System and method to analyze calls to advertised telephone numbers

• US 8,259,915 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2010
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marchex Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Marchex Incorporated
• Inventors: Berk, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US12/829,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20120002795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112.01, 379/112.08, 379/114.01, 379/114.03, 379/114.05, 379/114.09, 379/114.13, 379/121.01, 379/122, 379/127.01, 379/133, 379/134, 379/136, 379/139, 379/114.06, 370352-354
• US Class Current: 379/114.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods

Abstract

A system and method for analyzing information associated with voice calls placed during a telephone number advertising campaign is described. The system receives information characterizing voice calls to advertiser telephone numbers and information from advertisers such as information about the outcome of the voice call (e.g., conversion information). The system correlates the voice call information with the advertiser information and generates reports based on the correlated information. The system can perform or enable the performance of other actions based on the correlated information. For example, the system may modify an ongoing advertising campaign based on an analysis of the correlated information.

Claims

1. A system for generating a report for an advertiser telephone number associated with an advertising campaign, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a call processing component configured to route voice calls to an advertiser telephone number, each voice call initiated by an electronic device via a voice-over-IP (VoIP) connection over an Internet Protocol (IP) network;

a call metric component configured to track metric information associated with the routed voice calls to the advertiser telephone number initiated from electronic devices, wherein;

as part of an advertising campaign, an advertiser is willing to pay an amount for a voice call to the advertiser telephone number initiated from an electronic device, and

the electronic device, in response to detecting the advertiser telephone number and to determining that the advertiser telephone number is part of the advertising campaign, displays an indication that a user is not charged for making a voice call to the advertiser telephone number using the electronic device, and, upon receipt of an indication from the user to place a voice call to the advertiser telephone number, places the voice call via an IP network;

a call outcome information component configured to receive information associated with outcomes of voice calls placed to the advertiser telephone number;

a correlation component configured to correlate the tracked metric information to the received outcome information;

a report generation component configured to generate a report based on the correlation; and

a campaign modification component configured to modify a parameter of the advertising campaign based on information within the generated report.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the metric information is received from a voice communications system that routed voice calls to the advertiser telephone number initiated from the electronic devices.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the call outcome information is received from the advertiser.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the received metric information includes information identifying users who placed voice calls to the advertiser telephone number.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the advertiser telephone number is detected on a web page, and wherein the received metric information includes context information identifying the web page that displayed the advertiser telephone number.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the received call outcome information includes information indicating sales made by the advertiser during voice calls placed to the advertiser telephone number.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the received call outcome information includes information identifying types of users that placed calls to the advertiser telephone number.

8. A method, performed by a call advertising system having a processor and a memory, for modifying a call advertising campaign, the method comprising:

routing voice calls to a telephone number associated with an advertising campaign, each voice call initiated by an electronic device via a voice-over-IP (VoIP) connection over an Internet Protocol (IP) network;

tracking metric information for the routed voice calls to the telephone number associated with an advertising campaign, wherein;

the advertising campaign indicates an amount to be paid for a voice call to the telephone number that is initiated from an electronic device, and

the electronic device, in response to detecting inclusion of the telephone number in electronic content of the electronic device and to determining that the telephone number is associated with the advertising campaign, provides an indication that a user is not charged for making a voice call to the telephone number using the electronic device, and, upon receipt of an indication from the user to place a voice call to the telephone number, places the voice call via an IP network;

comparing, by the call advertising system the tracked metric information to rules associated with the advertising campaign; and

when the comparison indicates that the tracked metric information does not satisfy the rules associated with the advertising campaign, adjusting parameters associated with the advertising campaign.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting parameters associated with the call advertising campaign includes adjusting a time period in which the call advertising campaign is enabled.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting parameters associated with the call advertising campaign includes selecting types of the electronic content that are to include the telephone number.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting parameters associated with the call advertising campaign includes adjusting a number of voice calls for which the amount is to be paid that can be placed during the call advertising campaign.

9. The method of 8, wherein the received metric information includes:

first information received from a voice communications system that routed voice calls placed to the telephone number initiated from the electronic device; and

second information received from an advertiser associated with the call advertising campaign.

10. The method of 8, wherein the received metric information includes:

first information that identifies users that placed calls to the telephone number;

second information that identifies the electronic content that, included the telephone number; and

third information that identifies times for voice calls placed to the telephone number.

14. A computer-readable storage medium whose contents cause a system to perform a method for modifying a call advertising campaign, the method comprising:

routing voice calls to a telephone number associated with an advertising campaign, each voice call initiated by an electronic device via a voice-over-IP (VoIP) connection over an Internet Protocol (IP) network;

tracking metric information for the routed voice calls to the telephone number associated with an advertising campaign, wherein;

the advertising campaign indicates an amount to be paid for a voice call to the telephone number and initiated from an electronic device, and

the electronic device, in response to detecting inclusion of the telephone number in electronic content of the electronic device and to determining that the telephone number is associated with the advertising campaign, provides an indication that a user is not charged for making a voice call to the telephone number using the electronic device, and, upon receipt of an indication from the user to place a voice call to the telephone number, places the voice call via an IP network;

comparing the tracked metric information to rules associated with the advertising campaign; and

when the comparison indicates that the tracked metric information does not satisfy the rules associated with the advertising campaign, adjusting parameters associated with the advertising campaign.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the received metric information includes:

first information received from a voice communications system that routed voice calls placed to the telephone number initiated from the electronic device; and

second information received from an advertiser associated with the call advertising campaign.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the received metric information includes:

first information that identifies users that placed calls to the telephone number;

second information that identifies the electronic content that included the telephone number; and

third information that identifies times for voice calls placed to the telephone number.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein adjusting parameters associated with the call advertising campaign includes adjusting a time period in which the call advertising campaign is enabled.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein adjusting parameters associated with the call advertising campaign includes selecting types of the electronic content that are to include the telephone number.

19. A method for modifying parameters defining an advertising campaign that provides free calls placed on a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system to a telephone number associated with the advertising campaign, the method comprising:

routing provided free calls to the telephone number associated with the advertising campaign, each provided free call initiated by an electronic device via the VoIP system over an Internet Protocol (IP) network;

tracking metric information associated with provided free calls placed on the VoIP system to the telephone number associated with the advertising campaign, wherein;

the advertising campaign indicates an amount to be paid for a voice call to the telephone number, and

an electronic device, in response to detecting inclusion of the telephone number in electronic content and to determining that the telephone number is part of the advertising campaign, provides an indication of an incentive to make a voice call to the telephone number using the electronic device, and, upon receipt of an indication from the user to place a voice call to the telephone number associated with the advertising campaign, places the voice call via the IP network;

receiving outcome information associated with outcomes for the provided free calls placed to the telephone number associated with the advertising campaign;

correlating the tracked metric information to the received outcome information; and

modifying the parameters defining the advertising campaign based on the correlation.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the metric information is received from the VoIP system and the outcome information is received from an advertiser associated with the advertising campaign.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein correlating the received metric information to the received outcome information includes identifying a pattern between a metric and an outcome.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein correlating the received metric information to the received outcome information includes identifying one or more metrics to modify during the advertising campaign.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein modifying the parameters defining an advertising campaign based on the comparison includes modifying a time period during the advertising campaign in which to provide free voice calls.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein modifying the parameters defining an advertising campaign based on the comparison includes increasing a number of provided free voice calls during the advertising campaign.