Cross-Vertical Distribution of Sponsored Content

Abstract

A method implemented on one or more processors includes identifying a user search query that was submitted through a map interface, wherein the user search query identifies a first geographic location, determining a first geographic identifier that is not included in the user search query based on an abstraction of the first geographic location, determining, based on the first geographic identifier, a vertical market that provides services within an area corresponding to the first geographic identifier, determining a search vertical keyword not included in the user search query that identifies the vertical market, constructing a constructed search query comprising at least the first geographic identifier and the search vertical keyword, identifying sponsored content that is responsive to the constructed search query, and providing, in response to the user search query, data that cause presentation of the identified sponsored content in the map interface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method implemented on one or more processors, the method comprising:
 identifying, by the processor, a user search query that was submitted through a map interface, wherein the user search query identifies a first geographic location;   determining, by the processor, a first geographic identifier that is not included in the user search query based on an abstraction of the first geographic location;   determining, by the processor and based on the first geographic identifier, a vertical market that provides services within an area corresponding to the first geographic identifier;   determining, by the processor, a search vertical keyword not included in the user search query that identifies the vertical market;   constructing, by the processor, a constructed search query comprising at least the first geographic identifier and the search vertical keyword;   identifying, by the processor, sponsored content that is responsive to the constructed search query; and   providing, by the processor and in response to the user search query, data that cause presentation of the identified sponsored content in the map interface.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 identifying a user search query comprises identifying a user search query that further identifies a second geographic location, the method further comprising:
 determining a second geographic identifier that is not included in the query based on the second geographic location; and wherein 
   constructing a constructed search query further comprises constructing a constructed search query comprising the second geographic identifier, the method further comprising:
 determining, based at least in part on the first geographic identifier and the second geographic identifier, that the user search query is a request for a navigational route between the first geographic location and the second geographic location, wherein identifying sponsored content comprises identifying sponsored content that is responsive to the navigational route and the search vertical keyword. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein identifying sponsored content further comprises identifying content sponsored by one or more vertical market service providers, at least one of the vertical market service providers providing service to a first geographic region identified by the first geographic identifier and a second geographic region identified by the second geographic identifier; and wherein identifying sponsored content that is responsive to the constructed search query comprises identifying sponsored content for at least one of the vertical market service providers providing service to the first geographic region and to the second geographic region. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein at least some of the sponsored content is content sponsored by one or more vertical market service providers, at least one of the vertical market service providers providing service along the navigational route; and wherein identifying sponsored content that is responsive to the constructed search query comprises identifying sponsored content for at least one of the vertical market service providers providing service along the navigational route. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first geographic identifier identifies a first geographic region and the first geographic location is a geographic sub-region that includes less than the entire geographic region. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first geographic identifier identifies a city within which the first geographic location is located. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the search vertical keyword that identifies the vertical market is selected from the group comprising: transportation, travel planning, and lodging. 
     
     
         8 . A system comprising:
 a map data store that stores map data defining a map;   a map server in communication with the map store, the map server configured to perform operations comprising:
 identifying a user search query that was submitted through a map interface and identifies a first geographic location; 
 determining a first geographic identifier based on an abstraction of the first geographic location; 
 determining, based on the first geographic identifier, a vertical market that provides services within an area corresponding to the first geographic identifier; 
 determining search vertical keyword not included in the user search query that identifies the vertical market; 
 constructing a constructed search query comprising at least the first geographic identifier and the search vertical keyword; 
 identifying sponsored content that is responsive to the constructed search query; and 
 providing, in response to the user search query, data that cause presentation of the identified sponsored content in the map interface. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the user search query further identifies a second geographic location;   the user search query is a request for a navigational route between the first geographic location and the second geographic location;   the constructed search query further comprises a second geographic identifier determined based on an abstraction of the second geographic location; and   the sponsored content is responsive to the navigational route, and wherein the method further comprises determining the second geographic identifier based on the second geographic location.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first geographic identifier identifies a first geographic region and the first geographic location is a geographic sub-region that includes less than the entire geographic region. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first geographic identifier identifies a city within which the first geographic location is located. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the search vertical keyword that identifies the vertical market is selected from the group comprising: transportation, travel planning, and lodging. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein at least some of the sponsored content is content sponsored by one or more vertical market service providers, at least one of the vertical market service providers providing service to a first geographic region identified by the first geographic identifier and a second geographic region identified by the second geographic identifier; and wherein identifying sponsored content that is responsive to the constructed search query comprises identifying sponsored content for at least one of the vertical market service providers providing service to the first geographic region and to the second geographic region. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein at least some of the sponsored content is content sponsored by one or more vertical market service providers, at least one of the vertical market service providers providing service along the navigational route; and wherein identifying sponsored content that is responsive to the constructed search query comprises identifying sponsored content for at least one of the vertical market service providers providing service along the navigational route. 
     
     
         15 . One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media storing instructions that are executable to perform operations comprising:
 identifying a user search query that was submitted through a map interface and identifies a first geographic location;   determining a first geographic identifier based on an abstraction of the first geographic location;   determining, based on the first geographic identifier, a vertical market that provides services within an area corresponding to the first geographic identifier;   determining search vertical keyword not included in the user search query that identifies the vertical market;   constructing a constructed search query comprising at least the first geographic identifier and the search vertical keyword;   identifying sponsored content that is responsive to the constructed search query; and   providing, in response to the user search query, data that cause presentation of the identified sponsored content in the map interface.   
     
     
         16 . The storage media of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the user search query further identifies a second geographic location;   the user search query is a request for a navigational route between the first geographic location and the second geographic location;   the constructed search query further comprises a second geographic identifier determined based on an abstraction of the second geographic location; and   the sponsored content is responsive to the navigational route, and wherein the method further comprises determining the second geographic identifier based on the second geographic location.   
     
     
         17 . The storage media of  claim 15 , wherein the first geographic identifier identifies a first geographic region and the first geographic location is a geographic sub-region that includes less than the entire geographic region. 
     
     
         18 . The storage media of  claim 15 , wherein the first geographic identifier identifies a city within which the first geographic location is located. 
     
     
         19 . The storage media of  claim 15 , wherein the search vertical keyword that identifies the vertical market is selected from the group comprising: transportation, travel planning, and lodging. 
     
     
         20 . The storage media of  claim 16 , wherein at least some of the sponsored content is content sponsored by one or more vertical market service providers, at least one of the vertical market service providers providing service to a first geographic region identified by the first geographic identifier and a second geographic region identified by the second geographic identifier; and wherein identifying sponsored content that is responsive to the constructed search query comprises identifying sponsored content for at least one of the vertical market service providers providing service to the first geographic region and to the second geographic region.