Methods and systems for improving bid efficiency of a content provider

• US 8,719,089 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2013
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kent, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Sittner, Matthew T
• Application Number:
  US13/917,094
• Time in Patent Office: 327 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/14.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

Systems and methods for improving a content provider'"'"'s bid efficiency in an auction are disclosed. A bid efficiency improvement module of a data processing system identifies a keyword on which a third-party content provider has placed a bid to serve at least one third-party content item. The module retrieves third-party content performance data for the identified keyword. The module determines that the third-party content performance data is sufficient to calculate one or more bid multipliers for the identified keyword. The bid multipliers are calculated based on the retrieved third-party content performance data. The bid multipliers are based on one of a geographic region in which the third-party content item is to be served, a time-of-day at which the third-party content item is to be served, or a type-of-device on which the third-party content item is to be served. The calculated bid multipliers are stored in a memory.

Claims

1. A method for improving a third-party content provider'"'"'s bid efficiency in an auction, comprising:

identifying, by a bid efficiency improvement module of a data processing system, a keyword on which a third-party content provider has placed a bid to serve at least one ad;

retrieving by the bid efficiency improvement module, for the identified keyword, third-party content performance data associated with the identified keyword;

determining by the bid efficiency improvement module, for the identified keyword, that the third-party content performance data is sufficient to calculate one or more bid multipliers;

calculating by the bid efficiency improvement module, based on the third-party content performance data for the identified keyword, the one or more bid multipliers, each of the bid multipliers corresponding to at least one parameter having a plurality of discrete states; and

storing the calculated bid multipliers in a memory element of the data processing system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third-party content performance data includes one or more of a number of clicks, impressions, cost, average ad position, conversions, click through rate, and conversion rate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, for each of the identified keywords, that the third-party content performance data is sufficient to calculate one or more bid multipliers includes determining, for each of the identified keywords, that the third-party content performance data exceeds a threshold volume of data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the third-party content performance data includes a total number of conversions within a given time period and the threshold volume of data includes a predetermined number of conversions corresponding to the given time period.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing a weighted bid responsive to calculating the bid multipliers, the weighted bid being a product of the one or more calculated bid multipliers and a base bid value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein placing a weighted bid responsive to calculating the bid multipliers includes determining that the weighted bid lies within an acceptable range.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

serving a plurality of third-party content items responsive to placing a plurality of weighted bids;

retrieving new third-party content performance data responsive to serving the plurality of third-party content items; and

determining that the weighted bids improve bid efficiency responsive to comparing the new third-party content performance data with the retrieved third-party content performance data retrieved prior to serving the plurality of third-party content items.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the bid multipliers is based on one of a geographic region in which the third-party content item is to be served, a time of day at which the third-party content item is to be served, or a type of device on which the third-party content item is to be served.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein calculating one or more bid multipliers based on a geographic region in which the third-party content item is to be served includes:

identifying, from the third-party content performance data, at least one performance metric for the third-party content item across a plurality of geographic regions;

determining that the identified performance metric for the third-party content item is sufficient to calculate a bid multiplier for the geographic region in which the third-party content item is to be served;

comparing the performance metric of the geographic region in which the third-party content item is to be served relative to the performance metric for the third-party content item across the plurality of geographic regions; and

determining a geographic region bid multiplier corresponding to the geographic region in which the third-party content item is to be served responsive to the comparison.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein calculating one or more bid multipliers based on a time of day at which the third-party content item is to be served includes:

identifying, from the third-party content performance data, at least one performance metric for the third-party content item across a plurality of time periods;

determining that the performance metric for the third-party content item is sufficient to calculate a bid multiplier for the time of day at which the third-party content item is to be served;

comparing the performance metric of the time of day at which the third-party content item is to be served relative to the performance metric for the third-party content item across the plurality of time periods; and

determining a time of day bid multiplier for the time of day at which the third-party content item is to be served responsive to the comparison.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein calculating one or more bid multipliers based on a type of device on which the third-party content item is to be served includes:

identifying, from the third-party content performance data, at least one performance metric for the third-party content item across a plurality of device types;

determining that the performance metric for the third-party content item is sufficient to calculate a bid multiplier for the type of device on which the third-party content item is to be served;

comparing the performance metric of the type of device on which the third-party content item is to be served relative to the performance metric for the plurality of device types; and

determining a type of device bid multiplier for the type of device on which the third-party content item is to be served responsive to the comparison.

12. A system for improving an third-party content provider'"'"'s bid efficiency in an auction, comprising:

a data processing system including a bid efficiency improvement module, the data processing system further including

a memory storing processor-executable instructions; and

a processor configured to;

identify a keyword on which a third-party content provider has placed a bid to serve at least one third-party content item;

retrieve for the identified keyword, third-party content performance data associated with the identified keyword;

determine, for the identified keyword, that the third-party content performance data is sufficient to calculate one or more bid multipliers;

calculate, based on the third-party content performance data for the identified keyword, the one or more bid multipliers, each of the bid multipliers corresponding to at least one parameter having a plurality of discrete states; and

store the calculated bid multipliers in a memory element of the data processing system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the third-party content performance data includes one or more of a number of clicks, impressions, cost, average ad position, conversions, click through rate, and conversion rate.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein in determining, for each of the identified keywords, that the third-party content performance data is sufficient to calculate one or more bid multipliers, the processor is further configured to determine, for each of the identified keywords, that the third-party content performance data exceeds a threshold volume of data.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the third-party content performance data includes a total number of conversions within a given time period and the threshold volume of data includes a predetermined number of conversions corresponding to the given time period.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to place a weighted bid responsive to calculating the bid multipliers.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein in placing a weighted bid responsive to calculating the bid multipliers, the processor is further configured to determine that the weighted bid lies within an acceptable range.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

serve a plurality of third-party content items responsive to placing a plurality of weighted bids;

retrieve new third-party content performance data responsive to serving the plurality of third-party content items; and

determine that the weighted bids improve bid efficiency responsive to comparing the new third-party content performance data with the retrieved third-party content performance data retrieved prior to serving the plurality of third-party content items.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the bid multipliers is based on one of a geographic region in which the third-party content provider has elected to serve the third-party content item, a time of day at which the third-party content item is to be served, or a type of device on which the third-party content item is to be served.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein to calculate one or more bid multipliers based on a geographic region in which the third-party content provider has elected to serve the at least one third-party content item, the processor is further configured to:

identify, from the third-party content performance data, at least one performance metric for the third-party content item across a plurality of geographic regions;

determine that the identified performance metric for the third-party content item is sufficient to calculate a bid multiplier for the geographic region in which the third-party content item is to be served;

compare the performance metric of the geographic region in which the third-party content item is to be served relative to the performance metric for the third-party content item across the plurality of geographic regions; and

determine a geographic region bid multiplier corresponding to the geographic region in which the third-party content item is to be served responsive to the comparison.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein to calculate one or more bid multipliers based on a time of day at which the third-party content item is to be served, the processor is further configured to:

identify, from the third-party content performance data, at least one performance metric for the third-party content item across a plurality of time periods;

determine that the performance metric for the third-party content item is sufficient to calculate a bid multiplier for the time of day at which the third-party content item is to be served;

compare the performance metric of the time of day at which the third-party content item is to be served relative to the performance metric for the third-party content item across the plurality of time periods; and

determine a time of day bid multiplier for the time of day at which the third-party content item is to be served responsive to the comparison.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein to calculate one or more bid multipliers based on a type of device on which the third-party content item is to be served, the processor is further configured to:

identify, from the third-party content performance data, at least one performance metric for the third-party content item across a plurality of device types;

determine that the performance metric for the third-party content item is sufficient to calculate a bid multiplier for the type of device on which the third-party content item is to be served;

compare the performance metric of the type of device on which the third-party content item is to be served relative to the performance metric for the plurality of device types; and

determine a type of device bid multiplier for the type of device on which the third-party content item is to be served responsive to the comparison.