System for managing bids for pay-per-click search engines
First Claim
1. An internet-based apparatus comprising a processor, memory, a first network interface communicatively coupling the apparatus to advertisers over the internet, and a second network interface communicatively coupling the apparatus to a plurality of pay-per-click search engines over the internet, the apparatus being configured to perform a method for managing bids for the pay-per-click search engines, the method comprising:
- receiving, over the internet at the first network interface, a selection of a keyword from a first advertiser and a bidding strategy for placing advertisements on each of the plurality of pay-per-click search engines when the keyword is used as a search term at the pay-per-click search engines, the bidding strategy including a target advertising revenue;
tracking advertising revenue of the first advertiser;
determining whether to apply the bidding strategy based on a number of user actions received for the keyword at the pay-per-click search engines;
responsive to the determination to apply the bidding strategy, generating a plurality of bids for placing advertisements of the advertiser in association with the keyword at each of the pay-per-click search engines, the bid management system simultaneously communicatively coupled to each of the pay-per-click search engines, the generation of the bids comprising;
selecting a bid amount based on the tracked advertising revenue and the target advertising revenue,responsive to determining a second advertiser has placed a bid less than a threshold amount below the selected bid amount in a first one of the pay-per-click search engines, reducing the selected bid amount to a first reduced bid amount based on the bid placed by the second advertiser, andresponsive to determining a third advertiser has placed a bid less than a threshold amount below the selected bid amount in a second one of the pay-per-click search engines, reducing the selected bid amount to a second reduced bid amount based on the bid placed by the third advertiser, the second reduced bid amount different from the first reduced bid amount;
sending the first reduced bid amount to the first one of the pay-per-click search engines over the internet via the second network interface, the first one of the pay-per-click search engines configured to adjust a ranking of advertisements for the keyword based on the first reduced bid amount; and
sending the second reduced bid amount to the second one of the pay-per-click search engines over the internet via the second network interface, the second one of the pay-per-click search engines configured to adjust a ranking of advertisements for the keyword based on the second reduced bid amount.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An Internet/world-wide-web based keyword bid management system that allows advertisers on pay-per-click search engines (“PPCSEs”) to influence position (ranking) on said PPCSEs with the use of a rules based bidding engine. Keyword bid rules allow advertisers to influence desired rankings on PPCSEs based on time-of-day, competitor ranking, bid gaps, etc, or combination of said rules and allow advertisers to mimic human bidding behavior through an automated means. The system comprises of specialized software (“rules based bidding system”) that is hosted by an ASP (“application service provider”) so that all of the advertiser'"'"'s interactions with said software can take place from any personal computer with Internet access and relatively recent Internet browser software without the requirement of having to download any additional software locally.
-
Citations
24 Claims
-
1. An internet-based apparatus comprising a processor, memory, a first network interface communicatively coupling the apparatus to advertisers over the internet, and a second network interface communicatively coupling the apparatus to a plurality of pay-per-click search engines over the internet, the apparatus being configured to perform a method for managing bids for the pay-per-click search engines, the method comprising:
-
receiving, over the internet at the first network interface, a selection of a keyword from a first advertiser and a bidding strategy for placing advertisements on each of the plurality of pay-per-click search engines when the keyword is used as a search term at the pay-per-click search engines, the bidding strategy including a target advertising revenue; tracking advertising revenue of the first advertiser; determining whether to apply the bidding strategy based on a number of user actions received for the keyword at the pay-per-click search engines; responsive to the determination to apply the bidding strategy, generating a plurality of bids for placing advertisements of the advertiser in association with the keyword at each of the pay-per-click search engines, the bid management system simultaneously communicatively coupled to each of the pay-per-click search engines, the generation of the bids comprising; selecting a bid amount based on the tracked advertising revenue and the target advertising revenue, responsive to determining a second advertiser has placed a bid less than a threshold amount below the selected bid amount in a first one of the pay-per-click search engines, reducing the selected bid amount to a first reduced bid amount based on the bid placed by the second advertiser, and responsive to determining a third advertiser has placed a bid less than a threshold amount below the selected bid amount in a second one of the pay-per-click search engines, reducing the selected bid amount to a second reduced bid amount based on the bid placed by the third advertiser, the second reduced bid amount different from the first reduced bid amount; sending the first reduced bid amount to the first one of the pay-per-click search engines over the internet via the second network interface, the first one of the pay-per-click search engines configured to adjust a ranking of advertisements for the keyword based on the first reduced bid amount; and sending the second reduced bid amount to the second one of the pay-per-click search engines over the internet via the second network interface, the second one of the pay-per-click search engines configured to adjust a ranking of advertisements for the keyword based on the second reduced bid amount. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method for managing bids for placing advertisements on a plurality of pay-per-click search engines at an internet-based bid management system, the method comprising:
-
receiving, over the internet at a first network interface of the bid management system, a selection of a keyword from a first advertiser and a bidding strategy for placing advertisements on the plurality of pay-per-click search engines when the keyword is used as a search term at the pay-per-click search engines, the first network interface communicatively coupling the bid management system to the first advertiser over the internet, the bidding strategy including a target advertising revenue; tracking advertising revenue of the first advertiser; determining whether to apply the bidding strategy based on a number of user actions received for the keyword at the pay-per-click search engines; responsive to the determination to apply the bidding strategy, generating by the bid management system, a plurality of bids for placing advertisements of the advertiser in association with the keyword at each of the pay-per-click search engines, the bid management system simultaneously communicatively coupled to each of the pay-per-click search engines, the generation of the bids comprising; selecting a bid amount based on the tracked advertising revenue and the target advertising revenue, responsive to determining a second advertiser has placed a bid less than a threshold amount below the selected bid amount in a first one of the pay-per-click search engines, reducing the selected bid amount to a first reduced bid amount based on the bid placed by the second advertiser, and responsive to determining a third advertiser has placed a bid less than a threshold amount below the selected bid amount in a second one of the pay-per-click search engines, reducing the selected bid amount to a second reduced bid amount based on the bid placed by the third advertiser, the second reduced bid amount different from the first reduced bid amount; sending, over the internet at a second network interface, the first reduced bid amount to the first one of the pay-per-click search engines, the first one of the pay-per-click search engines configured to adjust a ranking of advertisements for the keyword based on the first reduced bid amount, the second network interface communicatively coupling the bid management system to the pay-per-click search engines over the internet, and sending, over the internet at the second network interface, the second reduced bid amount to the second one of the pay-per-click search engines, the second one of the pay-per-click search engines configured to adjust a ranking of advertisements for the keyword based on the second reduced bid amount. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing executable computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed by a processor causing the processor to:
-
receive, over the internet at a first network interface, a selection of a keyword from a first advertiser and a bidding strategy for placing advertisements on a plurality of pay-per-click search engines when the keyword is used as a search term at the pay-per-click search engines, the first network interface communicatively coupling the processor to the first advertiser over the internet, the bidding strategy including a target advertising revenue; tracking advertising revenue of the first advertiser; determining whether to apply the bidding strategy based on a number of user actions received for the keyword at the pay-per-click search engines; responsive to the determination to apply the bidding strategy, generating a plurality of bids for placing advertisements of the advertiser in association with the keyword at each of the pay-per-click search engines, the bid management system simultaneously communicatively coupled to each of the pay-per-click search engines, the generation of the bids comprising; selecting a bid amount based on the tracked advertising revenue and the target advertising revenue, responsive to determining a second advertiser has placed a bid less than a threshold amount below the selected bid amount in a first one of the pay-per-click search engines, reducing the selected bid amount to a first reduced bid amount based on the bid placed by the second advertiser, and responsive to determining a third advertiser has placed a bid less than a threshold amount below the selected bid amount in a second one of the pay-per-click search engines, reducing the selected bid amount to a second reduced bid amount based on the bid placed by the third advertiser, the second reduced bid amount different from the first reduced bid amount; and sending, over the internet at a second network interface, the first reduced bid amount to the first one of the pay-per-click search engines, the first one of the pay-per-click search engines configured to adjust a ranking of advertisements for the keyword based on the first reduced bid amount, the second network interface communicatively coupling the bid management system to the pay-per-click search engines over the internet, and sending, over the internet at the second network interface, the second reduced bid amount to the second one of the pay-per-click search engines, the second one of the pay-per-click search engines configured to adjust a ranking of advertisements for the keyword based on the second reduced bid amount. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
Specification