Classification and management of keywords across multiple campaigns

Abstract

A system for classifying and managing keywords across multiple campaigns comprises a classification manager, a bid management system, a web analytics tool and a search engine. The classification manager interfaces with the bid management system and the web analytics tool to provide user interfaces for reviewing data about specific keywords across multiple campaigns. The classification manager includes a classification keyword repository, a classification creation module, a classification measurement module and a classification user interface module for generating the user interface. This is particularly advantageous because statistics corresponding to keywords can be classified across multiple campaigns to provide greater flexibility in the analysis of web data. The present invention also includes a novel method for the classification of keywords across multiple campaigns.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a computing device comprising a processing device and a non-transitory computer-readable medium that is configured for operating:
 a bid management system executable by the processing device for managing purchase of a plurality of keywords by an advertiser in a plurality of advertising campaigns of the advertiser; 
 a web analytics tool executable by the processing device for collecting web site visitation statistics for the keywords from across the plurality of campaigns; and 
 a classification manager operable to communicate with the web analytics tool and the bid management system, the classification manager being executable by the processing device to:
 receive input from the bid management system indicating a subset of the plurality of keywords and a classification name, 
 in response to said receiving, creating a classification associating the subset of keywords with the classification name as classified keywords, 
 retrieve from the web analytics tool, website visitation statistics for the subset of classified keywords, the website visitation statistics comprising a measure of behavior of users who visited a website based on a classified keyword, 
 determine an aggregate measure of the behavior for the classification based on the website visitation statistics, and 
 provide information about the classification to a computing device of the advertiser, the provided information causing the computing device of the advertiser to display the aggregate measure in association with the classification. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the website visitation statistics further comprise a measure of behavior of users who visited a first website, at least in part, based on a classified keyword in response to the purchase of a multi-campaign keyword from a search engine as part of a first of the plurality of advertising campaigns. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the website visitation statistics further comprise a measure of behavior of users who visited a second website, at least in part, based on a classified keyword in response to the purchase of a multi-campaign keyword from a search engine as part of a second of the plurality of advertising campaigns, wherein the second website is distinct from the website. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the keywords of the indicated subset is a multi-campaign keyword corresponding to two or more of the plurality of campaigns and wherein determining the aggregate measure further comprises:
 determining a first aggregate measure of user behavior for the multi-campaign keyword, wherein the first aggregate measure is calculated based at least on both of the measures of user behavior retrieved from the web analytics tool and associated with the website; and   determining a second aggregate measure of user behavior for the classification based on website visitation statistics associated with the plurality of keywords.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the classification manager includes a classification user interface module for presenting the classification as a hierarchical display with the classification name at a level and one or more of the classified subset of keywords at a sub-level, the classification user interface module is adapted to receive input and manage keywords based on input. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information about the classification provided by the classification manager includes the subset of keywords and the classification name and the classification manager presents the classification as a hierarchical display with the classification name at a level and the classified keywords at a sub-level. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the classification manager further comprises a repository for storing the classification and at least one of the subset of classified keywords associated with the classification. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the classification manager includes a classification creation module for creating the classification including the classification name, the subset of classified keywords, and one or more types of measures of behavior of users. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the measure of user behavior includes one from a group of cost-per-click (CPC), impressions, clicks, click-through rate (CTR), page hits, and cost. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the classification manager includes a keyword measurement module for determining the measure of user behavior, the keyword measurement module adapted for communication with the web analytics tool, and wherein the classification manager provides information about a plurality of classifications, each classification having a respective subset of the plurality of keywords. 
     
     
         11 . A method for classifying keywords across multiple campaigns, the method comprising:
 performing by one or more computers:
 receiving input from a computing device of an advertiser, the input comprising a classification name, a plurality of keywords for association with the classification name, and a subset of the plurality of keywords; 
 in response to said receiving, creating a classification associating the subset of keywords with the classification name as classified keywords; 
 in response to receiving, from the computing device of the advertiser, an input indicating the classification:
 retrieving website visitation statistics for the subset of classified keywords, the website visitation statistics comprising a measure of behavior of users who visited a website based on a classified keyword, 
 determining an aggregate measure of user behavior for the classification based on the website visitation statistics, and 
 providing information about the classification to a computing device of the advertiser, the provided information causing the computing device of the advertiser to display the aggregate measure in association with the classification. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising presenting the classification as a hierarchical display with the classification name at a level, and one or more of the classified subset of keywords at a sub-level. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising receiving input and managing keywords based on input. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the information about the classification provided includes the subset of keywords and the classification name, and the method further comprises presenting the classification as a hierarchical display with the classification name at a level and the classified keywords at a sub-level. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising storing in a repository the classification and at least one of the subset of classified keywords associated with the classification. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising creating the classification including the classification name, the subset of classified keywords, and one or more types of measures of behavior of users. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, wherein the instructions are executable by a processor and are executable for performing the steps of:
 receiving input from a computing device of an advertiser, the input comprising a classification name, a plurality of keywords for association with the classification name, and a subset of the plurality of keywords and a classification name;   in response to said receiving, creating a classification associating the subset of keywords with the classification name as classified keywords;   in response to receiving, from the computing device of the advertiser, an input indicating the classification:
 retrieving from a web analytics tool, website visitation statistics for the subset of classified keywords, the website visitation statistics comprising a measure of behavior of users who visited a website based on a classified keyword, 
 determining an aggregate measure of the behavior for the classification based on the website visitation statistics, and 
 providing information about the classification to a computing device of the advertiser, the provided information causing the computing device of the advertiser to display the aggregate measure in association with the classification. 
   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions are further executable for performing the step of presenting the classification as a hierarchical display with the classification name at a level and one or more of the classified subset of keywords at a sub-level. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions are further executable for performing the step of receiving input and managing keywords based on the input. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions are further executable for performing the step of creating the classification including the classification name, the subset of classified keywords, and one or more types of measures of behavior of users.