Tracking links in web browsers

• US 7,970,891 B1
• Filed: 01/17/2007
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kontothanssis, Leonidas, Allen, Scott T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dollinger; Tonia L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murray; Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US11/624,129
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 705/14.41, 705/14.45, 725/34
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

The present disclosure includes a system and method for tracking links displayed in Web browsers. In some implementations, a method includes receiving a hostname operable to identify an action and an instance of a link displayed through a Web browser. The hostname is unique for a period of time. The one or more actions associated with the displayed link are tracked.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, in a Domain Name System (DNS), a DNS lookup request to resolve a hostname, the hostname including information associated with an action performed by a user in relationship to a link displayed through a Web browser, the information encoded into a hostname, wherein the information includes an action identifier specifying the action;

identifying, by one or more processors of the DNS, the action specified by the action identifier encoded in the hostname to be resolved by the DNS lookup;

as part of the DNS lookup, storing the identified action;

mapping the hostname to a Canonical Name (CNAME) using the DNS, the CNAME identifying a third-party server; and

resolving the hostname to the third-party server using the DNS.

2. The method of claim 1, the link comprising an image for presenting an advertisement.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a search request to identify one or more Web sites based, at least in part, on search criteria; and

transmitting a Web page including the link operable to identify a Web site in accordance with the search request, the link comprising a hyperlink to the Web site.

4. The method of claim 1, the link comprising a hyperlink operable to direct the user to a third-party Web site.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the identified action comprises:

storing information associated with the identified action and the link.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information is configured in a single User Datagram Protocol (UDP) data packet.

7. The method of claim 1, the received information comprising initial information, the method further comprising:

receiving additional information associated with subsequent actions performed by the user or by other users in response to viewing the link; and

evaluating the link, including calculating an action rate in association with the link, using the initial information and the additional information in response to an event, the event defined by one or more evaluation criteria.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising modifying guidelines for using the link in response to at least the evaluation.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising modifying guidelines for presenting attributes of the link in response to at least the evaluation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the hostname is operable to identify the identified action.

11. The method of claim 10, the hostname further operable to identify a specific instance of the link.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

mapping the hostname to an Internet Protocol (IP) address using the DNS; and

transmitting a response including the IP address to the user.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

mapping the hostname to an Internet Protocol (IP) address using the DNS; and

transmitting both the CNAME and the IP address to the user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the hostname is unique for a period of time.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the information further includes a content identifier.

16. A computer program product comprising computer readable instructions stored on non-transitory media and operable to cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, in a Domain Name System (DNS), information associated with an action performed by a user in relationship to a link displayed through a Web browser, the information encoded into a hostname, wherein the information includes an action identifier specifying the action;

resolving the hostname using a DNS lookup, the resolving including, as part of the DNS lookup, identifying the action specified by the action identifier encoded in the hostname to be resolved by the DNS lookup; and

as part of the DNS lookup, storing the identified action;

mapping the hostname to a Canonical Name (CNAME) using the DNS, the CNAME identifying a third-party server; and

resolving the hostname to the third-party server using the DNS.

17. The product of claim 16, wherein the host name is unique for a period of time.

18. The product of claim 16, wherein the information further includes a content identifier.

19. The product of claim 16, the operations further comprising:

storing information associated with the identified action and the link.

20. The product of claim 16, the received information comprising initial information, the operations further comprising:

receiving additional information associated with subsequent actions performed by the user or by other users in response to viewing the link; and

evaluating the link using the initial information and the additional information in response to an event, including calculating an action rate in association with the link, the action rate including a click through rate.

21. The product of claim 20, the operations further comprising modifying guidelines for using the link in response to at least the evaluation.

22. The product of claim 16, wherein the hostname is operable to identify the identified action.

23. The product of claim 16, the operations further comprising:

receiving a search request to identify one or more Web sites based, at least in part, on search criteria; and

transmitting a Web page including the link operable to identify a Web site in accordance with the search request, the link comprising a hyperlink to the Web site.

24. The product of claim 16, wherein storing the identified action comprises:

storing information associated with the action and the link.

25. The product of claim 16, wherein the hostname is included in a single User Datagram Protocol (UDP) data packet.

26. A server comprising one or more processors, the processors executing programming code stored in a medium, the processors configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving, in a Domain Name System (DNS), a DNS lookup request to resolve a hostname, the hostname including information associated with an action performed by a user in relationship to a link displayed through a Web browser, the information encoded into a hostname, wherein the information includes an action identifier specifying the action;

identifying, by the DNS, the action specified by the action identifier encoded in the hostname to be resolved by the DNS lookup;

as part of the DNS lookup, storing the identified action;

mapping the hostname to a Canonical Name (CNAME) using the DNS, the CNAME identifying a third-party server; and

resolving the hostname to the third-party server using the DNS.

27. The server of claim 26, wherein the hostname is unique for a period of time.

28. The server of claim 26, wherein storing the identified action comprises:

storing information associated with the one or more actions and the link.

29. The server of claim 26, the received information comprising initial information, the operations further comprising:

receiving additional information associated with subsequent actions performed by the user or other users in response to viewing the link; and

evaluating the link using the initial information and the additional information in response to an event, including calculating an action rate in association with the link, the action rate including a click through rate.

30. The server of claim 29, the operations further comprising modifying guidelines for using the link in response to at least the evaluation.

31. The server of claim 29, wherein the hostname is operable to identify the identified action.

32. The server of claim 26, the operations further comprising:

receiving a search request to identify one or more Web sites based, at least in part, on search criteria; and

transmitting a Web page including the link operable to identify a Web site in accordance with the search request, the link comprising a hyperlink to the Web site.

33. The server of claim 26, wherein the hostname is included in a single User Datagram Protocol (UDP) data packet.

34. The server of claim 26, wherein the received information further includes a content identifier.

35. A system for recording information, comprising:

means for receiving a Domain Name System (DNS) lookup request to resolve a hostname, the hostname including information associated with an action performed by a user in relationship to a link displayed through a Web browser, the information encoded into a hostname, wherein the information includes an action identifier specifying the action;

means for identifying the action specified by the action identifier encoded in the hostname to be resolved by the DNS lookup;

means for storing, as part of the DNS lookup, the identified action;

means for mapping the hostname to a Canonical Name (CNAME) using the DNS, the CNAME identifying a third-party server; and

means for resolving the hostname to the third-party server using the system.

36. A method, comprising:

receiving, in a Domain Name System (DNS), a DNS lookup request to resolve a hostname, the hostname including information associated with an action performed by a user in relationship to a link displayed through a Web browser, the information encoded into a hostname, wherein the information includes an action identifier specifying the action;

identifying, by one or more processors of the DNS, the action specified by the action identifier encoded in the hostname to be resolved by the DNS lookup;

as part of the DNS lookup, evaluating the identified action;

mapping the hostname to a Canonical Name (CNAME) using the DNS, the CNAME identifying a third-party server; and

resolving the hostname to the third-party server using the DNS.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

receiving a search request to identify one or more Web sites based, at least in part, on search criteria; and

transmitting a Web page including the link operable to identify a Web site in accordance with the search request, the link comprising a hyperlink to the Web site.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

mapping the hostname to an Internet Protocol (IP) address using the DNS; and

transmitting both the CNAME and the IP address to the user.