Workshop On Sponsored Search Auctions
Introduction
Ann Arbor, Michigan, 11 Jun 2006, in Conjunction With The ACM Conference On Electronic Commerce (EC?06); Deadline 14 Apr.
Date: Sat, 11 Feb 2006 09:00:40 -0700
From: kasdemir@ualberta.ca
Call For Papers And Participation
Workshop On Sponsored Search Auctions
JUNE 11, 2005
Ann Arbor, Michigan
In Conjunction With The ACM Conference On Electronic Commerce (EC’06)
http://stiet.si.umich.edu/ec06/
The Second Workshop on Sponsored Search Auctions will be held in conjunction with the ACM Conference on Electronic Commerce (EC’06) in Ann Arbor, Michigan on June 11, 2006. The focus of the workshop is on mechanisms and behaviors in sponsored search. The main objective is to bring together researchers from academia and industry interested in sponsored search from theoretical, empirical, and experimental perspectives. The workshop will include presentations on accepted research contributions, panel discussions, and open discussions.
SPONSORED SEARCH
Sponsored search auctions are the basis of a dynamic industry with some established businesses (Yahoo and Google) making a significant fraction of their revenue using these mechanisms and with new entrants (Microsoft) running a pilot version of its own sponsored search auction system. Another important role in this industry is that of advertisers who use the sponsored search auctions to manage their advertising budget and make sales. Initial work on helping advertisers manage their keyword portfolio and bidding in a high number of auctions has been driven largely by commercial interest such as search engine marketing (SEM) companies. Further academic research in this area is needed.
There is a variety of interesting research topics. One important research direction has been designing auction mechanisms. Researchers have been studying the properties of existing mechanisms and proposing new designs with desirable characteristics such as efficiency and truthfulness. Another important issue in sponsored search auctions is in managing fraudulent clicks. Click fraud occurs when someone other than a potential customer clicks on an advertisement. Many advertisers are discontent with how click fraud is currently being managed and some have even filed lawsuits claiming breach of contract and negligence by the search engines. Institutional and technological solutions to this problem remain to be investigated.
WORKSHOP TOPICS AND CONTRIBUTIONS
Papers from a rich set of empirical, experimental, and theoretical perspectives are welcomed to the workshop. We solicit contributions of two types: (1) research contributions, and (2) “statements of interest.” Research contributions should report new (unpublished) research results or ongoing research. The workshop’s proceedings can be considered non-archival, meaning contributors are free to publish their results later in archival journals or conferences. Topics of the workshop include but are not limited to:
- Mechanism design
- Ranking mechanisms: By bid, by revenue, others
- Game-theoretic analysis of mechanisms, behaviors, and dynamics
- Matching algorithms: exact and inexact match
- Term clustering
- Equilibrium characterizations
- Simulations
- Laboratory experiments
- Empirical characterizations
- Advertiser signalling, collusion
- Pay for conversion, conversion tracking
- Portfolio optimization
- Search engine marketing, optimization (SEMs, SEOs)
- Local (geographic) search
- Contextual advertising (e.g., Google AdSense)
- User satisfaction/defection
- Affiliate model
- Incentive analysis
- Fraud detection and prevention
- Price time series analysis
- Personalization/targeting
- Multiattribute auctions
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Research contributions can be up to ten pages long, in double-column EC proceedings format. Statements of interest are short descriptions of why the contributor would like to attend the workshop, the contributor’s background and credentials in sponsored search, and what the contributor hopes to learn or accomplish at the workshop. Statements of interest should be no more than one or two pages long. Panel discussion proposals are also welcome. Submissions hould be emailed meek -AA@TT- microsoft.com and Kursad.Asdemir -AA@TT- ualberta.ca no later than April 14, 2006.
IMPORTANT DATES
- April 14, 2006 Submissions Due
- May 5, 2006 Notification of accepted papers
- May 20, 2006 Final copy due
PROGRAM COMMITTEE
- Kursad Asdemir, University of Alberta
- Jason Hartline, Microsoft Research
- Brendan Kitts, Microsoft
- Chris Meek, Microsoft Research
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT
Chris Meek, meek -AA@TT- microsoft.com, +1-425-703-7836
or
Kursad Asdemir, Kursad.Asdemir -AA@TT- ualberta.ca, +1-780-429-1341