Location-based bid modifiers

• US 9,489,692 B1
• Filed: 10/16/2013
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Yu, Zhou, Motwani, Dheeraj Ashok
• Primary Examiner(s): Casey, Alexis
• Application Number:
  US14/055,523
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0627 using item specifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining location-based bid modifier suggestions include determining a content placement cost based in part on a likelihood of a user that has entered a physical establishment completing a transaction, an average transaction amount for the establishment, and an expected return on investment (ROI). A location-based bid modifier may be determined using the computed cost and a base bid amount. In some implementations, the location-based bid modifier may also be based on a probability model that models the probability of the user visiting the establishment.

Claims

1. A method of suggesting an auction bid modifier comprising:

retrieving, by one or more hardware processors from one or more databases stored in memory, a likelihood of a visit to a physical establishment resulting in a completed transaction at the physical establishment;

retrieving, by the one or more hardware processors from the one or more databases stored in memory, an average transaction amount for the physical establishment;

retrieving, by the one or more hardware processors from the one or more databases stored in memory, an expected return on investment (ROI) for a transaction made at the physical establishment that resulted from placement of third-party content, the expected ROI based on a cost associated with the placement of the third-party content;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a maximum travel value associated with the physical establishment;

modeling a probability of a visit to the physical establishment based on the received maximum travel value for the physical establishment wherein the probability of the visit to the physical establishment comprises an exponential decay function having a minimum probability at the maximum travel value;

receiving, by the one or more hardware processors, a base bid amount for a content auction;

determining, by the one or more hardware processors, a travel value for the physical establishment, the travel value quantifying a relationship between a location of a client device and a location of the physical establishment;

determining, by the one or more hardware processors, an auction bid modifier based on the modeled probability of the visit to the physical establishment, the maximum travel value, the travel value and by dividing a first product of the average transaction amount likelihood of the visit resulting in the completed transaction by a second product of the ROI and the base bid amount;

selecting, by the one or more hardware processors via a real-time content auction in response to a request from a client device, an advertisement for the physical establishment based on the auction bid modifier; and

providing, by the one more hardware processors via a network, the selected advertisement to the client device to cause the client device to render the selected advertisement on a display device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the exponential decay function comprises:

calculating a discrete exponential decay function to model the probability of the visit to the physical establishment, wherein the determined auction bid modifier as a function of the travel value for the physical establishment is a discrete function.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical establishment is a first physical establishment, the method further comprising:

identifying a second physical establishment within a travel range defined by the maximum travel value for the first physical establishment;

determining that a second location is closer to the first physical establishment than the second physical establishment; and

associating the second location with the first physical establishment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the travel value comprises a radius around the physical establishment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the travel value comprises a travel time to the physical establishment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the travel value comprises a distance along a path to the physical establishment.

7. A system for suggesting an auction bid modifier comprising:

one or more hardware processors configured to;

retrieve, from one or more databases stored in memory, a likelihood of a visit to a physical establishment resulting in a completed transaction at the physical establishment;

retrieve, from the one or more databases stored in memory, an average transaction amount for the physical establishment;

retrieve, from the one or more databases stored in memory, an expected return on investment (ROI) for a transaction made at the physical establishment that resulted from the placement of third-party content, the expected ROI based on a cost associated with the placement of the third-party content;

receive a maximum travel value associated with the physical establishment;

model a probability of a visit to the physical establishment based on the received maximum travel value for the physical establishment, wherein the probability of the visit to the physical establishment comprises an exponential decay function having a minimum probability at the maximum travel value;

receive a base bid amount for a content auction;

determine a travel value for the physical establishment, the travel value quantifying a relationship between a location of a client device and a location of the physical establishment;

determine an auction bid modifier based on the modeled probability of the visit to the physical establishment, the maximum travel value, the travel value and by dividing a first product of the average transaction amount and the likelihood of the visit resulting in the completed transaction by a second product of the ROI and the base bid amount;

select, via a real-time content auction in response to a request from a client device, an advertisement for the physical establishment based on the auction bid modifier; and

provide, via a network, the selected advertisement to the client device to cause the client device to render the selected advertisement on a display device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the exponential decay function is calculated by calculating a discrete exponential decay function to model the probability of the visit to the physical establishment, wherein the determined auction bid modifier as a function of the travel value for the physical establishment is a discrete function.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the physical establishment is a first physical establishment, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

identify a second physical establishment within a travel range defined by the maximum travel value for the first physical establishment;

determine that a second location is closer to the first physical establishment than the second physical establishment; and

associate the second location with the first physical establishment.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the travel value comprises a radius around the physical establishment.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the travel value comprises a travel time to the physical establishment.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the travel value comprises a distance along a path to the physical establishment.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having machine instructions stored therein that are executable by one or more hardware processors and cause the one or more hardware processors to perform operations comprising:

retrieve, from one or more databases stored in memory, a likelihood of a visit to a physical establishment resulting in a completed transaction at the physical establishment;

retrieve, from the one or more databases stored in memory, an average transaction among for the physical establishment;

retrieve, from the one or more databases stored memory, an expected return on investment (ROI) for a transaction made at the physical establishment that resulted from the placement of third-party content, the expected ROI based on a cost associated with the placement of the third-party content;

receive a maximum travel value associated with the physical establishment;

model a probability of a visit to the physical establishment based on the received maximum travel value for the physical establishment wherein the probability of the visit to the physical establishment comprises an exponential decay function having a minimum probability at the maximum travel value;

receive a base bid amount for a content auction;

determine a travel value for the physical establishment, the travel value quantifying a relationship between a location of a client device and a location of the physical establishment;

determine an auction bid modifier based on the modeled probability of the visit to the physical establishment, the maximum travel value, the travel value and by dividing a first product of the average transaction amount and the likelihood of the visit resulting in the completed transaction by a second product of the ROI and the base bid amount;

select, via a real-time content auction in response to a request from a client device, an advertisement for the physical establishment based on the auction bid modifier; and

provide, via a network, the selected advertisement to the client device to cause the client device to render the selected advertisement on a display device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein calculating the exponential decay function comprises:

calculating a discrete exponential decay function to model the probability of the visit to the physical establishment, wherein the determined auction bid modifier as a function of the travel value for the physical establishment is a discrete function.