METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MONETIZING EDITORIAL USER-GENERATED CONTENT VIA CONVERSION INTO AFFILIATE MARKETING LINKS

摘要

Methods and systems for monetizing editorial and user-generated content via conversion into affiliate marketing links. Aspects of the disclosure, for example, are directed to methods and systems configured to enable rewriting of URLs based on a synchronized database of merchants collected from a breadth of affiliate networks. In several embodiments, for example, upon posting of a URL to a user-generated website or on clicking of a URL on such a site by a user, the server system compares the domain name of the URL against a database of merchants synchronized across multiple affiliate networks. When a merchant's domain name is found, the server system may convert the URL using a deep linking syntax outlined in the merchant database so that the URL becomes an affiliate link that leads to the original URL via the corresponding affiliate network. User clicks on this converted URL may generate affiliate commissions.

主权项

1. A computing system having a memory and a processor for monetizing editorial and user-generated content via conversion to affiliate marketing links, the computing system comprising:
a data storage component configured to store information regarding merchants and corresponding merchant affiliate programs, wherein the stored information includes, for each merchant, an indication of the status of at least one of the merchant's affiliate programs' and whether the merchant supports deep linking; a synchronization component coupled to the data storage component and configured to (a) update information regarding merchants and corresponding merchant affiliate programs, and (b) synchronize information regarding merchants and corresponding merchant affiliate programs with one or more partner affiliate networks; a uniform resource locator (URL) conversion component configured to convert a designated URL into an affiliate link in response to the designated URL being clicked on, added to a webpage, or both, and wherein the URL conversion component is further configured to convert URLs for use with merchants that support deep linking and merchants that do not support deep linking; a URL data storage component configured to store one or more details regarding the designated URL; and a URL verification component configured to verify the integrity of the converted designated URL.