System and method for shortening click URLS

1. A method for reducing a size of one or more keys encoded into a link to a target resource, the method comprising:

receiving, in an affiliate server, from an affiliate, a request for a target resource, where the target resource includes content information associated with an advertisement;

selecting the target resources responsive to the request;

encoding a link to the target resource with one or more key/value pairs including identifying an address for the result click server;

determining if there are any additional key/value pairs for encoding into the link;

if additional key/value pairs are present, encoding the additional key/value pairs into the link;

performing a look-up operation in a key map for a key encoded in the link;

if the key is not in the key map, leaving the key encoded in the link;

if the key is in key map, substituting the key with a substitute key;

adding an additional key indicating compression of the one or more key/value pairs;

transmitting the encoded link to the affiliate;

transmitting, from the affiliate to a client device, web content and the advertisement having the encoded link associated therewith;

in response to a user selection of the encoded link, accessing the result click server identified in the link;

selecting a given key/value pair from among the one or more key/value pairs to identify a key;

locating the key in a key map to identify a substitute key;

replacing the key with the substitute key in the link;

after the user selection of the encoded link, recording information associated with the affiliate, the client device and the advertisement; and

redirecting the user to the target resource.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein encoding the link comprises encoding a Uniform Resource Locator.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying comprising identifying a Uniform Resource Locator for the result click server.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising writing the key/value pair to a data store.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein writing comprising writing to a relational database.

6. A system for reducing a size of one or more keys encoded into a Uniform Resource Locator, the system comprising:

an affiliate server including a processing device being operative to:

receive from an affiliate, a request for a target resource, where the target resource includes content information associated with an advertisement;

select the target resources responsive to the request

encode a link to the target resource with one or more key/value pairs including identifying an address for a result click server;

determine if there are any additional key/value pairs for encoding into the link;

if additional key/value pairs are present, encode the additional key/value pairs into the link;

perform a look-up operation in a key map for a key encoded in the link;

if the key is not in the key map, leave the key encoded in the link;

if the key is in key map, substitute the key with a substitute key;

add an additional key indicating compression of the one or more key/value pairs;

transmitting the encoded link to the affiliate;

the affiliate, including a processing device, operative to transmit to a client device web content and the advertisement having the encoded link associated therewith; and

the result click server, including a processing device, in response to a user selection of the encoded link, operative to:

select a given key value pair from among the one or more key/value pairs to identify a key;

locate the key in a key map to identify a substitute key;

replace the key with the substitute key;

recording information associated with the affiliate, the client device and the advertisement; and

redirecting the user to the target resource.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the link comprises a Uniform Resource Locator that identifies an address for a target resource.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the target resource comprises an advertisement for a product or service.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the address for the result click server comprises a Uniform Resource Locator.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the result click server is operative to write the key value pair to a data store.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the data store comprises a relational database.