Patent ID: 7885942

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for determining traffic patterns involving a web property of interest in a computer network, the method implemented by at least one computing device carrying out the steps comprising: receiving path data regarding the web property of interest, wherein the path data comprises information regarding user sessions in the computer network, each user session including a plurality of web properties visited by a corresponding user, each web property comprising one or more web pages, and being characterized by a distinct subject matter or service; for a particular web property of interest, identifying based on the path data all other web properties visited in any session that included a visit to the web property of interest; for each of the other web properties, generating count information by counting a number of visits by any user to each such other web property in the sessions that included a visit to the web property of interest; constructing, from the path data and the count information, an aggregated data structure corresponding to the web property of interest, the aggregated data structure including, for each of the other web properties visited by any user in the sessions that included a visit to the web property of interest, a count of a number of visits to such other web property and next property information regarding which web property within the network was visited next during the session after visiting such other web property; receiving a query from a user identifying the web property of interest and one or more metrics related to the web property of interest, the metrics including a count of unique upstream properties consumed by the web property of interest or a count of unique downstream properties produced by the web property of interest, wherein an upstream property consumed is a web property visited prior to the web property of interest during a session, and wherein a downstream property produced is a web property visited subsequently to the web property of interest during a session; computing the one or more metrics regarding the web property of interest based upon the aggregated data structure; and presenting the one or more metrics to the user as a report.