Augmented Content Items
This patent relates to information presentation and content augmentation. (When a patent from Google refers to content in its title, it often means the content of advertisements, rather than the content of web pages.)
The Internet provides access to a wide variety of resources. For example, video and audio files and web pages for particular subjects or particular news articles are accessible over the Internet. Access to these resources presents opportunities for other content (e.g., advertisements) to get included on Search Results Pages.
For example, a webpage can include slots in which advertisements appear. These slots can be defined in the web page or for presentation with a web page, for example, along with search results.
Content Slots For Advertisements
This patent introduces us to how content, including advertisements and search results, is shared on pages. Google usually refers to advertisements in patents as “content.” So the use of “Content” on a Google patent often refers to paid search, and a “content slot” is one where an advertisement might be shown. The patent tells us that:
Content slots can get allocated to content sponsors as part of a reservation system or in an auction. For example, content sponsors can provide bids specifying amounts that the sponsors are respectively willing to pay for the presentation of their content. In turn, an auction can run, and the slots can get allocated to sponsors according, among other things, to their bids and the relevance of the sponsored content to content presented on a page hosting the slot or a request that gets received for the sponsored content.
The content can get provided to a user’s device, such as a personal computer (PC), a smartphone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, or some other user device. Different types of content, such as advertisements and search results, can get related and presented to a user simultaneously.
Advertisements and Search Results Presented as Augmented Content
One innovative aspect of the patent can get implemented in a computer-implemented method for content augmentation.
Additional Features under this patent include:
- Augmented content is made by adding copy from a search result entry into the content item to create the augmented content item
- And augmented content means adding components to the content item from the search result entry
- Selecting components from the group comprising creative text, an extension or the content item format components
- The extensions can use location extensions
- Augmenting can include synthesizing site links for the content item including determining a search result entry
- Associating the content item based on uniform resource locators (URLs) for the two and creating site links with of the URLs and titles inferred from the search result entry
Augmenting the content item can include substituting copy from a search result entry for the content contained in a creative associated with the content item. A search system can select the copy as part of the identification of the search results, and substituting can include substituting the copy for the headline, text, destination link, or other portion of the content item.
Augmenting includes synthesizing location extensions to fit the content item, including matching the same domain or same entity organic search result entries associated with an entity with the content item, copying location information for a commodity, and including the location information in the augmented content item.
Determining When A Content Item Gets Augmented
Determining, based on criteria, when the content item is to get augmented can include:
- Determining when the content item and the search result entry are concurrently visible on the same user interface and not extending the content item based on the concurrent visibility
- Determining simultaneous visibility can be found on a fold line associated with a user interface to present the search results and the content item
- Determining contemporary visibility can get based on the location of the search result entry
- Augmenting can occur only when the search result entry is not on the first page of the search results
Determining concurrent visibility can get based on a user scroll activity. Augmenting can include replacing content item components with similar components from the search result entry only when the first criteria are satisfied. The first criteria can get quality or performance criteria based on a proposed augmentation. Augmenting can include altering the content item to be consistent with other content displayed in the search results.
What Does Augmenting Content Involve?
Augmenting involves altering the content item to vary the content item relative to other content displayed as part of the search results. Altering means changing a content item format. Varying means using a content item format. Providing means providing the augmented content item along with search results and logging the augmented content item. The method can further include providing suggestions to content sponsors based on logged augmented content items.
In general, another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can get implemented in computer program products that include a computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage device and comprising instructions.
An innovative aspect of this patent can get used in systems, such as a content management system comprising a content identification engine that evaluates terms and phrases in a query received by the content management system. It identifies content responsive to the request and an augmentation decision engine that determines when the content item is augmented.
It also includes a content item augmentation engine that expands the content item based on an entry in the search results and a request handler that handles requests for content received by the content management system. That involves selecting and providing content responding to requests for content and processors and memory elements, including instructions. The instructions cause the processors to:
- Receive a query
- Identify search results responsive to the question
- Identify a content item for presentation along with the search results
- Determine when the content item is to get augmented
- Deciding on augmentation and after identifying the search results
- Augmenting the content item based on the search result creating an augmented content item
- Providing the augmented content item
Particular implementations may realize none of the following advantages. Content items (e.g., advertisements) can get augmented in real-time, using information from associated search results entries. Augmented content items can get more exciting and relevant to a user and increase associated user interactions. Content and user interface consistency can get improved between advertisements and search results.
Augmenting a content item using search results content
Inventors: Advay Mengle, Srdjan Petrovic, Shreyas Doshi, and Gautham Thambidorai
Assignee: Google LLC
US Patent: 11,138,210
Granted: October 5, 2021
Filed: November 26, 2019
Abstract
Methods, systems, and apparatus include computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, including a method for providing the content.
A query is received.
Search results get identified that are responsive to the query.
A content item gets placed for presentation along with the search results.
It is determined, based on criteria, when the content item is to get augmented.
When determined, the content item should get augmented, and after identifying the search results, the content item gets augmented based at least in part on an entry in the search result.
An augmented content item gets created.
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