Methods and apparatus to monitor consumer behavior associated with location-based web services

Abstract

Example methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture to monitor consumer behavior associated with location-based web services are disclosed. Example disclosed apparatus include a receiver to receive a query from a mobile device including a query criterion and a first location identifier. Disclosed example apparatus further include a database to associate a second location identifier with an advertisement identifier indicative of an advertisement at a fixed location. Disclosed example apparatus also include an analyzer to credit the advertisement indicated by the advertisement identifier as having been exposed to a user of the mobile device in response to the first location identifier matching the second location identifier or the first location identifier being indicative of a first location within a distance of a second location indicated by the second location identifier.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An apparatus comprising:
 a database to store a first location having a first advertisement and a first subject-matter for the first advertisement; and   a data analyzer to:
 identify a first geo-fence surrounding the first location; 
 access, (1) a location event indicative of a second location at which a search query is transmitted from a mobile computing device, (2) a timestamp associated with the location event, and (3) a second subject-matter of the search query; 
 determine that a user was exposed to the first advertisement based on the second location being within the first geo-fence and the second subject-matter of the search query being associated with the first subject-matter; and 
 determine an indication that the first advertisement, to which the user was determined to be exposed, is credited with influencing a visit to a retail establishment associated with the first advertisement based on the visit to the retail establishment occurring within a threshold time after the timestamp associated with the location event, the database to store the indication that the first advertisement is credited. 
   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the data analyzer is further to:
 access a second location event indicative of a third location at which a second search query is transmitted from the mobile computing device; and   determine that a second user was not exposed to the first advertisement based on the third location not being within the first geo-fence.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first geo-fence has a distance from the first location based on a distance at which a person is able to view the first advertisement. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first advertisement is stationary at the first location. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first advertisement is an advertisement external to the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the visit to the retail establishment is determined based on information indicating a product purchase at the retail establishment. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the data analyzer is to identify the first geo-fence by retrieving the first geo-fence from the database. 
     
     
         9 . A machine-readable storage medium having instructions which, when executed, cause one or more processors to at least:
 identify a first geo-fence surrounding a first location having a first advertisement, the first advertisement having a first subject-matter;   access (1) a location event indicative of a second location at which a search query is transmitted from a mobile computing device, (2) a timestamp associated with the location event, and (3) a second subject-matter of the search query;   determine that a user was exposed to the first advertisement based on the first advertisement based on the second location being within the first geo-fence and the second subject-matter of the search query being associated with the first subject-matter;   determine an indication that the first advertisement, to which the user was determined to be exposed, is credited with influencing a visit to a retail establishment associated with the first advertisement based on the visit to the retail establishment occurring within a threshold time after the timestamp associated with the location event; and   store the indication that the first advertisement is credited.   
     
     
         10 . The storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:
 access a second location event indicative of a third location at which a second search query is transmitted from the mobile computing device; and   determine that a second user was not exposed to the first advertisement based on the third location not being within the first geo-fence.   
     
     
         11 . The storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the first geo-fence has a distance from the first location based on a distance at which a person is able to view the first advertisement. 
     
     
         12 . The storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the first advertisement is stationary at the first location. 
     
     
         13 . The storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the first advertisement is an advertisement external to the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         14 . The storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the visit to the retail establishment is determined based on information indicating a product purchase at the retail establishment. 
     
     
         15 . The storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processor to access the first location and the first subject-matter from a database. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 identifying a first geo-fence surrounding a first location having a first advertisement, the first advertisement having a first subject-matter;   accessing (1) a location event indicative of a second location at which a search query is transmitted from a mobile computing device, (2) a timestamp associated with the location event, and (3) a second subject-matter of the search query;   determining that a user was exposed to the first advertisement based on the first advertisement based on the second location being within the first geo-fence and the second subject-matter of the search query being associated with the first subject-matter;   determining an indication that the first advertisement, to which the user was determined to be exposed, is credited with influencing a visit to a retail establishment associated with the first advertisement based on the visit to the retail establishment occurring within a threshold time after the timestamp associated with the location event; and   storing the indication that the first advertisement is credited.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further including:
 accessing a second location event indicative of a third location at which a second search query is transmitted from the mobile computing device; and   determining that a second user was not exposed to the first advertisement based on the third location not being within the first geo-fence.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first geo-fence has a distance from the first location based on a distance at which a person is able to view the first advertisement. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first advertisement is stationary at the first location. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first advertisement is an advertisement external to the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the visit to the retail establishment is determined based on information indicating a product purchase at the retail establishment.