Patent ID: 8769079

Claim:
A method of using click values associated with visitors to monetize advertising using a website, the method comprising: defining a plurality of different categories; computing respective click values associated with different ones of the visitors based at least in part on interaction by the visitors with goods or services categorized within the plurality of different categories, wherein the click values indicate respective perceived business values of the visitors in the plurality of different categories, wherein the computing the respective click values includes: tracking individual instances of interaction between the visitors and goods or services categorized within the plurality of different categories; determining fundamental click values associated with each of the individual instances; and aggregating the fundamental click values for individual ones of the visitors and the plurality of different categories to compute the respective click values associated with different ones of the visitors; assigning the click values to respective visitor identifiers of the visitors in the plurality of different categories; receiving a bid amount as an amount of money an advertiser is willing to pay to have an advertisement presented to one of the visitors having a respective click value in one of the plurality of different categories; selecting, from a plurality of advertisements, at least one advertisement having a click value that is less than or equal to the respective click value of the one of the visitors; and designating a placement from a plurality of locations for the at least one advertisement for presentation to the one of the visitors based at least in part on the bid amount associated with the at least one advertisement.