IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,812,647

Granted Patent B1

US 8,812,647 · App. 14/244,781 · Granted Aug 19, 2014

Centralized publisher management

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 8,812,647
App. No.: 14/244,781
Granted: Aug 19, 2014
Kind: B1

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Abstract

A management system can recommend and manage publishing content with publishers of business information. A representative can provide unique identifying information for a business that can be used to determine a category of similar businesses. Based on the identified category, a list of publishers can be identified to the representative as related to the business category. The representative can select one or more of the publishers to publish content about the business. Based on the representative selection, the system can request a set of content from the representative. After receiving the content from the representative, the system can translate the content to formats acceptable to each of the publishers. The content can then be provided to the publishers to publish. The published content can then be monitored for problems, and corrected if problems are discovered.

Claims (154)

1. A method for centrally managing business information amongst a plurality of publishers, the method comprising:

receiving information enabling unique identification of a first business;

matching the first business to a first category from a set of categories of a directory, wherein the first business matches one or more categories of the set of categories, the first category representing a first classification of a first set of businesses sharing a first set of common attributes;

selecting a first set of publishers to receive a first set of content describing the first business based at least in part on the first category, the first set of publishers selected for electronic publication of at least some of the first set of content;

retrieving the first set of content related to the first set of publishers associated with the first category, the first set of content describing first aspects of businesses assigned to the first category, and the first set of content including a first superset of content consumed by each of the first set of publishers;

for each of a first subset of publishers from the first set of publishers:

preparing a first subset of content from the first set of content for consumption by a first publisher from the first subset of publishers;

transmitting over a communication network the first subset of content to the first publisher; and

causing the first publisher to publish the first subset of content;

receiving information enabling unique identification of a second business;

matching the second business to a second category from the set of categories of the directory, wherein the second business matches to one or more categories of the set of categories, the second category representing a second classification of a second set of businesses sharing a second set of common attributes;

selecting a second set of publishers to receive a second set of content describing the second business based at least in part on the second category, the second set of publishers selected for electronic publication of at least some of the second set of content;

retrieving the second set of content related to the second set of publishers associated with the second category, the second set of content describing second aspects of businesses assigned to the second category, and the second set of content including a second superset of content consumed by each of the second set of publishers; and

for each of a second subset of publishers from the second set of publishers:

preparing a second subset of content from the second set of content for consumption by a second publisher from the second subset of publishers;

transmitting over the communication network the second subset of content to the second publisher; and

causing the second publisher to publish the second subset of content;

wherein the first category and the second category are different;

wherein the first business and the second business are different; and

wherein a size of a symmetric difference of the first set of publishers and the second set of publishers is greater than zero.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

ranking the first set of publishers based at least in part on a first metric; and

recommending the first subset of publishers based at least in part on the ranking.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first metric is an estimated conversion rate of a consumer of publisher content into a client with a relationship with the first business.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the preparing the first subset of content for consumption by the first publisher from the first subset of publishers further comprises:

retrieving a first portion of the first subset of content; and

preparing a first rendering of how the first portion of the first subset of content would appear if published by the first publisher;

the preparing the second subset of content for consumption by the second publisher from the second subset of publishers further comprises:

retrieving a second portion of the second subset of content; and

preparing a second rendering of how the second portion of the second subset of content would appear if published by the second publisher.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

creating a first set of credentials for use with the first publisher on behalf of the first business;

storing the first set of credentials for later use;

providing the first set of credentials when acting on behalf of the first business to publish first information regarding the first business;

creating a second set of credentials for use with the second publisher on behalf of the second business;

storing the second set of credentials for later use; and

providing the second set of credentials when acting on behalf of the second business to publish second information regarding the second business.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring a first set of published content about the first business published by the first publisher for changes;

determining that the first set of published content was modified;

providing a warning that the first set of published content was modified;

monitoring a second set of published content about the second business published by the second publisher for changes;

determining that the second set of published content was modified; and

providing a warning that the second set of published content was modified.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring first published content about the first business published by the first publisher for a first review of the first business;

determining that the first review was negative;

providing a first warning that the first review was negative;

monitoring second published content about the second business published by the second publisher for a second review of the second business;

determining that the second review was negative; and

providing a second warning that the second review was negative.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

providing a first suggested response to the first review of the first business based at least in part on the first category;

causing the first publisher to publish the first suggested response to the first review;

providing a second suggested response to the second review of the second business based at least in part on the second category; and

causing the second publisher to publish the second suggested response to the second review.

9. A system for centrally managing online interactions amongst a plurality of publishers, the system comprising:

one or more network interfaces configured to facilitate access to a network;

one or more processors coupled to the one or more network interfaces;

one or more storage media coupled to the one or more processors to retain instructions, the one or more processors to execute the instructions to:

process information enabling unique identification of a first business;

match the first business to a first category from a set of categories of a directory, wherein the first business matches one or more categories of the set of categories, the first category representing a first classification of a first set of businesses sharing a first set of common attributes;

select a first set of publishers to receive a first set of content describing the first business based at least in part on the first category, the first set of publishers selected for electronic publication of at least some of the first set of content;

retrieve the first set of content related to the first set of publishers associated with the first category, the first set of content describing first aspects of businesses assigned to the first category, and the first set of content including a first superset of content consumed by each of the first set of publishers;

for each of a first subset of publishers from the first set of publishers:

prepare a first subset of content from the first set of content for consumption by a first publisher from the first subset of publishers;

transmit the first subset of content to the first publisher; and

cause the first publisher to publish the first subset of content;

process information enabling unique identification of a second business;

match the second business to a second category from the set of categories of the directory, wherein the second business matches to one or more categories of the set of categories, the second category representing a second classification of a second set of businesses sharing a second set of common attributes;

select a second set of publishers to receive a second set of content describing the second business based at least in part on the second category, the second set of publishers selected for electronic publication of at least some of the second set of content;

retrieve the second set of content related to the second set of publishers associated with the second category, the second set of content describing second aspects of businesses assigned to the second category, and the second set of content including a second superset of content consumed by each of the second set of publishers; and

for each of a second subset of publishers from the second set of publishers:

prepare a second subset of content from the second set of content for consumption by a second publisher from the second subset of publishers;

cause transmission of the second subset of content to the second publisher; and

cause the second publisher to publish the second subset of content;

wherein the first category and the second category are different;

wherein the first business and the second business are different; and

wherein a size of a symmetric difference of the first set of publishers and the second set of publishers is greater than zero.

10. The system of claim 9 , the one or more processors to execute the instructions further to:

rank the first set of publishers based at least in part on a first metric; and

generate a recommendation of the first subset of publishers based at least in part on the ranking.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first metric is an estimated conversion rate of a consumer of publisher content into a client with a relationship with the first business.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the preparing the first subset of content for consumption by the first publisher from the first subset of publishers further comprises:

retrieving a first portion of the first subset of content; and

preparing a first rendering of how the first portion of the first subset of content would appear if published by the first publisher;

the preparing the second subset of content for consumption by the second publisher from the second subset of publishers further comprises:

retrieving a second portion of the second subset of content; and

preparing a second rendering of how the second portion of the second subset of content would appear if published by the second publisher.

13. The system of claim 9 , the one or more processors to execute the instructions further to:

create a first set of credentials for use with the first publisher on behalf of the first business;

store the first set of credentials for later use;

provide the first set of credentials when acting on behalf of the first business to publish first information regarding the first business;

create a second set of credentials for use with the second publisher on behalf of the second business;

store the second set of credentials for later use; and

provide the second set of credentials when acting on behalf of the second business to publish second information regarding the second business.

14. The system of claim 9 , the one or more processors to execute the instructions further to:

monitor a first set of published content about the first business published by the first publisher for changes;

determine that the first set of published content was modified;

provide a warning that the first set of published content was modified;

monitor a second set of published content about the second business published by the second publisher for changes;

determine that the second set of published content was modified; and

provide a warning that the second set of published content was modified.

15. The system of claim 9 , the one or more processors to execute the instructions further to:

monitor first published content about the first business published by the first publisher for a first review of the first business;

determine that the first review was negative;

provide a first warning that the first review was negative;

monitor second published content about the second business published by the second publisher for a second review of the second business;

determine that the second review was negative; and

provide a second warning that the second review was negative.

16. The system of claim 15 , the one or more processors to execute the instructions further to:

provide a first suggested response to the first review of the first business based at least in part on the first category;

cause the first publisher to publish the first suggested response to the first review;

provide a second suggested response to the second review of the second business based at least in part on the second category; and

cause the second publisher to publish the second suggested response to the second review.

17. A non-transitory, machine-readable medium having machine-readable instructions thereon, which instructions, when executed by one or more computers or other processing devices, cause the one or more computers or other processing devices to: