Systems and methods for allocating placement of content items on a rendered page based upon bid value

• US 20060106709A1
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Najm, Tarek, Li, Li, Chickering, David M., Meek, Christopher A., Li, Ying, Heckerman, David E., Prasad, Rajeev, Vajjiravel, Murali, Dhawan, Sachin, Burdick, Brian, Kagalwala, Raxit
• Application Number:
  US10/999,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20060106709A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0247 Calculate past, present or future revenues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining the value of bids placed by content providers for placement positions on a page, e.g., a web page, rendered according to a given context, for instance, the search results listing for a particular query initiated on a search engine web site, are provided. Additionally, systems and methods are provided for determining placement of content items, e.g., advertisements and/or images, on a rendered page relative to other content items on the page based upon bid value.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for allocating placement of content items based upon bid value, the content items to be placed on a page rendered according to a given context, comprising:

receiving a plurality of bids for a particular placement position on the page, each bid being associated with a content item; and

determining an expected performance of each particular content item relative to all content items for which a bid was received.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining a bid value for each of the plurality of bids.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein determining the expected performance of each particular content item relative to the all content items for which a bid was received comprises determining an expected performance of each particular content item based upon the bid value of the bid associated therewith relative to the bid value of the bids associated with all content items for which a bid was received.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein determining the expected performance of each particular content item relative to all content items based upon the bid value of the bid associated therewith relative to the bid value of the bids associated with all content items for which a bid was received comprises dividing the bid value of the bid associated with the particular content item by a sum of the bid values of the bids associated with all content items for which a bid was received.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising skewing the expected performance of each particular content item relative to all content items for which a bid was received in favor of at least one relatively higher performing content item.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein skewing the expected performance of each particular content item relative to all content items for which a bid was received in favor of at least one higher performing content item comprises dividing the bid value of the bid associated with the particular content item raised to a particular power by the sum of the bid values of the bids associated with all content items for which a bid was received raised to the particular power.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising randomly allocating placement of each of the plurality of content items in the particular placement position on the page based upon the relative expected performance thereof.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising displaying each of the plurality of content items in the particular placement position on the page in accordance with its randomly allocated placement.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a plurality of bids for a particular placement position on the page comprises receiving at least one of the plurality of bids through an auction.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the given context is determined based upon a search query.

11. A computer programmed to perform the steps recited in claim 1.

12. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for presenting a user interface on a display device, the user interface for allocating the placement of content items based upon bid value, the content items to be placed on a page rendered according to a given context, comprising:

code for receiving a plurality of bids for a particular placement position on the page, each bid being associated with a content item; and

code for determining an expected performance of each particular content item relative to all content items for which a bid was received.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising code for determining a bid value for each of the plurality of bids.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the code for determining the expected performance of each particular content item relative to all content items for which a bid was received comprises code for determining an expected performance of each particular content item based upon the bid value of the bid associated therewith relative to the bid values of the bids associated with all content items for which a bid was received.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the code for determining the expected performance of each particular content item relative to all content items based upon the bid value of the bid associated therewith relative to the bid values of the bids associated with all content items for which a bid was received is capable of dividing the bid value of the bid associated with the particular content item by a sum of the bid values of the bids associated with all content items for which a bid was received.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising code for skewing the expected performance of each particular content item relative to all content items for which a bid was received in favor of at least one relatively higher performing content item.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the code for skewing the expected performance of each particular content item relative to all content items for which a bid was received in favor of at least one relatively higher performing content item is capable of dividing the bid value of the bid associated with the particular content item raised to a particular power by the sum of the bid values of the bids associated with all content items for which a bid was received raised to the particular power.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising code for randomly allocating placement of each of the plurality of content items in the particular placement position on the page based upon the relative expected performance thereof.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising code for displaying each of the plurality of content items in the particular placement position on the page in accordance with its randomly allocated placement.

20. A computer-implemented method for determining a bid value for a content item to be placed on a page rendered according to a given context, comprising:

receiving a base bid associated with the content item;

determining whether base bid adjustment is desired; and

if base bid adjustment is not desired, determining the bid value for the content item based upon the base bid.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein if base bid adjustment is desired, the method further comprises determining one or more incremental values by which the base bid is to be adjusted, each incremental value being associated with a targeting attribute.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the targeting attribute is selected from the group consisting of a location of a user, a day of the week, a time of the day, a gender of the user, and a particular placement position on the page.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, further comprising determining whether the targeting attribute associated with at least one of the one or more incremental values is present.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, wherein if the targeting attribute associated with at least one of the one or more incremental values is not present, the method further comprises determining the bid value for the content item based upon the base bid.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, wherein if the targeting attribute associated with at least one of the one or more incremental values is present, the method further comprises determining the bid value for the content item based upon the base bid adjusted by the one or more incremental values for which the associated targeting attribute is present.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein receiving a bid associated with a content item comprises receiving the bid through an auction.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein the given context is determined based upon a search query.

28. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for presenting a user interface on a display device, the user interface for determining a bid value for a content item to be placed on a page rendered according to a given context, comprising:

code for receiving a base bid associated with the content item;

code for determining whether base bid adjustment is desired; and

if base bid adjustment is not desired, code for determining the bid value for the content item based upon the base bid.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein if base bid adjustment is desired, the computer-readable medium further comprises code for determining one or more incremental values by which the base bid is capable of being adjusted, each incremental value being associated with a targeting attribute.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising code for determining whether the targeting attribute associated with at least one of the one or more incremental values is present.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein if the targeting attribute associated with at least one of the one or more incremental values is not present, the computer-readable medium further comprises code for determining the bid value for the content item based upon the base bid.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein if the targeting attribute associated with at least one of the one or more incremental values is present, the computer-readable medium further comprises code for determining the bid value for the content item based upon the base bid adjusted by the one or more incremental values for which the associated targeting attribute is present.

33. A user interface embodied on at least one computer-readable medium, the user interface for determining the bid value for a content item to be placed on a page rendered according to a given context, comprising:

a base bid display area configured to display a base bid, the base bid being associated with the content item; and

a targeting attribute selection area configured to display one or more selectable targeting attribute links based upon which the base bid is capable of being adjusted.

34. The user interface of claim 33, wherein the targeting attribute selection area is configured to display one or more of a location of a user, a day of the week, a time of the day, a gender of a user, and a particular placement position on the page.

35. The user interface of claim 33, further comprising a search phrase display area configured to receive input indicative of at least one search phrase on which a search query is to be performed.

36. The user interface of claim 33, further comprising an attribute option display area configured to display at least one attribute option within each targeting attribute upon which the base bid is capable of being adjusted.

37. The user interface of claim 36, whereby following any of the plurality of selectable targeting attribute links allows a user to select or input at least one targeting attribute in the attribute option display area.

38. The user interface of claim 37, further comprising an pricing increment display area configured to display a pricing increment to be associated with at least one attribute option within each targeting attribute upon which the base bid is capable of being adjusted.

39. The user interface of claim 38, wherein if the user selects or inputs at least one targeting attribute in the attribute option display area, the pricing increment to be associated therewith is capable of being selected or input in the pricing increment display area.

40. The user interface of claim 33, wherein the user interface is viewable on a display device coupled with a computer.