Ranking providers for advertising leads

• US 8,521,688 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2008
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Belwadi, S. Srikanth, Sundaram, Sridhar
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Application Number:
  US12/234,380
• Time in Patent Office: 1,803 Days
• Field of Search: 707/723, 707/748, 707/749, 707/622, 705/1.1, 705/10, 705/11, 705/14.51, 705/14.52, 705/14.58, 705/14.6
• US Class Current: 707/622
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Systems and methods for provider ranking. Provider ranking systems can identify relevant providers for requests received from users for a product or service offering, and can rank the providers based upon performance ratings associated with the providers. The provider ranking system can submit the request to providers on behalf of the user based upon the ranking.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

identifying, by a computer, a plurality of providers based upon a request received from a user for an offering specified by the request;

ranking, by the computer, the plurality of providers based upon a performance rating associated with each of the plurality of providers;

selecting a subset of providers based on the ranking of the plurality of providers, the subset including at least two providers;

providing, by the computer, a lead to each of the providers in the subset of providers;

enabling communication from a first provider in the subset of providers that is first to respond to the lead to a user associated with the lead and precluding communication from the other providers in the subset of providers to the user that are not first to respond to the lead; and

in response to determining that the user has rejected first provider, enabling communication from the other providers in the subset of providers to the user;

wherein the communication that is enabled is a communication according to contact information provided for the lead for the responding provider to use to contact the user;

wherein the performance rating comprises a social graph rating derived by identifying peers of the user and determining preferences associated with the user based upon the identified peers; and

wherein identifying peers of the user comprises comparing a user profile of the user to user profiles of the peers.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the request from the user through a search engine interface.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the request from the user through a provider location interface.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the performance rating further comprises at least one of a response time or a user satisfaction rating.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein each provider is associated with a response time and are ranked in order from quickest response time to slowest response time or a user satisfaction rating based upon feedback received from users.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the peers of the user are further identified based list of users from a social network and determining preferences associated with the user based upon the identified peers.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting response time information associated with the providers; and

basing the performance rating for each of the providers upon the collected response time.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting satisfaction ratings from the users for each of the providers; and

aggregating the satisfaction ratings collected from the users;

wherein the performance ratings assigned to the providers are further based upon the aggregated satisfaction ratings.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the contact information provided to the providers is an anonymized contact information facilitating anonymous contact between the user and the provider.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1,

wherein determining preferences associated with the user based on the identified peers comprises:

aggregating preferences for the identified peers;

assigning a rating to each of the providers based upon the aggregated preferences for the identified peers.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the peers are identified based upon a peer network identified by the user.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the peers are identified based upon identifying a similar profile between the identified peers and the user.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying a plurality of providers based upon a request comprises:

identifying a location associated with the user and a product or service associated with the request; and

identifying providers within a service area associated with the identified location and matching the product or service associated with the request.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the providers are further identified based upon bids associated with each of the providers.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising deriving the request from a query log.

16. Software stored in one or more non-transitory computer readable storage device and comprising instructions executable by a processing system, upon such execution causing the processing system to perform operations comprising:

identifying a plurality of providers based upon a request received from a user for a product or service;

ranking the plurality of providers based upon performance rating associated with each of the plurality of providers;

for each request;

selecting a subset of providers based on the ranking of the plurality of providers, the subset including at least two providers;

providing, by the computer, a lead to each of the providers in the subset of providers;

enabling communication from a first provider in the subset of providers that is first to respond to the lead to a user associated with the lead and precluding communication from the other providers in the subset of providers to the user that are not first to respond to the lead;

in response to determining that the user has rejected first provider, enabling communication from the other providers in the subset of providers to the user;

wherein the communication that is enabled is a communication according to contact information provided for the lead for the responding provider to use to contact the user;

wherein the performance rating comprises a social graph rating derived by identifying peers of the user and determining preferences associated with the user based upon the identified peers; and

wherein identifying peers of the user comprises comparing a user profile of the user to user profiles of the peers.

17. The software of claim 16, further operable to cause the processing system to perform an operation comprising receiving the request from the user through a search engine interface.

18. The software of claim 16, further operable to cause the processing system to perform an operation comprising receiving the request from the user through a provider location interface.

19. The software of claim 16, wherein the performance rating further comprises at least one of a response time or a user satisfaction rating.

20. The software of claim 16, further operable to cause the processing system to perform operations comprising:

collecting response time information associated with the providers; and

assigning a rating to each of the providers based upon the collected response time.

21. The software of claim 20, further operable to cause the processing system to perform operations comprising:

collecting satisfaction ratings from the users for each of the providers; and

aggregating the satisfaction ratings collected from the users;

wherein the ratings assigned to the providers are further based upon the aggregated satisfaction ratings.

22. The software of claim 16, wherein determining preferences associated with the user based on the identified peers comprises:

aggregating preferences for the identified peers;

assigning a rating to each of the providers based upon the aggregated preferences for the identified peers.

23. The software of claim 22, wherein the peers are identified based upon a peer network identified by the user using a social networking interface.

24. The software of claim 22, wherein the peers are identified based upon identifying a similar profile between the identified peers and the user.

25. The software of claim 16, wherein identifying a plurality of providers based upon a request comprises:

identifying a location associated with the user and a product or service associated with the request; and

identifying providers within a service area associated with the identified location and matching the product or service associated with the request.

26. The software of claim 25, wherein the providers are further identified based upon bids associated with each of the providers.

27. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

collecting, by the computer, performance information associated with providers;

ranking, by the computer, the providers based upon the collected performance information; and

for each lead of a plurality of leads;

selecting a subset of the providers based on the ranking of the providers, the subset including at least two providers;

providing, by the computer, a lead to each of the providers in the subset of providers;

enabling communication from a first provider in the subset of providers that is first to respond to the lead to a user associated with the lead and precluding communication from the other providers in the subset of providers to the user that are not first to respond to the lead; and

in response to determining that the user has rejected first provider, enabling communication from the other providers in the subset of providers to the user;

wherein the communication that is enabled is a communication according to contact information provided for the lead for the responding provider to use to contact the user;

wherein the performance rating comprises a social graph rating derived by identifying peers of the user and determining preferences associated with the user based upon the identified peers; and

wherein identifying peers of the user comprises determining a relationship between a user profile of the user to user profiles of the peers.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 27, wherein the performance information further comprises an average response time associated with the providers.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 27, wherein the performance information further comprises customer satisfaction ratings received from other users.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 29, further comprising identifying peers to the users originating service or product requests, wherein the other users comprise identified peers to the users originating service or product requests.

31. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

identifying a plurality of providers based upon a request received from a user for an offering specified by the request;

ranking the plurality of providers based upon a performance rating associated with each of the plurality of providers;

selecting a subset of providers based on the ranking of the plurality of providers, the subset including at least two providers;

providing, by the computer, a lead for the request to each of the providers in the subset of providers;

enabling communication from a first provider in the subset of providers that is first to respond to the lead to a user associated with the lead and precluding communication from the other providers in the subset of providers to the user that are not first to respond to the lead; and

in response to determining that the user has rejected first provider, enabling communication from the other providers in the subset of providers to the user;

wherein the communication that is enabled is a communication according to contact information provided for the lead for the responding provider to use to contact the user;

wherein the performance rating comprises a social graph rating derived by identifying peers of the user and determining preferences associated with the user based upon the identified peers; and

wherein identifying peers of the user comprises comparing a user profile of the user to user profiles of the peers.

32. Software stored in one or more non-transitory computer readable storage device and comprising instructions executable by a processing system, upon such execution causing the processing system to perform operations comprising:

collecting performance information associated with providers;

ranking the providers based upon the collected performance information;

for each lead of a plurality of leads;

selecting a subset of the providers based on the ranking of the providers, the subset including at least two providers;

providing, by the computer, a lead to each of the providers in the subset of providers;

enabling communication from a first provider in the subset of providers that is first to respond to the lead to a user associated with the lead and precluding communication from the other providers in the subset of providers to the user that are not first to respond to the lead; and

in response to determining that the user has rejected first provider, enabling communication from the other providers in the subset of providers to the user;

wherein the communication that is enabled is a communication according to contact information provided for the lead for the responding provider to use to contact the user;

wherein the performance rating comprises a social graph rating derived by identifying peers of the user and determining preferences associated with the user based upon the identified peers; and

wherein identifying peers of the user comprises determining a relationship between a user profile of the user to user profiles of the peers.

33. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

collecting performance information associated with providers;

ranking the providers based upon the collected performance information;

for each lead of a plurality of leads;

selecting a subset of the providers based on the ranking of the providers, the subset including at least two providers;

providing, by the computer, a lead to each of the providers in the subset of providers;

enabling communication from a first provider in the subset of providers that is first to respond to the lead to a user associated with the lead and precluding communication from the other providers in the subset of providers to the user that are not first to respond to the lead; and

in response to determining that the user has rejected first provider, enabling communication from the other providers in the subset of providers to the user;

wherein the communication that is enabled is a communication according to contact information provided for the lead for the responding provider to use to contact the user;

wherein the performance rating comprises a social graph rating derived by identifying peers of the user and determining preferences associated with the user based upon the identified peers; and

wherein identifying peers of the user comprises determining a relationship between a user profile of the user to user profiles of the peers.