PROVIDING CUSTOMIZED CONTENT IN KNOWLEDGE PANELS

1 . A method performed by data processing apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving input from a user device;

identifying, based on historical data describing user interactions for the user device, a topic of interest associated with a user of the user device;

identifying an entity responsive to the input;

identifying a plurality of eligible content items that are eligible for presentation in a knowledge panel that is to be presented with results responsive to the input, wherein at least one of the plurality of eligible content items is obtained from a first resource and at least one second of the plurality of eligible content items is obtained from a second resource;

ranking the eligible content items based, in part, on the topic of interest, the ranking including:

determining, based on implicit user indications identified in the historical data, an interest score that indicates a strength of the user's interest in the topic of interest relative to a strength of the user's interest in a different topic,

determining, for each eligible content item, a resource score that indicates an importance of content included in the eligible content item with respect to a resource from which the eligible content item was obtained, and

ranking the eligible content items based on the interest score and resource scores;

selecting one or more of the eligible content items based on the ranking; and

providing, to the user device, data that causes each selected eligible content item to be presented in the knowledge panel in response to the input.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying a topic of interest associated with the user of the user device comprises identifying a topic of interest that is explicitly selected by the user as a topic of interest.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein ranking the eligible content items based, in part, on the topic of interest comprises:

determining, based on explicit user indications identified in the historical data, a confidence score that indicates a confidence that the user is interested in the identified topic of interest;

and

ranking the eligible content items comprises ranking the eligible content items based on the interest score, confidence score, and resource scores.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that a proper subset of content included in a particular selected eligible content item corresponds to the topic of interest, and wherein, in response to the determination, providing data that causes each selected eligible content item to be presented in the knowledge panel includes providing data that causes the proper subset of content to be distinguished from other content included in the particular selected eligible content item when presented in the knowledge panel.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the user device, user input indicating selection of one of the content items presented in the knowledge panel, and in response:

providing, to the user device, data that causes presentation of a resource from which the selected content item was obtained.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the input is a search query.

7 . A system comprising:

a data processing apparatus; and

a data store storing instructions that, when executed by the data processing apparatus, cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving input from a user device;

identifying, based on historical data describing user interactions for the user device, a topic of interest associated with a user of the user device;

identifying an entity responsive to the input;

identifying a plurality of eligible content items that are eligible for presentation in a knowledge panel that is to be presented with results responsive to the input, wherein at least one of the plurality of eligible content items is obtained from a first resource and at least one second of the plurality of eligible content items is obtained from a second resource;

ranking the eligible content items based, in part, on the topic of interest, the ranking including:

determining, based on implicit user indications identified in the historical data, an interest score that indicates a strength of the user's interest in the topic of interest relative to a strength of the user's interest in a different topic,

determining, for each eligible content item, a resource score that indicates an importance of content included in the eligible content item with respect to a resource from which the eligible content item was obtained, and

ranking the eligible content items based on the interest score and resource scores;

selecting one or more of the eligible content items based on the ranking; and

providing, to the user device, data that causes each selected eligible content item to be presented in the knowledge panel in response to the input.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein identifying a topic of interest associated with the user of the user device comprises identifying a topic of interest that is explicitly selected by the user as a topic of interest.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein ranking the eligible content items based, in part, on the topic of interest comprises:

determining, based on explicit user indications identified in the historical data, a confidence score that indicates a confidence that the user is interested in the identified topic of interest;

and

ranking the eligible content items comprises ranking the eligible content items based on the interest score, confidence score, and resource scores.

10 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that a proper subset of content included in a particular selected eligible content item corresponds to the topic of interest, and wherein, in response to the determination, providing data that causes each selected eligible content item to be presented in the knowledge panel includes providing data that causes the proper subset of content to be distinguished from other content included in the particular selected eligible content item when presented in the knowledge panel.

11 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the user device, user input indicating selection of one of the content items presented in the knowledge panel, and in response:

providing, to the user device, data that causes presentation of a resource from which the selected content item was obtained.

12 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the input is a search query.

13 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a data processing apparatus, cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving input from a user device;

identifying, based on historical data describing user interactions for the user device, a topic of interest associated with a user of the user device;

identifying an entity responsive to the input;

identifying a plurality of eligible content items that are eligible for presentation in a knowledge panel that is to be presented with results responsive to the input, wherein at least one of the plurality of eligible content items is obtained from a first resource and at least one second of the plurality of eligible content items is obtained from a second resource;

ranking the eligible content items based, in part, on the topic of interest, the ranking including:

determining, based on implicit user indications identified in the historical data, an interest score that indicates a strength of the user's interest in the topic of interest relative to a strength of the user's interest in a different topic,

determining, for each eligible content item, a resource score that indicates an importance of content included in the eligible content item with respect to a resource from which the eligible content item was obtained, and

ranking the eligible content items based on the interest score and resource scores;

selecting one or more of the eligible content items based on the ranking; and

providing, to the user device, data that causes each selected eligible content item to be presented in the knowledge panel in response to the input.

14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein identifying a topic of interest associated with the user of the user device comprises identifying a topic of interest that is explicitly selected by the user as a topic of interest.

15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein ranking the eligible content items based, in part, on the topic of interest comprises:

determining, based on explicit user indications identified in the historical data, a confidence score that indicates a confidence that the user is interested in the identified topic of interest;

and

ranking the eligible content items comprises ranking the eligible content items based on the interest score, confidence score, and resource scores.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that a proper subset of content included in a particular selected eligible content item corresponds to the topic of interest, and wherein, in response to the determination, providing data that causes each selected eligible content item to be presented in the knowledge panel includes providing data that causes the proper subset of content to be distinguished from other content included in the particular selected eligible content item when presented in the knowledge panel.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the user device, user input indicating selection of one of the content items presented in the knowledge panel, and in response:

providing, to the user device, data that causes presentation of a resource from which the selected content item was obtained.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the input is a search query.