internet accessible web pages based on said ranking at step (d).

38. The method of claim 34, further including a step:

adjusting said rankings based on a number of page views associated with said set of Internet accessible web pages.

39. The method of claim 34, including a step:

identifying changes in rankings between said first ranked set of Internet accessible web pages and said second ranked set of Internet accessible web pages.

40. The method of claim 34 further including a step:

using said first item to predict adoption of said second item by a web page.

41. A method of responding to a search engine query comprising:

(a) evaluating historical content changes for a set of Internet accessible web pages;

(b) designating one or more web pages from said set of Internet accessible web pages as lagging web pages for one or more query subject areas based on a determination that such one or more web pages contain a comparatively small number of content changes and/or linking changes over a predetermined time period relating to said one or more query subject areas;

wherein said lagging web pages comprise a reduced group taken from said set of Internet accessible web pages;

(c) presenting information over the Internet concerning said one or more query subject areas using content which is not derived from said lagging web pages.

42. The method of claim 41, further including a step:

identifying lagging web sites, and excluding said lagging web sites from a search query.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein said information is presented over the Internet in response to a search engine query.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein said information is presented for items being sold at an auction site.