Ad Conversion Tracking via Proximity Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for measuring the effectiveness of online advertisements are unreliable due to limited user recall and low response rates from polls, which limits the accuracy of advertising metrics.
Innovation Solution
An online system identifies conversions by tracking user proximity to physical locations associated with advertisements using GPS coordinates and encrypts location and user information to protect privacy, allowing for more accurate assessment of advertisement effectiveness through comparison with holdout groups.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If polling potential customers is used to measure advertisement effectiveness, then user feedback can be obtained, but the reliability of information is low due to limited user recall and low response rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical polling system with an automated electronic tracking system. Instead of manually polling users about their recall of advertisements, the system automatically tracks user device locations via GPS coordinates and determines proximity to physical locations associated with advertisements, thereby eliminating reliance on user memory and manual response.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service measurement by automatically collecting and processing location data from user devices without requiring active user participation or response. The tracking occurs passively in the background, and conversions are automatically identified when devices enter designated geographic zones, eliminating the need for user engagement in the measurement process.
2Measurement precision
If user location information is tracked to identify conversions, then advertisement effectiveness can be accurately measured, but user privacy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary location data (GPS coordinates) required for conversion tracking while discarding or not storing personally identifiable information. The system processes location information to determine proximity to advertisement-associated physical locations without retaining detailed user identity data, thereby minimizing privacy exposure while maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system acts as an intermediary by processing location data through an automated system rather than directly exposing user information to advertisers or third parties. The online system mediates between the user's device location data and the advertisement effectiveness measurement, transforming raw location information into anonymized conversion metrics that protect user privacy while enabling accurate tracking.
Data Source
AI summary
An online system identifies a conversion of an advertisement when a client device associated with an online system user is within a threshold distance of a physical location associated with the advertisement. The client device sends obfuscated information identifying the user associated with the client device and the location of the client device to an independent third party when the client device is within a threshold distance of the physical location associated with the advertisement. Using information from the client device, the third party requests information from the online system identifying one or more groups including the user. Based on information identifying groups including various online system users, the third party generates information identifying conversions associated with different groups. The online system may determine effectiveness of various advertisements using the information from the third party identifying conversions associated with different groups.