Method and apparatus for implementing search engine with cost per action revenue model

• US 7,647,305 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intersections Incorporated (Aura Sub, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Anchorfree Incorporated
• Inventors: Gorodyansky, David
• Primary Examiner(s): BOCCIO, VINCENT F
• Application Number:
  US11/291,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20070124287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 707/6, 707/7, 707/102
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0247 Calculate past, present or future revenues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

The inventive technology enables the search engine operator to charge the advertisers who place their links on the search engine only if the user uses the search results to visit the advertiser'"'"'s web portal(s) and generates revenue for the advertiser. This concept is especially attractive to the advertisers because it eliminates the risk, which the advertisers face in conventional search engines, when they are changed by the search engine per user click irrespectively of whether the user'"'"'s visit resulted in advertiser'"'"'s revenue.

Claims

1. A computerized search and advertising system comprising:

a. an interface operable to receive a search query, wherein the search query specifies a search information;

b. a search system operable to receive the search query from the web interface and to generate a search request based on the search query;

c. a search engine operable to receive the search request from the search system and to provide to the search system a plurality of search results responsive to the search request; and

d. a database operable to store a plurality of paid advertisings;

e. at least one storage device;

wherein the search system is additionally operable to;

i. receive a plurality of search results;

ii. retrieve at least one paid advertising information associated with a paid advertisement from the database, wherein the paid advertisement is related to the plurality of search results and wherein the paid advertising information comprises at least one paid advertising link;

iii. insert the at least one paid advertising link into the plurality of search results;

send a response, the response comprising the inserted at least one paid advertising link and the plurality of search results, the response operable to cause the inserted at least one

iv. paid advertising link and the plurality of search results to be displayed, wherein an advertiser associated with the paid advertisement is charged for the paid advertisement only if it is determined that the paid advertising link was used to generate revenue for the advertiser by way of making a purchase;

v. collect account information and establish an account for a user based on the collected account information;

vi. credit the account of the user with a portion of a charge for the paid advertisement when it is determined that the paid advertising link was used to generate the revenue for the advertiser by way of making the purchase; and

vii. cause information associated with the account of the user, information on activity of the user and information on a credit amount credited to the account of the user to be stored in at least one storage area allocated on the storage device, wherein the sent response is further operable to cause the paid advertising link to be displayed above at least one of the plurality of search results;

wherein the sent response is further operable to cause the at least one of the plurality of search results to be displayed below the paid advertising link; and

wherein the plurality of search results are free search results.

2. The computerized search and advertising system of claim 1, wherein an operator of the search and advertising system receives a payment only if it is determined that the paid advertising link was used to generate revenue.

3. The computerized search and advertising system of claim 1, wherein if it is determined that the paid advertising link was used to generate the revenue, a portion of the generated revenue is received by an operator of the search and advertising system.

4. The computerized search and advertising system of claim 1, further comprising a second database operable to store the information on the credit amount credited to the account of the user.

5. The computerized search and advertising system of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the account of the user, the information on the activity of the user and the information on the credit amount credited to the account of the user is stored in the database.

6. The computerized search and advertising system of claim 1, further comprising a second database operable to store information on activity of the user.

7. The computerized search and advertising system of claim 1, wherein the paid advertising link is designated with a visual object indicating that if the user takes a predetermined action, the user would be given a credit.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

a. receiving a search query, wherein the search query specifies a search information;

b. generating a search request based on the search query and forwarding the search request to a search engine;

c. receiving a plurality of search results responsive to the search request from the search engine;

retrieving at least one paid advertising information associated with a paid advertisement from a database, wherein the paid advertisement is related to the plurality of search results

d. and wherein the paid advertising information comprises at least one paid advertising link;

e. inserting the at least one paid advertising link into the plurality of search results;

f. sending a response, the response comprising the inserted at least one paid advertising link and the plurality of search results, the response operable to cause the inserted paid advertising link and the plurality of search results to be displayed;

g. determining whether the paid advertising link was used to generate a revenue for an advertiser associated with the paid advertisement by way of making a purchase, and if so, charging the advertiser for the paid advertisement;

h. collecting account information and establishing an account for a user based on the collected information;

i. crediting the account of the user with a portion of a charge for the paid advertisement when it is determined that the paid advertising link was used to generate the revenue for the advertiser by way of making the purchase; and

j. causing information associated with the account of the user, information on activity of the user and information on a credit amount credited to the account of the user to be stored, wherein the sent response is further operable to cause the paid advertising link to be displayed above at least one of the plurality of search results;

wherein the sent response is further operable to cause the at least one of the plurality of search results to be displayed below the paid advertising link; and

wherein the plurality of search results are free search results.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising providing a portion of the generated revenue to an operator of the search and advertising system.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising providing a payment to an operator of the search and advertising system.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the information on activity of the user is stored in a storage area allocated on a storage device.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the information associated with the account of the user, the information on activity of the user and the information on a credit amount credited to the account of the user is stored in a storage area allocated on a storage device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the paid advertising link is designated with a visual object indicating that if the user takes a predetermined action, the user would be given a credit.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the paid advertising link is highlighted.