Abstract: Tools and techniques are provided to help estimate the number of unique subscribers to an RSS, Atom, or other online syndicated content feed. Methods, systems, and other embodiments separate feed polling events into groups based at least partially on regularity in their times of occurrence. Grouping of polling events may also be based on client values, such as a client's IP address or user agent identification. Each located group corresponds to one likely subscriber in an estimation of the total number of subscribers to the feed. The use of occurrence times and client header values may be combined with unique URLs, cookies, and other tools to further refine readership estimates.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program for generating successive approximations of the result of a query. The query is applied to successively larger samples of the data to produce successively more accurate approximations, optionally until the exact result of the query has been computed.

Abstract: Elements on a website are associated with the business success of the website, such as determined by sales or orders. Contribution of the elements to the business success is accomplished by assignment a fraction of the success value to each element using allocation, participation, and/or allocated participation methods. Reports are generated quantifying website element usage, for example by superimposing color shadings or other visual indicia on a representation of a page of the website.

Abstract: Overlay reports showing user interaction with web plug-in content are generated. Dimensions of elements within plug-in resources are determined by moving the elements to various locations with an output region and noting changes in overall dimensions of the output region. Once dimensions have been determined, overlay reports are generated including color-coded regions depicting relative levels of interaction.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a controller for controlling a system, capable of presentation of a plurality of candidate propositions resulting in a response performance, in order to optimise an objective function of the system. The controller has a means for storing, according to candidate proposition, a representation of the response performance in actual use of respective propositions; means for assessing which candidate proposition is likely to result in the lowest expected regret after the next presentation on the basis of an understanding of the probability distribution of the response performance of all of the plurality of candidate propositions; where regret is a term used for the shortfall in response performance between always presenting a true best candidate proposition and using the candidate proposition actually presented.

Abstract: A link-tracking server receives a request for a Web page or an image and stores link-tracking information in one or more link-tracking files to create a record of link-tracking information. The link tracking files may later be accessed by a link-tracking subscriber, such as by logging onto the link-tracking server. A content provider embeds link-tracking code in each Web page where link-tracking information is desired to be captured. Such Web pages embedded with such link-tracking code are then stored in a content provider server, which then serves such tracking-enabled Web pages to users on the network. When a user requests a tracking-enabled page, the link-tracking code sends one or more requests to a link-tracking server to record link-tracking information.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for delivering content is provided, including specifying a rule having a trigger and defining a content presentation action, and receiving a search query from a user. The method further includes generating a result set in response to the search query, identifying at least one characteristic of the result set, and comparing the at least one characteristic to the trigger. If the at least one characteristic satisfies the trigger, the content is presented as specified by the content presentation action that is defined by the rule. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: Website administrators can specify page groups and/or single pages as checkpoint nodes for site analysis reporting purposes, and can configure the system of the invention to provide information as to a particular visitation path through the checkpoints. Any group of pages can be designed as a single checkpoint node for website traffic analysis and reporting purposes. Page groups can be used in place of or in addition to individual web pages in any context where site traffic analysis is being presented or performed.

Abstract: An Internet-based analysis tool follows, in real-time, the flow of traffic through a website. For every website page requested by a website visitor, the state of the visitor's browser is recorded and data relating to the path visitors take through the website is collected and studied. The state of the visitor's browser path is maintained in a traffic analysis cookie that is passed between a website file server and the visitor browser with every page requested for viewing. The cookie is maintained in a size that can be passed from server to browser and back again without negatively impacting server performance and without negatively impacting browser performance. The data in the cookie can follow the visitor browser through independent file servers, regardless of how the pages of a website might be distributed in storage.

Abstract: Objects on a web page are associated with stored records indicating historical object usage. Associations between objects and records take into account discrepancies in object identifiers resulting from authorial edits and/or differences in browser assignment of object identifiers. An object having an object identifier that differs from that of a stored record by not more than a predetermined tolerance value, and that has other indicia that match the stored record, is considered to match the stored record. Reports are generated quantifying web page object usage, for example by superimposing color shadings or other visual indicia on a representation of a web page.

Abstract: A document publishing system. Documents can be automatically linked. Links are automatically created within a document to other documents, or to locations within the same document.

Abstract: In the context of a site analysis report showing paths between nodes, a relevance slider allows a user to dynamically specify how many node-to-node connections should be shown at any given time. The user can position the slider as desired, so as to specify a threshold level. Only those node connections having a relevance level (measured, for example, as a traffic level) exceeding the specified threshold are shown. In one embodiment, lines representing node connections fade in and out as the slider is moved, so as to provide instantaneous visual feedback.

Abstract: In the context of a site analysis report showing paths between nodes, nodes are automatically positioned within the report in an intelligent manner, according to specified criteria so as to provide useful information about the represented pages. For example, the Y-axis can indicate relative depth of a page in the site, while the X-axis represents conversion rate. Alternatively, node position can represent any other quantitatively representable data, either specified as a default or selected by the user. In one embodiment, the automatic positioning can be overridden by a user, if desired.

Abstract: In the context of a site analysis report showing paths between nodes, color is used to indicate a direction of traffic that follows a particular node-to-node path. Different colors are assigned to different nodes in a site analysis report. Paths are color-coded according to their destination nodes, so as to provide a distinctive visual identification of a traffic flow direction. Node connection direction can be reinforced by static or moving arrows.

Abstract: A system compares website visitation data sets in response to receiving user input. The system includes a client for processing the input to define one or more data sets as a query to a network, which returns the requested data. The system calculates, for at least one website visitation metric, a difference between values of the website visitation metric for the data sets, and displays one or more reports. In addition, reports can be further adjusted per additional data input. The results enable users to analyze the effects of combinations of factors.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a controller for controlling a system, capable of presentation of a plurality of candidate propositions resulting in a response performance, in order to optimise an objective function of the system. The controller has a means for storing, according to candidate proposition, a representation of the response performance in actual use of respective propositions; means for assessing which candidate proposition is likely to result in the lowest expected regret after the next presentation on the basis of an understanding of the probability distribution of the response performance of all of the plurality of candidate propositions; where regret is a term used for the shortfall in response performance between always presenting a true best candidate proposition and using the candidate proposition actually presented.

Abstract: Automated integration of partner products in connection with a web analytics application is facilitated. A list of available partner products is displayed, and the user is provided with an opportunity to select one or more of the displayed partner products. A wizard is presented, allowing the user to configure the partner product by specifying and mapping metrics, dimensions, and the like. Partner product integration then takes place automatically, thereby simplifying the process by which such integrations can be implemented.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a controller for controlling a system, capable of presentation of a plurality of candidate propositions resulting in a response performance, in order to optimise an objective function of the system. The controller has a means for storing, according to candidate proposition, a representation of the response performance in actual use of respective propositions; means for assessing which candidate proposition is likely to result in the lowest expected regret after the next presentation on the basis of an understanding of the probability distribution of the response performance of all of the plurality of candidate propositions; where regret is a term used for the shortfall in response performance between always presenting a true best candidate proposition and using the candidate proposition actually presented.