Altering keyword-based requests for content

• US 7,809,605 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2006
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wu, Leejay, Rao, Mohan S., LaPorte, Brock D., Zia, Aftab, Khan, M. Sultan, Hussain, Muhammad Mohsin, Sobotka, David C., Tonse, Sudhir
• Primary Examiner(s): Bekerman; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, LUIS A
• Application Number:
  US11/391,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20070150345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.54, 705/14.4, 705/14.43, 705/14.42, 705/10
• US Class Current: 705/14.54
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0243 Comparative campaigns
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0244 Optimization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for increasing user response to advertisements. Methods include identifying a base request from an advertisement requester, identifying a first keyword and a second keyword associated with the base request, ranking the first keyword and the second keyword based on a user response history associated with the first keyword and the second keyword, and identifying the higher ranked of the first keyword and the second keyword to be used to dynamically alter the base request.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by one or more computers;

identifying a base request from an advertisement requester, the base request including a set of one or more search terms;

identifying a first keyword and a second keyword associated with the base request;

associating the first and second keywords with at least two demographic-based criteria bins;

within each demographic-based criteria bin that is associated with the first and second keywords, ranking the first keyword and the second keyword based on a user response history associated with the first keyword and the second keyword;

applying weights to the demographic-based criteria bins; and

based on the weights applied to the demographic-based criteria bins, selecting at least one of the demographic-based criteria bins and selecting, from each selected demographic-based criteria bin, the higher ranked of the first keyword and the second keyword for use in dynamically altering the set of one or more search terms of the base request.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein identifying a first keyword and a second keyword associated with the base request comprises identifying the first keyword and the second keyword based on at least one of:

the content of the base request based on at least one of;

identifying search terms in the base request;

crawling the content of a URL identified in the base request;

or

identifying content in a content, category or hint parameter included with the base request;

or

factors that may or may not be related to the content of the base request based on at least one of;

synonyms to content in the base request;

relevancy to the content of the base request;

current popular keywords for a given day;

historically popular keywords for a given day;

the time of day;

the time of week;

or

the context of the base request based on at least one of;

identifying trends;

identifying system requirements of a user;

identifying the time and date of the base request;

identifying past user search history;

or

identifying user demographics.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein identifying a first keyword and a second keyword associated with the base request comprises identifying that the first keyword and the second keyword is undesirable based on at least one of:

adult controls;

predetermined offensive material;

or

an exclusivity requirement.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein ranking the first keyword and the second keyword based on a user response history associated with the first keyword and the second keyword is based on at least one of:

click-through-rate (CTR) of advertisements obtained using each of the first keyword and the second keyword;

cost-per-click (CPC) of advertisements obtained using each of the first keyword and the second keyword;

ad response percentage (ARP) of advertisements obtained using each of the first keyword and the second keyword;

call response ratio obtained using each of the first keyword and the second keyword;

or

views obtained using each of the first keyword and the second keyword.

5. A method comprising:

by one or more computers;

identifying a base request from an advertisement requester, the base request including a set of one or more search terms;

identifying a first keyword and a second keyword associated with the base request;

associating the first and second keywords with at least two demographic-based criteria bins;

within each demographic-based criteria bin that is associated with the first and second keywords, ranking the first keyword and the second keyword based on a user response history for each keyword;

applying weights to the demographic-based criteria bins;

based on the weights applied to the demographic-based criteria bins, selecting at least one of the demographic-based criteria bins and selecting, from each demographic-based selected criteria bin, the higher ranked of the first keyword and the second keyword;

dynamically altering the set of one or more search terms of the base request to include the higher ranked of the first keyword and the second keyword from each selected demographic-based criteria bin to form an altered request;

sending the altered request to an advertisement supplier;

receiving at least one advertisement from the advertisement supplier in response to the altered request;

sending the at least one advertisement to the advertisement requester; and

tracking user response to the at least one advertisement.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein tracking user response to the at least one advertisement further comprises associating the user response with the higher ranked of the first keyword and the second keyword.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein tracking user response to the at least one advertisement further comprises evaluating whether increased user response was obtained using the altered request.

8. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein identifying a first keyword and a second keyword associated with the base request comprises identifying the first keyword and the second keyword based on at least one of:

the content of the base request based on at least one of;

identifying search terms in the base request;

crawling the content of a URL identified in the base request;

or

identifying content in a content, category or hint parameter included with the base request;

or

factors that may or may not be related to the content of the base request based on at least one of;

synonyms to content in the base request;

relevancy to the content of the base request;

current popular keywords for a given day;

historically popular keywords for a given day;

the time of day;

the time of week;

or

the context of the base request based on at least one of;

identifying trends;

identifying system requirements of a user;

identifying the time and date of the base request;

identifying past user search history;

or

identifying user demographics.

9. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein ranking the first keyword and the second keyword based on a user response history for each keyword is performed according to at least one of:

click-through-rate (CTR) of advertisements obtained using each of the first keyword and the second keyword;

cost-per-click (CPC) of advertisements obtained using each of the first keyword and the second keyword;

ad response percentage (ARP) of advertisements obtained using each of the first keyword and the second keyword;

call response ratio obtained using each of the first keyword and the second keyword;

or

views obtained using each of the first keyword and the second keyword.

10. A system comprising:

one or more servers including an optimization engine configured to;

identify a base request from an advertisement requester, the base request including a set of one or more search terms;

identify a first keyword and a second keyword associated with the base request;

associating the first and second keywords with at least two demographic-based criteria bins;

within each demographic-based criteria bin that is associated with the first and second keywords, identify a user response history associated with the first keyword and the second keyword;

within each demographic-based criteria bin that is associated with the first and second keywords, rank the first keyword and the second keyword based on the user response history;

applying weights to the demographic-based criteria bins; and

based on the weights applied to the demographic-based criteria bins, selecting at least one of the demographic-based criteria bins and selecting, from each selected demographic-based criteria bin, the higher ranked of the first keyword and the second keyword; and

one or more servers including a routing system communicating with an advertisement requester and an advertisement supplier, the routing system also communicating with the optimization engine, the routing system configured to;

dynamically alter the set of one or more search terms of the base request to include the higher ranked of the first keyword and the second keyword from each selected demographic-based criteria bin to form an altered request; and

send the altered request to an advertisement supplier.

11. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the optimization engine further comprises at least one of:

a keyword extractor configured to identify a first keyword and a second keyword related to the content of the base request;

a related keyword processor configured to identify a first keyword and a second keyword that is not necessarily related to the content of the base request;

or

a keyword filter configured to identify that a first keyword and a second keyword is undesirable.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the keyword extractor is further configured to rank the identified a first keyword and a second keyword into a rank/density listing.

13. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the routing system is further configured to:

receive at least one advertisement from the advertisement supplier;

send the at least one advertisement to the advertisement requester; and

track user response to the at least one advertisement.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the routing system being configured to track user response further comprises at least one of:

an advertisement request log;

an advertisement click log;

or

an advertisement return log.

15. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the routing system further comprises at least one of:

a request module configured to analyze the base request;

or

a response module configured to analyze advertisements received from the advertisement supplier.

16. The system as recited in claim 10, further comprising an administrative system comprising:

a preference system configured to allow the advertisement requester, the advertisement supplier, or an administrator to preconfigure preferences;

a reporting system configured to receive user response and generate reports based on the user response; and

a data warehouse configured to maintain the preconfigured preferences and reports.

17. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the optimization engine and the routing system are configured as part of the same computer programmable code.