Provision of targeted content

Abstract

Methods of providing services using a web marketing platform are described. The web marketing platform acts as a proxy associated with a host company and can intercept traffic passing to and from the host company. In an embodiment, an interface is provided which enables clients to easily request services. One example service is the provision of targeted content to users within web pages from sites hosted by the host company and in such an example, the actual content can be analyzed in real time to provide improved targeting based on the content, user behavior or any other criteria.

1 . A method of providing dynamically targeted content in a network, the method comprising:
 configuring a domain name service to route requests for content hosted at a hosted content server to a system remote from the hosted content server;   receiving, at the system, a request from a user for content hosted at the hosted content server, the request being received from the user at the system on the basis of the configuring;   in response to receipt of the request, providing, from the system, targeting data to a plurality of content providers in the network;   receiving, at the system, targeted content provision bids from at least one content provider in the plurality; and   on the basis of the received targeted content provision bids, sending, from the system, targeted content to the user via the network.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the received targeted content provision bids comprise real-time targeted content provision bids dynamically generated and provided to the system in real-time by the respective content providers in response to receipt of the targeting data. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the configuring comprises updating records of domains for which requests and responses will pass through the system such that those requests are routed via the system, and wherein the system is arranged to receive requests from the user to the hosted content server and to receive responses from the hosted content server to the user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 at the system, analyzing an aspect of the request in real-time; and   creating, at the system, the targeting data based at least in part on the real-time analyzing of the aspect of the request.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 accessing, at the system, the requested content from the hosted content server;   analyzing, at the system, an aspect of the accessed content in real-time; and   creating, at the system, the targeting data based at least in part on the real-time analysing of the accessed content.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the aspect of the accessed content or the request comprises one or more of a referrer address, an address of the content, the content, a search term, the user, and data associated with the user. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising identifying, at the system, the targeted content based at least in part on the targeting data. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising identifying, at the system, the targeted content based at least in part on the received targeted content provision bids. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 accessing, at the system, the requested content from the hosted content server; and   identifying, at the system, the targeted content based at least in part on the content accessed from the hosted content server.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising selecting, at the system, one of the plurality of content providers based on the received bids,
 wherein the targeted content is sent to the user via the network based at least in part on the selection.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising:
 at the system, requesting content to be provided from the selected content provider; and   receiving, at the system, the requested content from the selected content provider.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising:
 accessing, at the system, the requested content from the hosted content server;   inserting, at the system, a tag associated with the selected one of the plurality of content providers into the accessed content to create modified content; and   sending, from the system, the modified content to the user via the network.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising receiving, at the system, targeted content provision bids from multiple content providers in the plurality 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the received targeted content provision bids comprises content to be provided from at least one content provider in the plurality of content providers. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the targeted content comprises a tag for additional content. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the targeted content comprises one or more of a targeted advertisement and a tag for a targeted advertisement. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the targeted content comprises a tag comprising data relating to the user's behaviour. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the targeting data comprises one or more of information defining the content and information defining the user. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the targeting data provided to the plurality of content providers by the system is the same for each content provider in the plurality. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the targeting data provided to the plurality of content providers by the system is different for at least two content providers in the plurality. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 accessing, at the system, the requested content from the hosted content server;   inserting, at the system, targeted content into the accessed content to create modified content; and   sending, from the system, the modified content to the user via the network.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the inserting comprises replacing an advertisement with another advertisement. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the inserting comprises replacing a web page with another webpage. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising using the targeting data to instigate, at the system, one or more of the following actions:
 shutting down an entity in the network,   preventing access to a website,   sending an email,   sending an alert, and   changing future operation of the system.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the entity comprises one or more of the system and the hosted content server. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the website comprises a website hosted by the hosted content server. 
     
     
         27 . An apparatus for use in providing dynamically targeted content in a network, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one memory including computer program code; and   at least one processor in data communication with the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
 configure a domain name service to route requests for content hosted at a hosted content server to a system remote from the hosted content server; 
 receive, at the system, a request from a user for content hosted at the hosted content server, the request being received from the user at the system on the basis of the configuring; 
 in response to receipt of the request, provide, from the system, targeting data to a plurality of content providers in the network; 
 receive, at the system, targeted content provision bids from at least one content provider in the plurality; and 
 on the basis of the received targeted content provision bids, send, from the system, targeted content to the user via the network. 
   
     
     
         28 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to perform a method of providing dynamically targeted content in a network, the method comprising:
 configuring a domain name service to route requests for content hosted at a hosted content server to a system remote from the hosted content server;   receiving, at the system, a request from a user for content hosted at the hosted content server, the request being received from the user at the system on the basis of the configuring;   in response to receipt of the request, providing, from the system, targeting data to a plurality of content providers in the network;   receiving, at the system, targeted content provision bids from at least one content provider in the plurality; and   on the basis of the received targeted content provision bids, sending, from the system, targeted content to the user via the network.