Selectively replacing displayed content items based on user interaction

Abstract

Systems, methods performed by data processing apparatus and computer storage media encoded with computer programs for receiving feedback from a client device at which a presentation page of content items is displayed, the received feedback relating to an affirmative act performed by the user, determining, based at least in part on the received feedback, whether the user is likely to perform a predetermined action relative to one or more of the content items, based on a result of the determining, selectively identifying one or more replacement content items and transmitting the one or more identified replacement content items to the client device for display in the presentation page in place of one or more of the plurality of content items.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method performed by a data processing apparatus, the method comprising:
 presenting, at a client device, a particular content item;   during presentation of the content item at the client device, receiving an indication that a user performed a pointer movement from a first position of a display of the client device along a path to a second position of the display of the client device; and   causing removal of the particular content item from the display without replacement based on determining that the user performed the pointer movement from the first position of the display of the client device along the path to the second position of the display of the client device.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 identifying, from a repository of content items, a replacement content item for display at the client device; and   replacing the particular content item with the replacement content item after a pre-specified duration following the removal of the particular content item.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising determining that the particular content item is eligible to be removed based on a user action causing the client device to adjust a presentation page through scrolling that causes the particular content item to no longer be presented in the display of the client device, search behavior of the user, orientation of the client device on which the presentation page is being presented, or a changing geolocation of the client device indicating that the client device is in transit. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising determining that the particular content item is eligible to be removed based on a user action causing the client device to adjust a presentation page through scrolling so that the particular content item changes location on the presentation page to a position of less prominence, relative to one or more positions of prominence of one or more other content items. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein replacing the particular content item comprises replacing the particular content item with a replacement content item after the pre-specified duration without refreshing a presentation page presented at the client device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein replacing the particular content item comprises replacing the particular content item with a replacement content item (i) without refreshing the presentation page presented at the client device and (ii) without increasing an amount of space on the presentation page for content item presentation. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein replacement of the particular content item is performed based on a rule specifying that replacement is performed (i) when the pointer movement is performed within a specified amount of time of an initial display of a presentation page within the display of the client device and (ii) after the pre-specified duration. 
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, that when executed, cause one or more processors to perform operations including:
 presenting, at a client device, a particular content item;   during presentation of the content item at the client device, receiving an indication that a user performed a pointer movement from a first position of a display of the client device along a path to a second position of the display of the client device; and   causing removal of the particular content item from the display without replacement based on determining that the user performed the pointer movement from the first position of the display of the client device along the path to the second position of the display of the client device.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:
 identifying, from a repository of content items, a replacement content item for display at the client device; and   replacing the particular content item with the replacement content item after a pre-specified duration following the removal of the particular content item.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising determining that the particular content item is eligible to be removed based on a user action causing the client device to adjust a presentation page through scrolling that causes the particular content item to no longer be presented in the display of the client device, search behavior of the user, orientation of the client device on which the presentation page is being presented, or a changing geolocation of the client device indicating that the client device is in transit. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising determining that the particular content item is eligible to be removed based on a user action causing the client device to adjust a presentation page through scrolling so that the particular content item changes location on the presentation page to a position of less prominence, relative to one or more positions of prominence of one or more other content items. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein replacing the particular content item comprises replacing the particular content item with a replacement content item after the pre-specified duration without refreshing a presentation page presented at the client device. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein replacing the particular content item comprises replacing the particular content item with a replacement content item (i) without refreshing the presentation page presented at the client device and (ii) without increasing an amount of space on the presentation page for content item presentation. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein replacement of the particular content item is performed based on a rule specifying that replacement is performed (i) when the pointer movement is performed within a specified amount of time of an initial display of a presentation page within the display of the client device and (ii) after the pre-specified duration. 
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors configured to execute computer program instructions; and   a computer storage medium encoded with computer program instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:   presenting, at a client device, a particular content item;   during presentation of the content item at the client device, receiving an indication that a user performed a pointer movement from a first position of a display of the client device along a path to a second position of the display of the client device; and   causing removal of the particular content item from the display without replacement based on determining that the user performed the pointer movement from the first position of the display of the client device along the path to the second position of the display of the client device.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:
 identifying, from a repository of content items, a replacement content item for display at the client device; and   replacing the particular content item with the replacement content item after a pre-specified duration following the removal of the particular content item.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising determining that the particular content item is eligible to be removed based on a user action causing the client device to adjust a presentation page through scrolling that causes the particular content item to no longer be presented in the display of the client device, search behavior of the user, orientation of the client device on which the presentation page is being presented, or a changing geolocation of the client device indicating that the client device is in transit. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising determining that the particular content item is eligible to be removed based on a user action causing the client device to adjust a presentation page through scrolling so that the particular content item changes location on the presentation page to a position of less prominence, relative to one or more positions of prominence of one or more other content items. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein replacing the particular content item comprises replacing the particular content item with a replacement content item after the pre-specified duration without refreshing a presentation page presented at the client device. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein replacing the particular content item comprises replacing the particular content item with a replacement content item (i) without refreshing the presentation page presented at the client device and (ii) without increasing an amount of space on the presentation page for content item presentation, wherein replacement of the particular content item is performed based on a rule specifying that replacement is performed (i) when the pointer movement is performed within a specified amount of time of an initial display of a presentation page within the display of the client device and (ii) after the pre-specified duration.