Content selection using distribution parameter data
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for selecting content items for presentation along with publisher resources. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a request for a content item for presentation at a user device with a publisher resource; receiving, from a content item provider a first selection value for each of a plurality of content items provided by the content item provider; determining, for each of the content items and using accessed distribution parameters, a second selection value distinct from the first selection value; and determining, for each of the content items and independent of a bid corresponding to the content item, a combined selection value based on the first selection value for the content item and the second selection value for the content item.
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
providing, by a content distribution system and to a content item provider, a first subset of available selection criteria that includes less than all of the available selection criteria about one or more of a (i) publisher resource, (ii) user device that is requesting content from the content distribution system for presentation with the publisher resource, or (iii) user of the user device, wherein the available selection criteria comprises the first subset and a second subset of the available selection criteria comprising one or more types of selection criteria that are not included in the first subset;
receiving, from the content item provider and by the content distribution system, one or more content item indicators of one or more respective content items and, for each content item, (i) one or more sets of distribution criteria for the content item and (ii) a corresponding selection value for each set of distribution criteria;
selecting, by the content distribution system, fewer than all of a plurality of content items based at least in part on one or more respective sets of distribution criteria for each of the plurality of content items; and
in response to identifying the fewer than all of the plurality of content items, submitting the fewer than all of the plurality of content items to a content item selection process that selects one or more content items for presentation from among the fewer than all of the plurality of content items.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein each set of distribution criteria comprises distribution criteria that is of a same type as at least one type of selection criteria of the second subset of the available selection criteria.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein selecting fewer than all of the plurality of content items based at least in part on the one or more respective sets of distribution criteria for each of the plurality of content items comprises selecting each content item that has a respective distribution criteria that matches a corresponding selection criterion of the second subset of the available selection criteria.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein at least one selection criterion of the second subset of the available selection criteria comprises user interest information of the user of the user device.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first subset of the available selection criteria comprises at least one of (i) a resource locator for an electronic resource within which the one or more content items will be presented at the user device, (ii) keywords of the electronic resource, or (iii) a title of the electronic resource.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of content items comprise the one or more respective content items corresponding to the one or more content item indicators received from the content item provider and content items for which distribution criteria was previously received by the content distribution system.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising storing, at the content distribution system and for each of the one or more respective content items corresponding to the one or more content item indicators received from the content item provider, the one or more sets of distribution criteria for the content item and the corresponding selection value for each set of distribution criteria.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising using the stored distribution criteria and selection values in subsequent content item selection processes.
9. A computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by one or more data processing apparatus cause a content distribution system to perform operations comprising:
providing, by a content distribution system and to a content item provider, a first subset of available selection criteria that includes less than all of the available selection criteria about one or more of a (i) publisher resource, (ii) user device that is requesting content from the content distribution system for presentation with the publisher resource, or (iii) user of the user device, wherein the available selection criteria comprises the first subset and a second subset of the available selection criteria comprising one or more types of selection criteria that are not included in the first subset;
receiving, from the content item provider and by the content distribution system, one or more content item indicators of one or more respective content items and, for each content item, (i) one or more sets of distribution criteria for the content item and (ii) a corresponding selection value for each set of distribution criteria;
selecting, by the content distribution system, fewer than all of a plurality of content items based at least in part on one or more respective sets of distribution criteria for each of the plurality of content items; and
in response to identifying the fewer than all of the plurality of content items, submitting the fewer than all of the plurality of content items to a content item selection process that selects one or more content items for presentation from among the fewer than all of the plurality of content items.
10. The computer storage medium of claim 9 , wherein each set of distribution criteria comprises distribution criteria that is of a same type as at least one type of selection criteria of the second subset of the available selection criteria.
11. The computer storage medium of claim 9 , wherein selecting fewer than all of the plurality of content items based at least in part on the one or more respective sets of distribution criteria for each of the plurality of content items comprises selecting each content item that has a respective distribution criteria that matches a corresponding selection criterion of the second subset of the available selection criteria.
12. The computer storage medium of claim 9 , wherein at least one selection criterion of the second subset of the available selection criteria comprises user interest information of the user of the user device.
13. A content distribution system comprising:
a data store storing distribution parameters; and
one or more computers that interact with the data store and execute instructions that cause the content distribution system to perform operations comprising:
providing, by the content distribution system and to a content item provider, a first subset of available selection criteria that includes less than all of the available selection criteria about one or more of a (i) publisher resource, (ii) user device that is requesting content from the content distribution system for presentation with the publisher resource, or (iii) user of the user device, wherein the available selection criteria comprises the first subset and a second subset of the available selection criteria comprising one or more types of selection criteria that are not included in the first subset;
receiving, from the content item provider and by the content distribution system, one or more content item indicators of one or more respective content items and, for each content item, (i) one or more sets of distribution criteria for the content item and (ii) a corresponding selection value for each set of distribution criteria;
selecting, by the content distribution system, fewer than all of a plurality of content items based at least in part on one or more respective sets of distribution criteria for each of the plurality of content items; and
in response to identifying the fewer than all of the plurality of content items, submitting the fewer than all of the plurality of content items to a content item selection process that selects one or more content items for presentation from among the fewer than all of the plurality of content items.
14. The content distribution system of claim 13 , wherein each set of distribution criteria comprises distribution criteria that is of a same type as at least one type of selection criteria of the second subset of the available selection criteria.
15. The content distribution system of claim 13 , wherein selecting fewer than all of the plurality of content items based at least in part on the one or more respective sets of distribution criteria for each of the plurality of content items comprises selecting each content item that has a respective distribution criteria that matches a corresponding selection criterion of the second subset of the available selection criteria.
16. The content distribution system of claim 13 , wherein at least one selection criterion of the second subset of the available selection criteria comprises user interest information of the user of the user device.
17. The content distribution system of claim 13 , wherein the first subset of the available selection criteria comprises at least one of (i) a resource locator for an electronic resource within which the one or more content items will be presented at the user device, (ii) keywords of the electronic resource, or (iii) a title of the electronic resource.
18. The content distribution system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of content items comprise the one or more respective content items corresponding to the one or more content item indicators received from the content item provider and content items for which distribution criteria was previously received by the content distribution system.
19. The content distribution system of claim 13 , wherein the operations comprise storing, at the content distribution system and for each of the one or more respective content items corresponding to the one or more content item indicators received from the content item provider, the one or more sets of distribution criteria for the content item and the corresponding selection value for each set of distribution criteria.
20. The content distribution system of claim 19 , wherein the operations comprise using the stored distribution criteria and selection values in subsequent content item selection processes.