Systems and methods for presenting advertising content based on publisher-selected labels
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for providing advertisements to a client computer, the method comprising:
- defining a plurality of referral labels, wherein each referral label is assigned to one of a plurality of publishers, wherein different ones of the plurality of publishers are assigned different referral labels, and wherein at least some of the referral labels represent referral relationships between different ones of the plurality of publishers;
wherein the act of defining the referral labels includes;
receiving, at a namespace manager, a request for a referral label from the first publisher'"'"';
creating, by the namespace manager, the first referral label in response to the request from the first publisher;
receiving, by the namespace manager, an instruction from the first publisher to establish a reference relationship from the first publisher to the second publisher;
in response to the instruction, issuing, by the namespace manager, an invitation to the second publisher to become a reference of the first publisher;
receiving, at the namespace manager, an acceptance from the second publisher; and
creating, by the namespace manager, the second referral label in response to the acceptance;
providing a sponsored content database configured to associate each of a plurality of advertisements with one of the referral labels, wherein each advertisement includes a link to a content item;
receiving, at an advertising server computer, a request originating from a client computer for an advertisement related to a first content item published by a first one of the plurality of publishers, the request including a first one of the plurality of referral labels;
identifying, by the advertising server computer, from the sponsored content database, a first advertisement that is associated with a second referral label, the first advertisement being provided by a second one of the plurality of publishers, wherein the first referral label and the second referral label represent a referral relationship between the first publisher and the second publisher;
wherein the first referral label includes a first code identifying the first publisher and wherein the second referral label includes the first code and also includes a second code identifying the second publisher;
transmitting the first advertisement for presentation to a user by the client computer; and
in the event that a user clickthrough on the first advertisement is reported by the client computer, logging a referral from the first referral label to the second referral label.
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Abstract
Systems and methods allowing publishers to define relationships between their own content items (e.g., World Wide Web pages) and content items created or maintained by other publishers. Publishers insert referral labels into their content items to indicate a referral relationship between or among publishers. In one embodiment, advertisements to be displayed while the user is viewing a content item are selected based at least in part on matching a referral label included in the target content item to a referral label in the advertisement. The referral label can also be used to manage referral-based revenue sharing among publishers.
89 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for providing advertisements to a client computer, the method comprising:
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defining a plurality of referral labels, wherein each referral label is assigned to one of a plurality of publishers, wherein different ones of the plurality of publishers are assigned different referral labels, and wherein at least some of the referral labels represent referral relationships between different ones of the plurality of publishers; wherein the act of defining the referral labels includes; receiving, at a namespace manager, a request for a referral label from the first publisher'"'"'; creating, by the namespace manager, the first referral label in response to the request from the first publisher; receiving, by the namespace manager, an instruction from the first publisher to establish a reference relationship from the first publisher to the second publisher; in response to the instruction, issuing, by the namespace manager, an invitation to the second publisher to become a reference of the first publisher; receiving, at the namespace manager, an acceptance from the second publisher; and creating, by the namespace manager, the second referral label in response to the acceptance; providing a sponsored content database configured to associate each of a plurality of advertisements with one of the referral labels, wherein each advertisement includes a link to a content item; receiving, at an advertising server computer, a request originating from a client computer for an advertisement related to a first content item published by a first one of the plurality of publishers, the request including a first one of the plurality of referral labels; identifying, by the advertising server computer, from the sponsored content database, a first advertisement that is associated with a second referral label, the first advertisement being provided by a second one of the plurality of publishers, wherein the first referral label and the second referral label represent a referral relationship between the first publisher and the second publisher; wherein the first referral label includes a first code identifying the first publisher and wherein the second referral label includes the first code and also includes a second code identifying the second publisher; transmitting the first advertisement for presentation to a user by the client computer; and in the event that a user clickthrough on the first advertisement is reported by the client computer, logging a referral from the first referral label to the second referral label. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computer-based system stored within volatile or non-volatile memory for providing advertisements to a client computer, the system comprising:
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a sponsored content data store configured to store a plurality of advertisements, each of the advertisements being associated with at least one of a plurality of referral labels, wherein each referral label is assigned to one of a plurality of publishers, wherein different ones of the plurality of publishers are assigned different referral labels, and wherein the referral labels represent referral relationships between different ones of the plurality of publishers; wherein the act of defining the referral labels includes; receiving, at a namespace manager, a request for a referral label from the first publisher'"'"'; creating, by the namespace manager, the first referral label in response to the request from the first publisher; receiving, by the namespace manager, an instruction from the first Publisher to establish a reference relationship from the first publisher to the second publisher; in response to the instruction, issuing, by the namespace manager, an invitation to the second publisher to become a reference of the first publisher; receiving, at the namespace manager, an acceptance from the second publisher; and creating, by the namespace manager, the second referral label in response to the acceptance; an advertising server communicably coupled to the sponsored content data store, the advertising server including; input control logic configured to receive a request originating from a client computer for an advertisement related to a first content item published by a first one of the plurality of publishers, the request including a first one of the plurality of referral labels, the first referral label being extracted from the first content item; selection control logic configured to identify, from the sponsored content data store, a first advertisement that is associated with a second referral label, the first advertisement being provided by a second one of the plurality of publishers, wherein the first referral label and the second referral label represent a referral relationship between the first publisher and the second publisher; wherein the first referral label includes a first code identifying the first publisher and wherein the second referral label includes the first code and also includes a second code identifying the second publisher; output control logic configured to transmit the first advertisement for presentation to a user by the client computer; and logging control logic configured to log a referral from the first referral label to the second referral label in the event that a user clickthrough on the first advertisement is reported by the client computer. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification