DYNAMIC BID PRICING FOR SPONSORED SEARCH

• US 20110055018A1
• Filed: 10/05/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Valz, Duane R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.66
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

A method for an online sponsored search system includes storing a database of items. At least some of the items include a keyword and a money amount associated with a respective advertiser. The method further includes receiving information about current user preferences within the online sponsored search system. When the received user information relates to a keyword of an item, the method includes automatically adjusting the money amount of the item based on the received user interest information. In response to a received user query, the method includes identifying items relating to the received user search query and generating a search result list including the related items. The method then includes ordering the related items according to the adjusted money amounts associated with the matching items. In response to the designation of a Web page to receive sponsored advertisements, the method includes identifying items relating to the subject matter of one or more portions of the Web page. In this instance, the method then includes determining which items are to be shown and their placement on the Web page according to the adjusted money amounts associated with the related items.

Claims

1. A sponsored search system comprising:

a sponsored search database configured to store a plurality of items, at least some of the stored items being associated with an advertiser and including a keyword and a money amount;

a data processing system operative as a user preference and navigation information system and configured to determine information about current user preferences within the sponsored search system, and

a data processing system operative as an information web server and in data communication with

the sponsored search database and

the data processing system operative as the user preference and navigation information system,

the data processing system operative as the information web server implementing

a search engine which is responsive to user search queries to the sponsored search database and

further implementing

a bid amount adjustment engine responsive to the information about current user preferences,

the search engine returning a set of search listings to a user in response to a user query, the set of search listings being ordered at least in part based on the information about current user preferences,

the data processing system operative as the bid amount adjustment engine operative to automatically adjust the money amount of selected stored items based on the bid adjustment response information in response to a change in current user preferences, including detecting bid adjustment information of an advertiser associated with a particular search listing, the bid adjustment information defining the advertiser'"'"'s intention to seek more or fewer returns of the particular search listing to a user in response to a user query which matches the keyword of the particular search listing so that the bid adjustment engine can adjust the money amount of the particular listing before it is provided to the user in response to the search query, thereby varying the ordering of the set of search listings in response to variation in the information about current user preferences.

2. The sponsored search system of claim 1, further comprising:

a user database in data communication with the data processing system operative as the user preference and navigation information system and configured to store user query information from a plurality of user queries to the sponsored search system.

3. The sponsored search system of claim 2 wherein the data processing system operative as the user preference and navigation information system is configured to access the user query information stored in the user database to determine subject matter of current user interest in the sponsored search system.

4. The sponsored search system of claim 2 wherein the data processing system operative as the user preference and navigation information system is configured to access the user query information stored in the user database to determine current user interest in the sponsored search system based on frequency of user queries about a particular subject.

5. The sponsored search system of claim 2 wherein the data processing system operative as the user preference and navigation information system is configured to access the user query information stored in the user database to determine web sites of current interest to which users in the sponsored search system navigate.

6. The sponsored search system of claim 2 wherein the data processing system operative as the user preference and navigation information system is configured to access the user query information stored in the user database to determine browser interaction and navigation patterns of users in the sponsored search system to determine current user preferences.

7. The sponsored search system of claim 2 wherein the data processing system operative as the user preference and navigation information system is configured to aggregate the user query information from a plurality of user queries to determine the information about the current user preferences.

8-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A method for an online sponsored search system, the method comprising:

at a data processing system of the online sponsored search system, receiving information about current user preferences within the online sponsored search system;

detecting bid adjustment definition information of an information provider, the bid adjustment definition information including data defining the advertiser'"'"'s intention to seek more or less activity in response to a change in the current user preferences based on the adjustment to be made by the sponsored search system; and

in response to a change in the current user preferences and the bid adjustment information, the sponsored search system automatically adjusting money amounts for stored items of advertisers, the money amounts used for arranging information provider items on a web page sent in response to a request received at the online sponsored search system

including detecting bid adjustment information of an advertiser associated with a particular search listing, the bid adjustment information defining the advertiser'"'"'s intention to seek more or fewer returns of the particular search listing to a user in response to a user query which matches the keyword of the particular search listing so that the bid adjustment engine can adjust the money amount of the particular listing before it is provided to the user in response to the search query, thereby varying the ordering of the information provider items on the web page in response to variation in the information about current user preferences.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

in response to the received request, at the data processing system identifying items relating to the received request;

generating a search result list including the related items, and

ordering the related items according to the adjusted money amounts associated with the related items.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

at the data processing system, aggregating information about relatively current Internet user preferences based on user interactions with the online sponsored search system to form, at least in part, the information about current user preferences.