System and method for enabling multi-element bidding for influencing a position on a search result list generated by a computer network search engine

A method of operating a pay for placement web site, the method comprising:

• maintaining a database searchable by a search engine, the database including a plurality of search listings, each search listing being associated with an Internet website, a search term and a bid amount, the bid amount corresponding to a money amount chargeable to a web site promoter each time the web site promoter's web site is referred by the search engine, the bid amount including at least one of a bid element amount for impression, a bid element amount for a clickthrough and a bid element amount for an action;
• at a search engine web server in data communication with the database, providing to a searcher a search list including identified search listings which relate to a request from the searcher;
• and
• at the search engine web server, positioning the identified search listings on a web page to be sent to the searcher in accordance with values of respective bid amounts for the identified search listings, the values of the respective bid amounts being calculated based on:
• bid element amounts for impressions;
• bid element amounts for clickthroughs;
• and
• bid element amounts for actions,
• wherein the value of a bid element amount for an action is calculated using the bid element amount and a probability associated with the action event, and wherein the probability is calculated using an estimated number of times the action events will occur and an estimated number of times the action events could occur within a specified time period.

A method of operating a search system, the method comprising:

• maintaining a database of search listings searchable by a search engine, each search listing being associated with a search term, a respective web site promoter and one or more bid element amounts, the one or more bid element amounts corresponding to money amounts chargeable to the respective web site promoter when a search listing is referred by the search engine;
• at a search engine web server in data communication with the database, receiving a search request from the searcher;
• identifying matching search listings in the database which generate a match with the search request;
• providing a search result list which includes search listings including the matching search listings from the database to a searcher in conjunction with a page of information, including
• ordering the identified search listings into the search result list in accordance with values of respective bid element amounts for the identified search listings, wherein the values of the respective bid amounts comprise:
• (a) a value of a bid element amount for impression;
• (b) a value of a bid element amount for clickthrough, calculated based on the bid element amount and probability of a clickthrough event;
• and
• (c) a value of a bid element amount for actions,
• wherein the probability is calculated as a ratio of an estimated number of times the clickthrough events will occur to an estimated number of times the clickthrough events could occur within a specified time period;
• subsequently, receiving at the search engine web server, none, one or more of the following:
• a retrieval request from the searcher to retrieve information associated with a selected search listing in the provided search listings, and
• one or more notifications that the searcher has performed one or more respective actions in connection with the selected search listing;
• at an account management server in data communication with the search engine web server, debiting an account of the web site promoter associated with the selected search listing as follows:
• by a bid element amount for impression when the search listing is displayed to the searcher,
• by a bid element amount for a clickthrough, when a clickthrough request was received as a notification, and
• by a bid element amount for one or more actions when notifications were received for said one or more actions.