Online map advertising

Abstract

Systems and methods for selecting advertisements for presentation in a map space are disclosed. Map requests are received, map spaces identified, advertisement bids are received for advertisement space within the map spaces, and advertisements are selected for presentation in the map space based on the advertisement bids. The advertisement bids can be selected through an auction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method, comprising:
 determining, by one or more data processing apparatuses, a geographical region associated with a portion of a map that will be bounded by a display region of a display device when presented at a specified zoom level;   receiving, by the one or more data processing apparatuses, a request for content to fill available content item spaces of the portion of the map;   determining, based at least in part on the request and by the one or more data processing apparatuses, a number of available content item spaces for the portion of the map;   identifying, by the one or more data processing apparatuses content items for retail locations that are within the geographical region associated with the portion of the map, wherein each of the content items has a corresponding bid;   selecting, from among the content items for the retail locations and by the one or more data processing apparatuses, one or more content items based, at least in part, on values of the corresponding bids for the identified content items; and   providing, by the one or more data processing apparatuses, data specifying the one or more content items that were selected for presentation with the portion of the map at the display device.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein providing data comprises providing, for at least one content item from the one or more content items, data that causes presentation of a user interface element that causes presentation of additional information related to the at least one content item in response to user interaction with the user interface element. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein identifying content items for retail locations that are within the geographical region associated with the map comprises identifying content items only for those retail locations that are within a geographical region that is presented with the map has a minimum specified zoom level. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein identifying content items for retail locations that are within the geographic region associated with the map comprises identifying content items for retail locations that are within a specified distance of a specified map location. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein selecting one or more content items comprises:
 determining that at least one of the identified content items has a variable bid that varies based on a portion of the geographic region that will be presented; and   selecting the one or more content items based, at least in part, on a value of the variable bid corresponding to the portion of the geographic region that will be presented.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein selecting one or more content items comprises:
 determining that at least one of the identified content items has a variable bid that varies based on a zoom level at which the geographic region that will be presented; and   selecting the one or more content items based, at least in part, on a value of the variable bid corresponding to the zoom level at which the geographic region that will be presented.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein selecting the one or more content items based, at least in part, on a value of the variable bid corresponding to the zoom level comprises selecting the one or more content items from among only those content items that, based on a zoom level parameter, are eligible for presentation with a map space that is presented at the specified zoom level. 
     
     
         28 . A system, comprising:
 one or more data storage devices storing content item bids for a plurality of content items; and   one or more data processing apparatuses coupled to the data storage device, the one or more data processing apparatuses including instructions that upon execution cause the one or more data processing apparatuses to perform operations comprising:
 determining a geographical region associated with a portion of a map that will be bounded by a display region of a display device when presented at a specified zoom level; 
 receiving a request for content to fill available content item spaces of the portion of the map; 
 determining, based at least in part on the request, a number of available content item spaces for the portion of the map; 
 identifying, from the one or more data storage devices, content items for retail locations that are within the geographical region associated with the portion of the map, wherein each of the content items has a corresponding bid; 
 selecting, from among the content items for the retail locations, one or more content items based, at least in part, on values of the corresponding bids for the identified content items; and 
 providing data specifying the one or more content items that were selected for presentation with the portion of the map at the display device. 
   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein providing data comprises providing, for at least one content item from the one or more content items, data that causes presentation of a user interface element that causes presentation of additional information related to the at least one content item in response to user interaction with the user interface element. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein identifying content items for retail locations that are within the geographical region associated with the map comprises identifying content items only for those retail locations that are within a geographical region that is presented with the map has a minimum specified zoom level. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein identifying content items for retail locations that are within the geographic region associated with the map comprises identifying content items for retail locations that are within a specified distance of a specified map location. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein selecting one or more content items comprises:
 determining that at least one of the identified content items has a variable bid that varies based on a portion of the geographic region that will be presented; and   selecting the one or more content items based, at least in part, on a value of the variable bid corresponding to the portion of the geographic region that will be presented.   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein selecting one or more content items comprises:
 determining that at least one of the identified content items has a variable bid that varies based on a zoom level at which the geographic region that will be presented; and   selecting the one or more content items based, at least in part, on a value of the variable bid corresponding to the zoom level at which the geographic region that will be presented.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein selecting the one or more content items based, at least in part, on a value of the variable bid corresponding to the zoom level comprises selecting the one or more content items from among only those content items that, based on a zoom level parameter, are eligible for presentation with a map space that is presented at the specified zoom level. 
     
     
         35 . A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with instructions that when executed by one or more data processing apparatuses cause the one or more data processing apparatuses to perform operations comprising:
 determining a geographical region associated with a portion of a map that will be bounded by a display region of a display device when presented at a specified zoom level;   receiving a request for content to fill available content item spaces of the portion of the map;   determining, based at least in part on the request, a number of available content item spaces for the portion of the map;   identifying, from the one or more data storage devices, content items for retail locations that are within the geographical region associated with the portion of the map, wherein each of the content items has a corresponding bid;   selecting, from among the content items for the retail locations, one or more content items based, at least in part, on values of the corresponding bids for the identified content items; and   providing data specifying the one or more content items that were selected for presentation with the portion of the map at the display device.   
     
     
         36 . The computer storage medium of  claim 35 , wherein providing data comprises providing, for at least one content item from the one or more content items, data that causes presentation of a user interface element that causes presentation of additional information related to the at least one content item in response to user interaction with the user interface element. 
     
     
         37 . The computer storage medium of  claim 35 , wherein identifying content items for retail locations that are within the geographical region associated with the map comprises identifying content items only for those retail locations that are within a geographical region that is presented with the map has a minimum specified zoom level. 
     
     
         38 . The computer storage medium of  claim 35 , wherein identifying content items for retail locations that are within the geographic region associated with the map comprises identifying content items for retail locations that are within a specified distance of a specified map location. 
     
     
         39 . The computer storage medium of  claim 35 , wherein selecting one or more content items comprises:
 determining that at least one of the identified content items has a variable bid that varies based on a portion of the geographic region that will be presented; and   selecting the one or more content items based, at least in part, on a value of the variable bid corresponding to the portion of the geographic region that will be presented.   
     
     
         40 . The computer storage medium of  claim 35 , wherein selecting one or more content items comprises:
 determining that at least one of the identified content items has a variable bid that varies based on a zoom level at which the geographic region that will be presented; and   selecting the one or more content items based, at least in part, on a value of the variable bid corresponding to the zoom level at which the geographic region that will be presented.