System and method for enabling multi-element bidding for influencing a position on a search result list generated by a computer network search engine

• US 8,015,063 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2010
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Savich, Peter, Soulanille, Thomas A., Meisel, Ted
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen; Nicholas D
• Application Number:
  US12/713,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20100161428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.41, 705/14.46, 705/14.51, 705/14.52, 705/14.53, 705/14.54
• US Class Current: 705/14.54
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A system and method for enabling information providers using a computer network to influence a search listing'"'"'s position within a search result list generated by a search engine. Each network information provider has an account containing at least one search listing having at least three components: a description, a search term comprising one or more keywords, and a bid amount. A network information provider selects a search term relevant to the content of the web site. A search listing includes the search term and a description. A bidding process occurs when the network information provider enters a new bid amount for a search listing. The system then compares the various bid amounts for the same search term, and generates rank values for search listings having that search term. The rank value determines where the listing will appear on the search results page generated in response to a searcher'"'"'s query.

Claims

1. A method of operating a search system, the method comprising:

maintaining a database of search listings searchable by a search engine, each search listing being associated with a search term, a respective web site promoter and one or more bid element amounts, the one or more bid element amounts corresponding to money amounts chargeable to the respective web site promoter when a search listing is referred by the search engine;

at a search engine web server in data communication with the database, receiving a search request from the searcher;

at the search engine web server, identifying search listings in the database which generate a match with the search request;

at the search engine web server providing search listings from the database to a searcher in conjunction with a page of information, including providing with the provided search listings a search result list which includes the identified search result listings, including ordering the identified search listings into the search result list in accordance with values of respective bid element amounts for the identified search listings, wherein the values of the respective bid amounts comprise;

(a) a value of a bid element amount for impression;

(b) a value of a bid element amount for clickthrough, calculated based on the bid element amount and probability of a clickthrough event, the probability being calculated as a ratio of an estimated number of times the clickthrough events will occur to an estimated number of times the clickthrough events could occur within a specified time period; and

(c) a value of a bid element amount for actions;

subsequently, receiving at the search engine web server, none, one or more of the following;

a retrieval request from the searcher to retrieve information associated with a selected search listing in the provided search listings, and

one or more notifications that the searcher has performed one or more respective actions in connection with the selected search listing;

at an account management server in data communication with the search engine web server, debiting an account of the web site promoter associated with the selected search listing as follows;

by a bid element amount for impression when the search listing is displayed to the searcher,

by a bid element amount for a clickthrough, when a clickthrough request was received as a notification, and

by a bid element amount for one or more actions when notifications were received for said one or more actions.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, at the search engine web server:

calculating a numerator as a ratio of an estimated number of times the clickthrough events will occur to an estimated number of times the clickthrough events could occur within a specified time period;

calculating a denominator representing the standard click-through rate for listings of the average ranking, over the same specified period of time, of the identified search listing corresponding to the bid; and

calculating the probability as the ratio of the numerator to the denominator.

3. A method of operating a pay for placement web site, the method comprising:

maintaining a database searchable by a search engine, the database including a plurality of search listings, each search listing being associated with an Internet website, a search term and a bid amount, the bid amount corresponding to a money amount chargeable to a web site promoter each time the web site promoter'"'"'s web site is referred by the search engine, the bid amount including at least one of a bid element amount for impression, a bid element amount for a clickthrough and a bid element amount for an action;

at a search engine web server in data communication with the database, providing to a searcher a search list including identified search listings which relate to a request from the searcher; and

at the search engine web server, positioning the identified search listings on a web page to be sent to the searcher in accordance with values of respective bid amounts for the identified search listings, the values of the respective bid amounts being calculated based on;

bid element amounts for impressions;

bid element amounts for clickthroughs; and

bid element amounts for actions,

wherein the value of a bid element amount for an action is calculated using the bid element amount and a probability associated with the action event, and wherein the probability is calculated using an estimated number of times the action events will occur and an estimated number of times the action events could occur within a specified time period.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

at the search engine web server, receiving a search request from the searcher;

identifying search listings generating a match with the search request; and

returning a search list including the identified search listings on the web page to be sent to the searcher.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving none, one or more of the following;

a retrieval request to retrieve information associated with a selected search listing in the search result list, and

one or more notifications that the searcher has performed one or more respective actions in connection with the selected search listing;

debiting an account of the web site promoter associated with the selected search listing and the respective bid as follows;

by the bid element amount for impression,

by the bid element amount for clickthrough, provided a clickthrough request was received, and

by the bid element amounts for, respectively, one or more actions, provided notifications were received for said one or more actions.

6. A method of operating a search system, the method comprising:

maintaining a database of search listings searchable by a search engine, each search listing being associated with a search term, a respective web site promoter and one or more bid element amounts, the one or more bid element amounts corresponding to money amounts chargeable to the respective web site promoter when a search listing is referred by the search engine;

at a search engine web server in data communication with the database, receiving a search request from the searcher;

identifying matching search listings in the database which generate a match with the search request;

providing a search result list which includes search listings including the matching search listings from the database to a searcher in conjunction with a page of information, including

ordering the identified search listings into the search result list in accordance with values of respective bid element amounts for the identified search listings, wherein the values of the respective bid amounts comprise;

(a) a value of a bid element amount for impression;

(b) a value of a bid element amount for clickthrough, calculated based on the bid element amount and probability of a clickthrough event; and

(c) a value of a bid element amount for actions,

wherein the probability is calculated as a ratio of an estimated number of times the clickthrough events will occur to an estimated number of times the clickthrough events could occur within a specified time period;

subsequently, receiving at the search engine web server, none, one or more of the following;

a retrieval request from the searcher to retrieve information associated with a selected search listing in the provided search listings, and

one or more notifications that the searcher has performed one or more respective actions in connection with the selected search listing;

at an account management server in data communication with the search engine web server, debiting an account of the web site promoter associated with the selected search listing as follows;

by a bid element amount for impression when the search listing is displayed to the searcher,

by a bid element amount for a clickthrough, when a clickthrough request was received as a notification, and

by a bid element amount for one or more actions when notifications were received for said one or more actions.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising, at the search engine web server:

calculating a numerator as a ratio of an estimated number of times the clickthrough events will occur to an estimated number of times the clickthrough events could occur within a specified time period;

calculating a denominator representing the standard click-through rate for listings of the average ranking, over the same specified period of time, of the identified search listing corresponding to the bid; and

calculating the probability as the ratio of the numerator to the denominator.