Computer program product and method for estimating internet traffic

• US 8,356,097 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2012
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: comScore, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Compete, Inc. (comScore, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cancel, David, Moores, Lauren S., Currea, Laura
• Primary Examiner(s): WASEL, MOHAMED A
• Application Number:
  US13/359,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20120131187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Site metrics are presented in association with search results. The site metrics are derived from site analytics that uses clickstream data collected from a panel of internet users to generate and present internet activity metrics. Data collected from a community of internet users may be augmented by clickstream data store content, third party content, search results, and other sources to form estimates of internet activity that is structured and analyzed to produce metrics of nearly any internet web site or domain. The data may be further augmented with ratings, retail deals, and analysis of web site content to form a comprehensive set of data that is mined to formulate various metrics of internet activity about web sites. Metrics of internet activity, provides analysis that represents aspects of internet user access to a web site. Such aspects may include activity related to visitors, engagement, growth, trust, deals, and the like.

Claims

1. A method of estimating Internet traffic, the method comprising:

taking a size and demographic composition of a target population;

identifying a group of participants within a target population;

determining demographic information for each member of the group of participants;

receiving click-stream data at a host processing facility from the group of participants that connotes Internet activity of individual members of the group of participants; and

producing, at the host processing facility, an estimate of a target population'"'"'s Internet activity by scaling the data for each member of the group of participants to the relative size and demographic composition of the target population and the group of participants, wherein scaling comprises applying a weight to the clickstream data in view of the demographic information.