Geographical targeting for content management of campaigns

• US 9,053,495 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2012
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Niu, Shu, Charaniya, Amin, Samdal, Jamie, Duleba, Krzysztof, Mignone, Jessica, Yang, Audrey, Balasubramanian, Prabhu, Dowdell, James, Bruneder, Doris, Tang, Aileen, Hashim, Smita, Gupta, Ankur, Jenkin, Graham, van Dijk, Luuk
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Scott C
• Application Number:
  US13/587,838
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.58
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location

Abstract

Configurations for geographical targeting for managing content of campaigns are disclosed. In one example, the subject technology provides a user interface including controls for enabling selection of targeting criteria by a content sponsor. The user interface includes a campaign tool for receiving input on campaign details to be executed by a content delivery system. The campaign tool includes a search control for receiving search strings and responsive thereto providing search completions that represent one or more geographic areas and reach information for each geographic area. The campaign tool also includes a control for adding a geographic area to a campaign, excluding the geographic area from the campaign, or presenting a map of the geographic area.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method, the method comprising:

presenting a user interface for a campaign sponsor, using one or more computing devices, the user interface including a control for enabling the user to search for geographic areas for targeting content in a campaign where presenting includes presenting a search control for customizing targeting for the campaign;

receiving, in the search control, using the one or more computing devices, a textual description for a targeting area to be associated with the campaign;

presenting, using the one or more computing devices, one or more results based on the received textual description, each result satisfying the textual description, where presenting the one or more results includes;

presenting a name of one or more geographic areas that are associated with or described by the textual description,

presenting estimated reach information indicating a number of unique users to be targeted within the one or more geographic areas in a predetermined time period, and

presenting a limited reach indicator based on a confidence level related to available estimated reach information;

presenting with each result, using the one or more computing devices;

an add control that, when selected, adds a geographic area associated with the result to the campaign, and

an exclude control that, when selected, excludes a geographic area associated with the result from the campaign;

receiving, using the one or more computing devices, for at least one of the one or more results, a selection of one of the add control or the exclude control corresponding to the at least one of the one or more results; and

adding, using the one or more computing devices, an associated geographic area to the campaign or excluding the associated geographic area from the campaign based on the selection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting, along with the one or more results, a control for enabling display of a map for visually presenting on a map a geographic area associated with a given result.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more results include one result that represents a first geographic area that encloses a second geographic area associated with another result.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first geographic area is a state or country.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the second geographic area is a city.

6. A system, comprising:

one or more memories;

one or more processors configured to execute instructions to perform operations, the operations comprising;

providing a user interface including controls for enabling selection of targeting criteria by a content sponsor, the user interface including;

a campaign tool for receiving input on campaign details, the campaign tool including;

a search control configured to receive search strings and configured to provide, based on the received search strings;

 

search results that represent one or more geographic areas and estimated reach information for each geographic area, wherein the estimated reach information for each geographic area indicates a number of unique users to be targeted within the geographic area, and

 

a limited reach indicator based on a confidence level related to available estimated reach information;

an add control configured to be presented with each search result and configured to, upon selection, add a geographic area associated with the respective search result to a campaign,

an exclude control configured to be presented with each search result and configured to, upon selection, exclude the geographic area associated with the respective search result from the campaign, and

a map control configured to be presented with each search result and configured to, upon selection, present a map of the geographic area associated with the respective search result.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the reach information for each geographic area indicates the number of unique users to be targeted within the geographic area in a predetermined time period.

8. A machine-implemented method, the method comprising;

presenting, using one or more computing devices, a user interface for a campaign sponsor for customizing targeting information for a campaign including a search control for discovering areas for targeting;

receiving, using the one or more computing devices, user input in the search control including a textual description of an area to target;

providing, using the one or more computing devices;

one or more results that satisfy the textual description,

estimated reach information for each result, each result representative of a geographic feature that can be targeted in the campaign, wherein the estimated reach information for each result indicates a number of unique users to be targeted within a geographic feature associated with the result, and

a limited reach indicator based on a confidence level related to available estimated reach information;

providing with each result, using the one or more computing devices;

an add control that, when selected, adds a geographic feature associated with the result to the campaign, and

an exclude control that, when selected, excludes a geographic feature associated with the result from the campaign;

receiving, using the one or more computing devices, for at least one of the one or more results, user input to select one of the add control or the exclude control corresponding to the at least one of the one or more results; and

adding, using the one or more computing devices, the geographic area to the campaign or excluding the geographic area from the campaign based on the selection.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein providing one or more results includes providing a control for presenting a map of a geographic area associated with a result, and presenting the geographic area in a map upon receipt of a selection of the control by a user.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a label associated with each result that represents a specific geographic area and includes one or more hierarchical elements that are in a path description for a respective geographic area.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining the estimated reach information for each result.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the limited reach indicator is provided if the confidence level is below a predetermined threshold.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the confidence level is determined based on a location derived from an IP address of a user.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

presenting, using one or more computing devices, a user interface for a campaign sponsor for customizing targeting information for a campaign including a search control for discovering areas for targeting;

receiving, using the one or more computing devices, user input in the search control including a textual description of an area to target;

presenting, using the one or more computing devices;

one or more results that satisfy the textual description,

estimated reach information for each result, each result representative of a geographic feature that can be targeted in the campaign, wherein the estimated reach information for each result indicates a number of unique users to be targeted within a geographic feature associated with the result, and

a limited reach indicator based on a confidence level related to available estimated reach information;

presenting with each result, using the one or more computing devices;

an add control that, when selected, is configured to add a geographic feature associated with the result to the campaign, and

an exclude control that, when selected, is configured to exclude a geographic feature associated with the result from the campaign;

receiving, using the one or more computing devices, user input to select at least one of the results corresponding to a geographic area, wherein the receiving comprises receiving user input to select one of the add control or the exclude control associated with the at least one of the results; and

adding, using the one or more computing devices, the geographic area to the campaign or excluding the geographic area from the campaign based on the selection.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein presenting one or more results includes providing a control for presenting a map of a geographic area associated with a result, and presenting the geographic area in a map upon receipt of a selection of the control by a user.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform further operations comprising:

providing a label associated with each result that represents a specific geographic area and includes one or more hierarchical elements that are in a path description for a respective geographic area.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform further operations comprising:

determining the estimated reach information for each result.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the limited reach indicator is presented if the confidence level is below a predetermined threshold.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the confidence level is determined based on a location derived from an IP address of a user.

20. A content delivery system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

providing a campaign management user interface, wherein the campaign management user interface includes a campaign tool configured to receive input on campaign details to be executed by the content delivery system, and wherein the campaign tool is configured to, upon selection;

present a user interface for a campaign sponsor, the user interface including a control for enabling the user to search for geographic areas for targeting content in a campaign where presenting includes presenting a search control for customizing targeting for the campaign;

receive, in the search control, a textual description for a targeting area to be associated with the campaign;

present one or more results based on the received textual description, each result satisfying the textual description, where presenting the one or more results includes;

presenting one or more geographic areas that are associated with or described by the textual description,

presenting estimated reach information indicating a number of unique users to be targeted within the one or more geographic areas in a predetermined time period, and

presenting a limited reach indicator based on a confidence level related to available estimated reach information;

present with each result;

an add control that, when selected, is configured to add a geographic area associated with the result to the campaign, and

an exclude control that, when selected, is configured to exclude a geographic area associated with the result from the campaign;

receive a selection of one or more of the results, wherein, for a result among the one or more of the selected results, the selection comprises a selection of one of the add control or the exclude control associated with the result; and

add an associated geographic area to the campaign or exclude the associated geographic area from the campaign based on the selection.