Enhanced push messaging

1. A method of push messaging comprising:

receiving, by one or more servers and from a user device of a user, a request to subscribe to a push messaging service of a particular subscription list, with the one or more servers storing lists of phone numbers for respective subscription lists;

selecting, by the one or more servers and in response to receiving the request, a given phone number from a list of phone numbers for the particular subscription list, wherein the given phone number differs from a phone number of the user device;

transmitting, to the user device and in response to receiving the request, a first message that presents visual information at the user device and includes the given phone number used to confirm the request to subscribe to the push messaging service of the particular subscription list;

receiving, by the one or more servers, a notification transmitted, by the user device, to the given phone number that is provided to the user device by the one or more servers and that differs from the phone number of the user device, with the notification specifying that the user device communicated a confirmation to receive messages from the particular subscription list;

selecting, by the one or more servers, an additional message that presents additional visual information at the user device based, at least in part, on receipt of the notification transmitted to the given phone number by the user device; and

transmitting the additional message to the user device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving a request to subscribe to a push messaging service comprises receiving a data packet including data representing user interaction with a subscribe user interface element that is presented in an online search results page and including context data of the user device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein receiving a data packet including one or more context data includes receiving a data packet specifying a search query that was used to generate the online search results page prior to the user interaction with the subscribe user interface element.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the notification includes receiving a second message confirming the request to subscribe to the push messaging service, wherein the second message includes a mobile phone number of the user device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining distribution criteria specifying conditions to be met in order for one or more push messages to be distributed to user devices, wherein the distribution criteria includes one or more of geolocation data of the user devices, a time of day, or user interaction with electronic documents associated with a subscription list;

determining that the distribution criteria are met based on context data of the user device;

requesting third-party content from a third-party content distribution system to include in the additional message;

receiving the third-party content from the third-party content distribution system to include in the additional message; and

distributing, using the phone number of the user device, the additional message to the user device based on the determination that the distribution criteria are met.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

determining that the user device will receive the additional message, the determination being made based on user control information including at least one of limiting a number of additional messages transmitted to the user device or times when the user device allows messages to be transmitted to the user device by the one or more servers.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising indexing context data related to the user with the given phone number, including indexing at least one of a mobile phone number of the user device, a search query submitted by the user, a time of day at which the search query was submitted, or a geolocation of the user device according to the given phone number.

8. A computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by a data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a user device of a user, a request to subscribe to a push messaging service of a particular subscription list, with the data processing apparatus storing lists of phone numbers for respective subscription lists;

selecting, in response to receiving the request, a given phone number from a list of phone numbers for the particular subscription list, wherein the given phone number differs from a phone number of the user device;

transmitting, to the user device and in response to receiving the request, a first message that presents visual information at the user device and includes the given phone number used to confirm the request to subscribe to the push messaging service of the particular subscription list;

receiving a notification transmitted, by the user device, to the given phone number that is provided to the user device by the data processing apparatus and that differs from the phone number of the user device, with the notification specifying that the user device communicated a confirmation to receive messages from the particular subscription list;

selecting an additional message that presents additional visual information at the user device based, at least in part, on receipt of the notification transmitted to the given phone number by the user device; and

transmitting the additional message to the user device.

9. The computer storage medium of claim 8 , wherein receiving a request to subscribe to a push messaging service comprises receiving a data packet including data representing user interaction with a subscribe user interface element that is presented in an online search results page and including context data of the user device.

10. The computer storage medium of claim 9 , wherein receiving a data packet including one or more context data includes receiving a data packet specifying a search query that was used to generate the online search results page prior to the user interaction with the subscribe user interface element.

11. The computer storage medium of claim 8 , wherein receiving the notification includes receiving a second message confirming the request to subscribe to the push messaging service, wherein the second message includes a mobile phone number of the user device.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 8 , further comprising:

obtaining distribution criteria specifying conditions to be met in order for one or more push messages to be distributed to user devices, wherein the distribution criteria includes one or more of geolocation data of the user devices, a time of day, or user interaction with electronic documents associated with a subscription list;

determining that the distribution criteria are met based on context data of the user device;

requesting third-party content from a third-party content distribution system to include in the additional message;

receiving the third-party content from the third-party content distribution system to include in the additional message; and

distributing, using the phone number of the user device, the additional message to the user device based on the determination that the distribution criteria are met.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining that the user device will receive the additional message, the determination being made based on user control information including at least one of limiting a number of additional messages transmitted to the user device or times when the user device allows messages to be transmitted to the user device by the data processing apparatus.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 8 , further comprising indexing context data related to the user with the given phone number, including indexing at least one of a mobile phone number of the user device, a search query submitted by the user, a time of day at which the search query was submitted, or a geolocation of the user device according to the given phone number.

15. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor and having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a user device of a user, a request to subscribe to a push messaging service of a particular subscription list, with the system storing lists of phone numbers for respective subscription lists;

selecting, in response to receiving the request, a given phone number from a list of phone numbers for the particular subscription list, wherein the given phone number differs from a phone number of the user device;

transmitting, to the user device and in response to receiving the request, a first message that presents visual information at the user device and includes the given phone number used to confirm the request to subscribe to the push messaging service of the particular subscription list;

receiving, a notification transmitted to the given phone number that is provided to the user device by the system and that differs from the phone number of the user device, with the notification specifying that the user device communicated a confirmation to receive messages from the particular subscription list;

selecting an additional message that presents additional visual information at the user device based, at least in part, on receipt of the notification transmitted to the given phone number by the user device; and

transmitting the additional message to the user device.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein receiving a request to subscribe to a push messaging service comprises receiving a data packet including data representing user interaction with a subscribe user interface element that is presented in an online search results page and including context data of the user device.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein receiving a data packet including one or more context data includes receiving a data packet specifying a search query that was used to generate the online search results page prior to the user interaction with the subscribe user interface element.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein receiving the notification includes receiving a second message confirming the request to subscribe to the push messaging service, wherein the second message includes a mobile phone number of the user device.

19. The system of claim 15 , comprising:

obtaining distribution criteria specifying conditions to be met in order for one or more push messages to be distributed to user devices, wherein the distribution criteria includes one or more of geolocation data of the user devices, a time of day, or user interaction with electronic documents associated with a subscription list;

determining that the distribution criteria are met based on context data of the user device;

requesting third-party content from a third-party content distribution system to include in the additional message;

receiving the third-party content from the third-party content distribution system to include in the additional message; and

distributing, using the phone number of the user device, the additional message to the user device based on the determination that the distribution criteria are met.

20. The system of claim 19 , further comprising:

determining that the user device will receive the additional message, the determination being made based on user control information including at least one of limiting a number of additional messages transmitted to the user device or times when the user device allows messages to be transmitted to the user device by the system.