Aggregating activity data for multiple users

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for aggregating task data for multiple users. In one aspect, a method includes accessing action trail data that corresponds to a task and resources related to that task, wherein each task relates to one or more related topics and is defined by a sequence of user actions corresponding to the resources related to that task; clustering the action trails based on the action trail data such that each action trail cluster corresponds to a particular task and includes the action trails corresponding to that particular task; and for each action trail cluster, ranking the resources that correspond to the included action trails according to the topics of the particular task.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method implemented by one or more processors comprising:
 receiving a search query from a user, the search query including one or more terms, and the search query being submitted via a computing device of the user   determining that the user is engaged in a given task, the given task being associated with at least a first topic and a second topic;   determining, based on one or more of the terms of the search query, that the search query is associated with the first topic of the given task; and   in response to determining that the given user is engaged in the given task and in response to determining that the search query is associated with the first topic of the given task:
 causing a plurality of resources to be provided for presentation to the user via the computing device of the user, the plurality of resources including:
 (i) one or more query-relevant resources that are responsive to the search query and that are associated with the first topic of the given task, and 
 (ii) one or more additional resources that are associated with the second topic of the given task. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the user is engaged in the given task is based on a semantic analysis of a web history of the user that indicates the user previously submitted one or more previous queries related to at least the first topic or the second topic. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein determining that the user is engaged in the given task is further based on a temporal analysis of the web history of the user that indicates the user previously submitted one or more of the previous queries related to at least the first topic or the second topic during a same search session or during a previous search session. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating a prompt that requests explicit user feedback indicating that the user is engaged in the given task; and   receiving the explicit user feedback indicating that the user is engaged in the given task,   wherein determining that the user is engaged in the given task is based on the explicit user feedback.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the user is engaged in the given task is based on a temporal analysis of a web history of the user that indicates the user previously submitted one or more previous queries related to at least the first topic or the second topic during a same search session or during a previous search session. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the given task comprises trip planning task associated with planning a trip to a particular destination. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first topic is one of: flights to the particular destination, hotels at the particular destination, immunizations required to travel to the particular destination, or activities associated with the particular destination. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the second topic is another one of: flights to the particular destination, hotels at the particular destination, immunizations required to travel to the particular destination, or activities associated with the particular destination. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein causing the plurality of resources to be provided for presentation to the user via the computing device of the user comprises:
 generating a topic environment display that includes at least a first reference label for the first topic and a separate, second reference label for the second topic; and   causing the topic environment display to be provided for presentation to the user via the computing device of the user.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the topic environment display includes at least a first portion associated with the first topic and a second portion associated with the second topic,   wherein the first portion of the topic environment display includes the first reference label for the first topic and the one or more query-relevant resources that are responsive to the search query and that are associated with the first topic of the given task, and   wherein the second portion of the topic environment display includes the second reference label for the second topic and the one or more additional resources that are associated with the second topic of the given task.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more additional resources that are associated with the second topic of the given task include at least a top ranked resource for the second topic of the given task. 
     
     
         12 . A system comprising:
 at least one processor; and   memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:
 receive a search query from a user, the search query including one or more terms, and the search query being submitted via a computing device of the user 
 determine that the user is engaged in a given task, the given task being associated with at least a first topic and a second topic; 
 determine, based on one or more of the terms of the search query, that the search query is associated with the first topic of the given task; and 
 in response to determining that the given user is engaged in the given task and in response to determining that the search query is associated with the first topic of the given task:
 cause a plurality of resources to be provided for presentation to the user via the computing device of the user, the plurality of resources including:
 (i) one or more query-relevant resources that are responsive to the search query and that are associated with the first topic of the given task, and 
 (ii) one or more additional resources that are associated with the second topic of the given task. 
 
 
   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein determining that the user is engaged in the given task is based on a semantic analysis of a web history of the user that indicates the user previously submitted one or more previous queries related to at least the first topic or the second topic. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein determining that the user is engaged in the given task is further based on a temporal analysis of the web history of the user that indicates the user previously submitted one or more of the previous queries related to at least the first topic or the second topic during a same search session or during a previous search session. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
 generate a prompt that requests explicit user feedback indicating that the user is engaged in the given task; and   receive the explicit user feedback indicating that the user is engaged in the given task,   wherein determining that the user is engaged in the given task is based on the explicit user feedback.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein determining that the user is engaged in the given task is based on a temporal analysis of a web history of the user that indicates the user previously submitted one or more previous queries related to at least the first topic or the second topic during a same search session or during a previous search session. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the given task comprises trip planning task associated with planning a trip to a particular destination,   wherein the first topic is one of: flights to the particular destination, hotels at the particular destination, immunizations required to travel to the particular destination, or activities associated with the particular destination, and   wherein the second topic is another one of: flights to the particular destination, hotels at the particular destination, immunizations required to travel to the particular destination, or activities associated with the particular destination.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions to cause the plurality of resources to be provided for presentation to the user via the computing device of the user comprise instructions to:
 generate a topic environment display that includes at least a first reference label for the first topic and a separate, second reference label for the second topic; and   cause the topic environment display to be provided for presentation to the user via the computing device of the user.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the topic environment display includes at least a first portion associated with the first topic and a second portion associated with the second topic,   wherein the first portion of the topic environment display includes the first reference label for the first topic and the one or more query-relevant resources that are responsive to the search query and that are associated with the first topic of the given task, and   wherein the second portion of the topic environment display includes the second reference label for the second topic and the one or more additional resources that are associated with the second topic of the given task.   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 receiving a search query from a user, the search query including one or more terms, and the search query being submitted via a computing device of the user   determining that the user is engaged in a given task, the given task being associated with at least a first topic and a second topic;   determining, based on one or more of the terms of the search query, that the search query is associated with the first topic of the given task; and   in response to determining that the given user is engaged in the given task and in response to determining that the search query is associated with the first topic of the given task:
 causing a plurality of resources to be provided for presentation to the user via the computing device of the user, the plurality of resources including:
 (i) one or more query-relevant resources that are responsive to the search query and that are associated with the first topic of the given task, and 
 (ii) one or more additional resources that are associated with the second topic of the given task.