System and method to analyze calls to advertised telephone numbers

• US 8,788,344 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• 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:
  US13/603,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20130094641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 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, 379/220.01, 379/221.02, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 705/14.4, 705/14.49, 705/14.51, 705/14.54, 705/14.55, 705/14.67, 705/14.68, 705/14.73
• US Class Current: 705/14.73
• 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 method in a computing system for performing context-based call routing to advertisers, the method comprising:

receiving a first advertiser phone number that is associated with an advertising campaign of an advertiser;

providing the received first advertiser phone number to an electronic device of a user, wherein the electronic device displays the first advertiser phone number to the user and displays an indication that the user may initiate a voice call to the displayed first advertiser phone number;

receiving, at the computing system, a request to initiate a voice call between the user and the first advertiser phone number;

receiving, at the computing system, information indicative of the context in which the first advertiser phone number was displayed to the user;

determining, by the computing system, based on at least the received request to initiate a voice call to the first advertiser phone number and the information indicative of the context in which the first advertiser phone number was displayed to the user, a second phone number of the advertiser; and

redirecting, by the computing system, the received request from the first advertiser phone number to the determined second advertiser phone number by causing a voice call to be initiated for the user using the determined second advertiser phone number instead of the first advertiser phone number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information indicative of context comprises information identifying the user who requested the voice call.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information indicative of context comprises an identity of a web page on which the first advertiser phone number was displayed when the first advertiser phone number was selected.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information indicative of context comprises content that was being viewed when the first advertiser phone number was selected.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information indicative of context comprises the circumstances under which the first advertiser phone number was displayed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information indicative of context comprises historical or demographic information characterizing the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information indicative of context comprises the location of the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second advertiser phone number corresponds to a specific service provided by the advertiser.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second advertiser phone number corresponds to a department of the advertiser.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein causing a voice call to be initiated for the user further comprises providing to the advertiser the received information indicative of the context in which the first advertiser phone number was displayed to the user.

11. A computer system for performing context-based call routing to advertisers, the computer system comprising:

a memory for storing programmed instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the programmed instructions to perform operations including;

receiving a first advertiser phone number that is associated with an advertisement;

providing the received first advertiser phone number to an electronic device of a user, wherein the electronic device displays the first advertiser phone number to the user and displays an indication that the user may initiate a voice call to the displayed first advertiser phone number;

receiving a request to initiate a voice call between the user and the first advertiser phone number;

receiving information indicative of the context in which the first advertiser phone number was displayed to the user;

determining, based on the information indicative of the context in which the first advertiser phone number was displayed to the user, a second phone number that is associated with the advertiser; and

redirecting the received request from the first advertiser phone number to the determined second advertiser phone number by initiating a voice call to the determined second advertiser phone number instead of the first advertiser phone number.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the information indicative of context comprises information identifying the user who requested the voice call.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the information indicative of context comprises an identity of a web page on which the first advertiser phone number was displayed or content that was being viewed when the first advertiser phone number was selected.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the information indicative of context comprises the circumstances under which the first advertiser phone number was displayed.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the information indicative of context comprises historical or demographic information characterizing the user.

16. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the information indicative of context comprises the location of the user.

17. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the second advertiser phone number corresponds to a specific service provided by the advertiser or department of the advertiser.

18. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising providing to the advertiser the received information indicative of the context in which the first advertiser phone number was displayed to the user.

19. A computer readable storage medium with instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method for performing context-based call routing to advertisers, the method comprising:

providing a first advertiser phone number associated with an advertisement to an electronic device of a user, wherein the electronic device displays the first advertiser phone number to the user and displays an indication that the user may initiate a voice call to the displayed first advertiser phone number;

receiving a request to initiate a voice call between the user and the first advertiser phone number;

receiving information indicative of the context in which the first advertiser phone number was displayed to the user;

determining, based on the information indicative of the context in which the first advertiser phone number was displayed to the user, a second phone number that is associated with the advertiser; and

redirecting the received request from the first advertiser phone number to the determined second advertiser phone number by initiating the establishment of a voice call with the determined second advertiser phone number instead of the first advertiser phone number.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the information indicative of context comprises information identifying the user who requested the voice call, historical information characterizing the user, or demographic information characterizing the user.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the information indicative of context comprises an identity of a web page on which the first advertiser phone number was displayed when the first advertiser phone number was selected, content that was being viewed when the first advertiser phone number was selected, or the circumstances under which the first advertiser phone number was displayed.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the information indicative of context comprises the location of the user.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the second advertiser phone number corresponds to a specific service provided by the advertiser or department of the advertiser.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising providing to the advertiser the received information indicative of the context in which the first advertiser phone number was displayed to the user.