Proximic

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Instead of the keyword, semantic, or statistical approaches to providing contextually relevant ads that most of its competitors take, Proximic uses proximity analysis.

Proximic’s algorithm translates each body of text into a pattern of characters that then becomes represented by a mathematical vector. Matches are done through traditional vector analysis.

Using this method, Proximic can also create matches between product listings and Web pages, thus opening up what is now an inventory of product search results to the world of contextual advertising. This approach, the company says, offers more targeted, relevant results, helping publishers see higher click-through rates than they would using traditional methods, like Google’s AdSense.

In January 2008, Proximic signed deals to syndicate product listings from both eBay’s Shopping.com and Yahoo’s Shopping Network as contextual ads on other Websites. The deal increased Proximic’s advertising repository to over 50 million items.