Graph-based search queries using web content metadata

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for generating search query metadata for a graph search query for use in selecting web pages relevant to the graph search query. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a graph search query specifying user-selected graph search elements; generating graph search query metadata representing the graph search elements of the graph search query and relationships of the graph search elements; comparing the graph search query metadata to content metadata sets, wherein each content metadata set represents content elements of a content item presented on a respective web resource and relationships of the content elements; determining similarity scores between the content metadata sets and the graph search query metadata based on the comparison; and selecting web resources on which the content items are presented based on the similarity scores of the respective content metadata sets.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method performed by data apparatus, the method comprising:
 presenting, at a user interface of a client device, a subset of graph search elements selected from a set of graph search elements and a user interface tool that allows a user of the client device to select graph search elements to generate a graph search query, the subset of graph search elements including at least one graph node and at least one connector;   detecting, at the user interface, an arrangement of a plurality of graph nodes of the subset of graph search elements and one or more graph edges of the subset of graph search elements, the plurality of graph nodes and the one or more connectors being arranged within the user interface by a user using the user interface tool, each of the one or more connectors representing a relationship between two or more graph nodes arranged in the user interface;   generating, by the client device and based on the arrangement of the plurality of graph nodes and the one or more connectors, search query metadata representing a search query defined by the arrangement of the plurality of graph nodes and the one or more connectors;   transmitting, by the client device, the search query metadata to a search engine; and   presenting, at the client device, one or more search results selected by the search engine based on the search query metadata.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein detecting the arrangement of the plurality of graph nodes and the one or more connectors comprises:
 detecting, at the user interface, a selection of each of the plurality of graph nodes from the subset of graph search elements;   receiving, at the user interface, an attribute for each selected graph node; and   detecting, at the user interface, a placement of a connector between one or more pairs of selected graph nodes.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein detecting the arrangement of the plurality of graph nodes and the one or more connectors comprises detecting a weight associated with at least one graph node or at least one connector, wherein the weight is used by the search engine to select the one or more search results. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the search engine selects the one or more search results by:
 comparing the graph search metadata to content metadata sets, wherein each content metadata set represents content elements of a content item presented on a respective web resource and relationships of the content elements;   determining similarity scores between the content metadata sets and the graph search query metadata based on the comparison; and   selecting one or more web resources for representation by the one or more search results based on the similarity scores.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising receiving category data specifying a subject matter category of the search query, wherein the subset of graph search elements are selected from the set of graph search elements based on the received category data. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein each graph node represents an airport and a connector that connects two graph nodes represents a flight between airports represented by the two graph nodes. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein detecting the arrangement of the plurality of graph nodes and the one or more connectors comprises detecting a price attribute for each connector, the price attribute representing a maximum price the user is willing to pay for a flight between two airports represented by graph nodes connected by the connector. 
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 a data processing apparatus; and   a computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising data processing apparatus instructions that when executed by the data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
 presenting, at a user interface of a client device, a subset of graph search elements selected from a set of graph search elements and a user interface tool that allows a user of the client device to select graph search elements to generate a graph search query, the subset of graph search elements including at least one graph node and at least one connector; 
 detecting, at the user interface, an arrangement of a plurality of graph nodes of the subset of graph search elements and one or more connectors of the subset of graph search elements, the plurality of graph nodes and the one or more connectors being arranged within the user interface by a user using the user interface tool, each of the one or more connectors representing a relationship between two or more graph nodes arranged in the user interface; 
 generating, by the client device and based on the arrangement of the plurality of graph nodes and the one or more connectors, search query metadata representing a search query defined by the arrangement of the plurality of graph nodes and the one or more connectors; 
 transmitting, by the client device, the search query metadata to a search engine; and 
 presenting, at the client device, one or more search results selected by the search engine based on the search query metadata. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein detecting the arrangement of the plurality of graph nodes and the one or more connectors comprises:
 detecting, at the user interface, a selection of each of the plurality of graph nodes from the subset of graph search elements;   receiving, at the user interface, an attribute for each selected graph node; and   detecting, at the user interface, a placement of a connector between one or more pairs of selected graph nodes.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein detecting the arrangement of the plurality of graph nodes and the one or more connectors comprises detecting a weight associated with at least one graph node or at least one connector, wherein the weight is used by the search engine to select the one or more search results. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the search engine selects the one or more search results by:
 comparing the graph search metadata to content metadata sets, wherein each content metadata set represents content elements of a content item presented on a respective web resource and relationships of the content elements;   determining similarity scores between the content metadata sets and the graph search query metadata based on the comparison; and   selecting one or more web resources for representation by the one or more search results based on the similarity scores.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving category data specifying a subject matter category of the search query, wherein the subset of graph search elements are selected from the set of graph search elements based on the received category data. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein each graph node represents an airport and a connector that connects two graph nodes represents a flight between airports represented by the two graph nodes. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein detecting the arrangement of the plurality of graph nodes and the one or more connectors comprises detecting a price attribute for each connector, the price attribute representing a maximum price the user is willing to pay for a flight between two airports represented by graph nodes connected by the connector. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by one or more data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
 presenting, at a user interface of a client device, a subset of graph search elements selected from a set of graph search elements and a user interface tool that allows a user of the client device to select graph search elements to generate a graph search query, the subset of graph search elements including at least one graph node and at least one connector;   detecting, at the user interface, an arrangement of a plurality of graph nodes of the subset of graph search elements and one or more connectors of the subset of graph search elements, the plurality of graph nodes and the one or more connectors being arranged within the user interface by a user using the user interface tool, each of the one or more connectors representing a relationship between two or more graph nodes arranged in the user interface;   generating, by the client device and based on the arrangement of the plurality of graph nodes and the one or more connectors, search query metadata representing a search query defined by the arrangement of the plurality of graph nodes and the one or more connectors;   transmitting, by the client device, the search query metadata to a search engine; and   presenting, at the client device, one or more search results selected by the search engine based on the search query metadata.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein detecting the arrangement of the plurality of graph nodes and the one or more connectors comprises:
 detecting, at the user interface, a selection of each of the plurality of graph nodes from the subset of graph search elements;   receiving, at the user interface, an attribute for each selected graph node; and   detecting, at the user interface, a placement of a connector between one or more pairs of selected graph nodes.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein detecting the arrangement of the plurality of graph nodes and the one or more connectors comprises detecting a weight associated with at least one graph node or at least one connector, wherein the weight is used by the search engine to select the one or more search results. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the search engine selects the one or more search results by:
 comparing the graph search metadata to content metadata sets, wherein each content metadata set represents content elements of a content item presented on a respective web resource and relationships of the content elements;   determining similarity scores between the content metadata sets and the graph search query metadata based on the comparison; and   selecting one or more web resources for representation by the one or more search results based on the similarity scores.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving category data specifying a subject matter category of the search query, wherein the subset of graph search elements are selected from the set of graph search elements based on the received category data. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein each graph node represents an airport and a connector that connects two graph nodes represents a flight between airports represented by the two graph nodes.