Secure and Extensible Pay Per Action Online Advertising

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided to allow advertisers to make ads available to publishers through an advertising system. The advertising system provides tamper proof tracking of conversion activity between publishers and advertisers. Further, advertisers can define plural different conversions to be associated with a single ad click through.

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving conversion type data specifying a plurality of conversion types for an advertisement, wherein each of the plurality of conversion types is different from an other conversion type in the plurality and corresponds to a particular type of user conversion action;   receiving cost data specifying for each conversion type a separate cost for the corresponding type of user conversion action;   receiving conversion parameter data specifying a first type of user conversion action for a first user conversion of the advertisement;   determining a first cost for the conversion type corresponding to the first type of user conversion action specified by the conversion parameter data; and   charging an advertiser associated with the advertisement the first cost.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving conversion parameter data specifying a second type of user conversion action for a second user conversion of the advertisement;   determining a second cost for the conversion type corresponding to the second type of user conversion action specified by the conversion parameter data, wherein the second cost is separate from the first cost; and   charging the advertiser the second cost.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving conversion parameter data specifying a plurality of first type of user conversion actions for a plurality of additional first user conversions of the advertisement, wherein the first user conversion and the plurality of additional first user conversions are caused by a same entity; and   not charging the advertiser for one or more of the additional first user conversions in the plurality after a first user conversion threshold has been exceeded.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving conversion parameter data specifying a plurality of first type of user conversion actions for a plurality of additional first user conversions of the advertisement, wherein the first user conversion and the plurality of additional first user conversions are caused by a same entity; and   charging, on a per user conversion basis, a reduced first cost to the advertiser for one or more of the additional first user conversions in the plurality after a first user conversion threshold has been exceeded.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying, based on the conversion parameter data, a publisher of a web site on which the advertisement was presented that resulted in the first user conversion; and   crediting the publisher with the first user conversion.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conversion types include at least one of a purchase conversion type, a download conversion type or a signup conversion type. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the conversion parameter data further specify an identifier identifying the advertisement and a time of the first user conversion. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the conversion parameter data include data from a cookie associated with a client device causing the first user conversion. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein receiving conversion parameter data specifying a first type of user conversion action for a first user conversion of the advertisement comprises:
 verifying an authenticity of the conversion parameter data based on the data from the cookie.   
     
     
         10 . A computer program product, encoded on one or more memory devices, including instructions that when executed by one or more data processing apparatuses cause the one or more data processing apparatuses to perform operations comprising:
 receiving conversion type data specifying a plurality of conversion types for an advertisement, wherein each of the plurality of conversion types is different from an other conversion type in the plurality and corresponds to a particular type of user conversion action;   receiving cost data specifying for each conversion type a separate cost for the corresponding type of user conversion action;   receiving conversion parameter data specifying a first type of user conversion action for a first user conversion of the advertisement;   determining a first cost for the conversion type corresponding to the first type of user conversion action specified by the conversion parameter data; and   charging an advertiser associated with the advertisement the first cost.   
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more data processing apparatuses, cause the one or more data processing apparatuses to further perform operations comprising:
 receiving conversion parameter data specifying a second type of user conversion action for a second user conversion of the advertisement;   determining a second cost for the conversion type corresponding to the second type of user conversion action specified by the conversion parameter data, wherein the second cost is separate from the first cost; and   charging the advertiser the second cost.   
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more data processing apparatuses, cause the one or more data processing apparatuses to further perform operations comprising:
 receiving conversion parameter data specifying a plurality of first type of user conversion actions for a plurality of additional first user conversions of the advertisement, wherein the first user conversion and the plurality of additional first user conversions are caused by a same entity; and   not charging the advertiser for one or more of the additional first user conversions in the plurality after a first user conversion threshold has been exceeded.   
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more data processing apparatuses, cause the one or more data processing apparatuses to further perform operations comprising:
 receiving conversion parameter data specifying a plurality of first type of user conversion actions for a plurality of additional first user conversions of the advertisement, wherein the first user conversion and the plurality of additional first user conversions are caused by a same entity; and   charging, on a per user conversion basis, a reduced first cost to the advertiser for one or more of the additional first user conversions in the plurality after a first user conversion threshold has been exceeded.   
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more data processing apparatuses, cause the one or more data processing apparatuses to further perform operations comprising:
 identifying, based on the conversion parameter data, a publisher of a web site on which the advertisement was presented that resulted in the first user conversion; and   crediting the publisher with the first user conversion.   
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of conversion types include at least one of a purchase conversion type, a download conversion type or a signup conversion type. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the conversion parameter data further specify an identifier identifying the advertisement and a time of the first user conversion. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the conversion parameter data include data from a cookie associated with a client device causing the first user conversion. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein receiving conversion parameter data specifying a first type of user conversion action for a first user conversion of the advertisement comprises:
 verifying an authenticity of the conversion parameter data based on the data from the cookie.   
     
     
         19 . A system comprising:
 one or more data processors; and   software stored on a computer storage apparatus and comprising instructions executable by the one or more data processors and upon such execution cause the one or more data processors to perform operations comprising:   receiving conversion type data specifying a plurality of conversion types for an advertisement, wherein each of the plurality of conversion types is different from an other conversion type in the plurality and corresponds to a particular type of user conversion action;   receiving cost data specifying for each conversion type a separate cost for the corresponding type of user conversion action;   receiving conversion parameter data specifying a first type of user conversion action for a first user conversion of the advertisement;   determining a first cost for the conversion type corresponding to the first type of user conversion action specified by the conversion parameter data; and   charging an advertiser associated with the advertisement the first cost.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to further perform operations comprising:
 receiving conversion parameter data specifying a second type of user conversion action for a second user conversion of the advertisement;   determining a second cost for the conversion type corresponding to the second type of user conversion action specified by the conversion parameter data, wherein the second cost is separate from the first cost; and   charging the advertiser the second cost.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to further perform operations comprising:
 receiving conversion parameter data specifying a plurality of first type of user conversion actions for a plurality of additional first user conversions of the advertisement, wherein the first user conversion and the plurality of additional first user conversions are caused by a same entity; and   not charging the advertiser for one or more of the additional first user conversions in the plurality after a first user conversion threshold has been exceeded.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to further perform operations comprising:
 receiving conversion parameter data specifying a plurality of first type of user conversion actions for a plurality of additional first user conversions of the advertisement, wherein the first user conversion and the plurality of additional first user conversions are caused by a same entity; and   charging, on a per user conversion basis, a reduced first cost to the advertiser for one or more of the additional first user conversions in the plurality after a first user conversion threshold has been exceeded.