Abstract: Methods sad 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 m 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 cart 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 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 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: Methods and apparatuses to facilitate connections between peoples for real time communications. In one embodiment, a method includes: identifying an entity based at least in part on relevancy to a content of a document to be presented to a user; and for presentation to the user adding a communication reference separately from the content used to identify the entity; where the communication reference has been assigned to the entity and the communication reference can be used to request a connection for real time communications with the entity.

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: 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 provide access to advertisement database through an application programming interface. One embodiment includes receiving a request according to an application program interface over a network connection; and in response to the request, providing at least a portion of an advertisement according to the application programming interface. The advertisement is designed to generate communication leads for a party; and the party is to be charged for the advertisement according to a count of communication leads generated for the party via 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: 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: 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: Methods and apparatuses to provide services to people who wish to make connections for real time communication, such as live telephone conversation, chat, video conferencing, etc. In one embodiment, a method includes: presenting to a communicatee a plurality of requests for real time communication connections to the communicatee, the requests being received from a plurality of communicators; prioritizing the requests according to an input from the communicatee; and establishing a real time communication connection to the communicatee according to the prioritizing of the requests.

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 systems for converting a call generated from an advertisement. One embodiment includes: establishing a real time communication connection between a first entity and a second entity via a communication reference embedded in an advertisement that is presented on behalf of the second entity; billing the second entity for the advertisement in response to the communication connection being established via the communication reference; monitoring the communication connection between the first entity and the second entity to detect a pre-defined indication; and charging the first entity, on behalf of the second entity, for communications with the second entity over the communication connection in response to a detected occurrence of the pre-defined indication.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to present information to sellers/advertisers/advisors for connections to customers for real time communications. One embodiment includes: responsive to a request from a customer, determining a telephonic reference of the customer; presenting to at least one entity an option to be connected to the customer; responsive to a first entity selecting the option, initiating a telephonic connection to the customer using the determined telephonic reference of the customer to provide a telephonic connection between the customer and the first entity; and charging the first entity a fee for a lead to the customer in response to establishing the telephonic connection between the customer and the first entity.

Abstract: Methods and systems to facilitate real time communications via a telephonic apparatuses that support data communications. In one embodiment, a telephonic apparatus includes: a network interface to submit a query over a data communication network and to receive a listing with embedded information about the query; and a call module coupled to the network interface, the call module to embed the information about the query in a call signaling message for a telephonic connection according to the listing.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for advertising where the advertisement performance is determined via tracking the deals made as a result of communication leads generated from the advertisements. One embodiment includes: providing an advertisement containing a communication reference to a customer on behalf of a party; providing a connection via the reference for real time communications between the customer and the party; and charging an advertisement fee in response to an action of a predetermined type being performed by the customer (or an agreement between the customer and the party being reached) as a result of the real time communications.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to provide services to people who wish to make connections for real time communication, such as live telephone conversation, chat, video conferencing, etc. In one embodiment, a method includes: providing a seller with a code to be embedded in a document, the document to be distributed by the seller, the code to generate a display of a call button when the document is displayed; in response to a selection of the call button, initiating a process to make a telephonic connection between the seller and a buyer; and charging the buyer on behalf of the seller for a service delivered by the seller over the telephonic connection to the buyer.

Abstract: Systems and methods to provide advertisements based on the content of documents in which the advertisements are presented. One embodiment includes: a web server to receive a request for an advertisement in reference to a document provided to a user by a content provider; a backend server to identify the advertisement based on relevancy of the advertisement to the content of the document and to associate a communication reference with the advertisement and the content provider, the web server to provide the advertisement and the reference for inclusion in the document; and a telecommunication server coupled to a session border controller and the backend server to receive a connection request via the reference, to determine contact information of the advertiser and identify the content provider based on the reference, and to establish the connection between the user and the advertiser using the determined contact information.

Abstract: Systems and methods to selectively block calls from reaching destinations based on an input received from a callback connection. One embodiment includes a web server to receive a selection of an advertisement from an customer and to obtain a communication reference from the customer in response to the selection; a session border controller to interface with a packet switched network; and one or more telecommunication servers coupled to the session border controller and the web server, the one or more telecommunication servers to establish a connection for real time communications using the communication reference, to initiate a connection for real time communications with an advertiser of the advertisement after receiving an indication of acceptance of the connection established using the communication reference; where the advertiser is charged an advertisement fee in response to establishing a connection for real time communications between the advertiser and the customer.

Abstract: Methods and systems to facilitate real time communications and/or commerce via a social network. In one embodiment, communication references are provided to facilitate the requests for real time communications with a member of the social network via a connection provider, which performs scheduling, filtering, payment processing, etc. for the member of the social network. In one embodiment, a method includes, responsive to a request from a first member of a social network, determining a preference of a second member of the social network based at least in part on a characteristic of a social connection between the first and second members who are not socially directly connected in the social network; and facilitating real time communications between the first and second members in accordance with the preference. In one embodiment, the presentation of the advertisement or the advertiser is at least partially based on the social network.