Methods, systems, and apparatus include computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, including a method for providing content. An indication is received from a content sponsor of a first collection of entities, sharing common characteristics, to be used for selection criteria for presenting a first content item. References to the first content item and selection criteria are stored. A query is received including terms or phrases associated with a first entity. It is determined that the first entity is included in the first collection of entities, wherein the terms or phrases do not include the first collection. Eligible content items are identified, each being associated with selection criteria including criteria specifying the first collection of entities. At least a portion of the first collection of entities is provided for presentation along with search results, including providing one or more of the eligible content items and the first content item.

Systems and methods for determining location-based bid modifier suggestions include determining a content placement cost based in part on a likelihood of a user that has entered a physical establishment completing a transaction, an average transaction amount for the establishment, and an expected return on investment (ROI). A location-based bid modifier may be determined using the computed cost and a base bid amount. In some implementations, the location-based bid modifier may also be based on a probability model that models the probability of the user visiting the establishment.

An event trigger management system, which handles management and delivery of services on a user device that streams media content from a distribution network, determines one or more media items present in media content of the distribution network. One or more interactive items are overlaid over the one or more media items in the media content and one or more event triggers are received from a client application engine, operational on the user device, based on selection of one or more interactive items. A personalized list is generated based on one or more received event triggers for selection of one or more overlaid interactive items and the generated personalized list is displayed or transmitted to distribution network(s) or application engines associated with the user device.

A method for controlling a purchasing pace in a real-time bidding environment is provided. A pacing parameter is dynamically adjusted using a multi-loop control algorithm including an outer control loop and an inner control loop, wherein the outer control loop outputs a control parameter, and the inner control loop uses this control parameter as an input and outputs a current value of the pacing parameter, which is adjusted over time by the multi-loop control algorithm. A series of bid requests generated by a real-time bidding exchange are received, each identifying a respective available ad placement in a respective webpage being loaded. For each received bid request, a decision is made in real-time, during the loading of the respective webpage, whether to submit a bid to purchase the respective ad placement based at least on the current value of the dynamically adjusted pacing parameter.

An ad collision machine can be configured to evaluate collision queries for possible ad collisions and is associated with an ad datacenter configured to evaluate and respond to bid requests on behalf of a plurality of advertisers. The ad collision machine can comprise a plurality of nodes and a data cache containing a plurality of user ID-campaign ID keys representing recently submitted bids in response to bid requests. Once a selected node receives a collision query, a user ID-campaign ID key is retrieved from the collision query. If the first key is not found in the data cache, it is written to the data cache by the node and the ad collision machine returns that user ID-campaign ID pair as available to be bid on.

Systems and methods for building a device graph for cooperative device identification are disclosed. Various information is received at a computing system over a communications network, include information defining a relationship between (i) a unique identifier associated with a first device of a user and (ii) a unique identifier associated with the user, and information defining a relationship between (i) a unique identifier associated with a second device of the user and (ii) the unique identifier associated with the user. The unique identifiers associated with the devices are each mapped to the platform-wide identifier based at least in part on the unique user identifier. A device graph comprising a plurality of device nodes is constructed, with related device nodes connected by one or more edges. Nodes representing the devices are linked based on a relationship identified between them using the platform-wide identifier.

A system and process allowing for online participation in multiple simultaneous live auctions comprising an auction management system providing an advantageous user display enabling concurrent auction participation.

Systems and methods to determine the status of transmitted audio packets. The audio packets can include digital components that are presented by a client computing device. Based on presentation variables and determinations of presentation status, the system can generate a predictive model that can be used to dynamically determines presentation values of audio packets prior to their transmission to a client computing device.

Systems and methods for determining a relative pricing indication of content item criteria are provided. One method includes retrieving content item data relating to a plurality of content items. For each content item, a target pricing parameter and one or more selection criteria associated with the content item is determined, and the content item is categorized within one or more categories. For each of the categories, category pricing parameter data is generated based on a combination of the target pricing parameters for the content items within the category. For each of the selection criteria, a criteria pricing parameter is determined based on a combination of target pricing parameters for the content items with which the criterion is associated. Criteria pricing parameter data is correlated to the category pricing parameters for the one or more categories. Relative pricing indication data is generated for the criterion based on the correlation.

A method and system for allowing targeted bidding for online advertisements are provided. The method includes causing an emulation of an emulated bidder for bidding on a placement of an advertisement in a webpage; receiving, from the emulated bidder, a current bid identifier associated with the placement; causing, in real-time, a comparison of the current bid identifier to at least one stored bid identifier, wherein each stored bid identifier is associated with stored target information; receiving target information of the webpage, wherein the received target information is identified based on the comparison, wherein the received target information is related to targeted advertising for the webpage; and sending the target information of the webpage to at least one other bidder that is bidding on the placement.