Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to track keywords used for matching advertisements that provide references to make calls for real time communications. One embodiment includes: selecting an advertisement based on a condition; providing a reference for presentation with the advertisement, to identify the condition and the advertisement; and charging an advertisement fee in response to a call via the reference for a real time communication session.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to select tracking mechanisms for the performance determination of advertisements. One embodiment includes: selecting one reference type from a plurality of reference types; and determining a reference of the selected type, the reference to be embedded in an advertisement to count communication leads generated from the advertisement. In one embodiment, the advertisement is to be charged according to a performance measure based on communication leads generated from the advertisement. For example, a price for the advertisement can be specified by a party for which the advertisement is to be presented. For example, the advertisement can be charged in response to a voice communication responding to the advertisement. In one embodiment, the plurality of reference types correspond to different mechanisms to track communication leads generated from the advertisement.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to connect telephone calls and track information about the telephone calls resulting from advertisements for groups of advertisers. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving a telephone call at a second telephone number from a caller; connecting the telephone call to a first telephone number of a first entity who provides a price bid for a phone lead to be directed to the first telephone number of the first entity; where the first entity is to be billed for the telephone call connected to the first telephone number according to the price bid in response to a determination that the telephone is not a repeated telephone call from the caller to the first entity within a time period.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to selectively prompt customers in connecting the customers to advertisers via communication references provided advertisements. One embodiment includes: establishing a communication connection with a customer, the connection being initiated by the customer using a communication reference provided in an advertisement; determining a prompt to the customer to identify an advertiser of the advertisement, based at least in part on the communication reference; and connecting the communication connection to the advertiser.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention provides a method. The method includes assigning a unique telephone number to an advertiser; providing an advertisement on a media channel on behalf of the advertiser, the advertisement including one of the unique telephone number and a reference to the unique telephone number; monitoring telephone calls to the unique telephone number; and billing the advertiser for telephone calls to the unique telephone number in accordance with a predefined model.

Abstract: Systems and methods to provide a reference for communication with a business is disclosed here. One embodiment includes providing a reference for real-time communication with a business to be placed in a representation of a geographical region at a location within the representation corresponding to a location of the business, tracking usage of the reference, and billing the business for providing the reference for real-time communication based on quantitative usage of the reference.

Abstract: Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) terminals with integrated user interface for accessing and/or managing advertisements that provide telephonic contact information. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving a user input in a user interface of a VoIP telephonic apparatus to specify one or more search terms; submitting the one or more search terms from the telephonic apparatus to a server; receiving one or more advertisements containing one or more references to telephonic contact information as a result of a search performed using the one or more search terms; displaying the one or more advertisements in the user interface of the VoIP telephonic apparatus; receiving a user indication in the user interface of the VoIP telephonic apparatus to call an advertiser of the one or more advertisements; and initiating a telephonic call to the advertiser according to the one or more advertisements using the VoIP telephonic apparatus.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for sorting seller listings or advertisements of a seller network. One embodiment includes: determining an indicator of potential revenue that is expected to be generated from presentation of advertisements, based on statistical data indicating performance of the advertisements; and presenting one or more of the advertisements based at least partially on the indicator of potential revenue.

Abstract: Systems and methods to facilitate the management of multiple pay for performance advertisements. In one embodiment, a method includes: generating a user interface to show a plurality of advertisements simultaneously and to allow editing of any of the plurality of advertisements; and updating an advertisement database according to input received in the user interface. In one embodiment, the each advertisement of the plurality of advertisements is charged for according to a price bid in response to a communication lead generated from the advertisement. In one embodiment, the plurality of advertisements are selected from advertisements of more than one user.

Abstract: Systems and methods to determine prices for communication leads generated from pay for performance advertisements. In one embodiment, a method includes: providing an advertisement with a reference to customers on behalf of a specific party; facilitating communications between the party and a customer via the reference; and charging the party according to a price bid specified by the party in response to a lead to communications between the party and the customer facilitated via the reference. In one embodiment, a fee for the communication leads is determined according to the price bid specified by the party for the advertisement and at least one predetermined rule, which may be based on the geographic area of the advertisement, the categories of the advertisement, the price bids of a selected set of advertisements, and/or the query that causes the advertisement to be presented.

Abstract: Methods and systems to schedule delivery of advertisements. In one embodiment, an indication of one or more periods of time during which the advertiser is callable to receive real time communications generated from advertising is received. Delivery of an advertisement for the advertiser is then managed according to the indication of one or more periods of time.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to present advertisements which provide references to request real time communication connections. One embodiment includes presenting an advertisement including information usable to request a real time communication connection to a predetermined advertiser, which is to be charged a fee for the advertisement responsive to the real time communication connection established to the advertiser using the information.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to connect telephone calls and track information about the telephone calls resulting from advertisements on mobile/wireless media channels. In one embodiment, a method includes: assigning a telephone number to an advertiser, one of the telephone number and a reference to the telephone number to be included in an advertisement provided to an end user via a wireless media; and, monitoring telephone connections to the telephone number to bill the advertiser for the advertisement in response to each telephone connection to the telephone number. In one embodiment, a method includes: a first party providing an advertisement to a mobile device on behalf of an advertiser, the advertisement to include at least a reference to a telephonic connection with the advertiser; and, the first party collecting a fee from the advertiser in response to a telephonic connection being established between the advertiser and customer.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention provides a method. The method includes assigning a unique telephone number to an advertiser; providing an advertisement on a media channel on behalf of the advertiser, the advertisement including one of the unique telephone number and a reference to the unique telephone number; monitoring telephone calls to the unique telephone number; and billing the advertiser for telephone calls to the unique telephone number in accordance with a predefined model.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for sorting seller listings or advertisements of a seller network. In one embodiment, a method includes: determining an indicator of potential revenue for a first party from price information of a list of entities, wherein revenue generated according to the price information of at least some of the list of entities is to be split among a plurality of parties; and, sorting the list of entities into a first list based at least partially on the indicator of potential revenue.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to connect consumers to diverse advice sources of experts. In one embodiment, a method includes: providing a list of experts to a mobile device via a wireless media channel for presentation to a consumer; responsive to receiving from the mobile device a selection of one expert from the list of experts, initiating a telephonic connection between the expert and the consumer prior to the consumer submitting a question for advice. In one example, the list includes information to indicate whether one or more of the experts are individually available to telephonically communicate with the consumer at a time when the list is provided to the consumer. In one example, initiating the telephonic connection includes: initiating a first call to the consumer; initiating a second call to the expert; and joining the first and second calls to make the telephonic connection between the expert and the consumer.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for merging different types of pay for performance advertisements. In one embodiment, a method includes: determining an indicator of potential revenue for a party from price information of a list of entities, which includes first price information for a first type of advertisements and second price information for a second type of advertisements; and sorting the list of entities based at least partially on the indicator of potential revenue. In one embodiment, a method includes: converting price information for an advertisement of a first type to equivalent price information for a second type of advertisements. In one embodiment, a method includes: determining automatically, based on a call bid amount for a pay per call advertisement, a click bid amount for a pay per click advertisement to provide a phone number of the pay per call advertisement.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention provides a method. The method includes dynamically allocating a telephone number to an advertisement on a just-in-time basis; and if the telephone number is not called for a predefined period of time then unallocating the telephone number.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to connect telephone calls and track information about the telephone calls for geographic area based advertisements. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving an indication of a target geographic area of an advertisement for an advertiser having a telephone number, the advertisement including one of: a telephone number assigned to the advertiser and a reference to the telephone number assigned to the advertiser; and providing the advertisement for delivery to users of interest in the target geographic area, the advertiser billed for the advertisement based on telephonic connections made to the telephone number of the advertiser through the telephone number assigned to the advertiser.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to connect telephone calls and track information about the telephone calls resulting from advertisements for groups of advertisers. In one embodiment, a method includes: determining a geographic area after receiving a telephone call to a first telephone number publicized in an advertisement; determining a telephone number of a first advertiser; and connecting the telephone call to the telephone number of the first advertiser, the first advertiser billed for the advertisement based on telephonic connections made to connect the first advertiser and telephone calls to the first telephone number.