Method of recommending content via social signals

Abstract

A method for recommending content via social signals is provided. Two different content sets having content objects that have content-identifying information are received from separate content providers. Social graph information is received from a service provider. A portion of the first content set and a portion of the second content set are aggregated based at least in part on the social graph information, thereby generating a third content set.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a system that comprises one or more processors, information about a plurality of content items;   wherein the plurality of content items include content items available from a plurality of distinct content providers;   receiving, at the system, social graph information from a first social network service provider;   wherein the social graph information includes information about a social graph of a particular user;   based, at least in part, on which content items, of the plurality of content items, match social signals in the social graph of the particular user, the system selecting a particular set of content items from the plurality of content items; and   sending, from the system to a client computing device that is associated with the particular user, data that is based on the particular set of content items;   wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein sending data that is based on the particular set of content items includes sending search results, based on the particular set of content items, for a search query submitted by the particular user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein sending data that is based on the particular set of content items includes sending a personalized page that is based on the particular set of content items. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 social signals in the social graph of the particular user indicate that a particular content item is popular among friends of the particular user, and 
 the particular content item is selected for inclusion in the particular set of content items. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the social signals indicate at least one of:
 a friend of the particular user posted a link to the particular content item; 
 a friend of the particular user commented on the particular content item; or 
 a friend of the particular user liked the particular content item. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the social signals indicate that a friend of a friend of the particular user took a particular action relative to the particular content item. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the system selects the particular set of content items from the plurality of content items based, at least in part, on which content items, of the plurality of content items, match social signals in social graphs obtained from a plurality of distinct social network service providers. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 the method further comprises, before the step of receiving social graph information from the first social network service provider:
 the system sending, to the first social network service provider, metadata for the plurality of content items; and 
 
 the social graph information received by the system from the first social network service provider has been filtered by the first social network service provider based on the metadata. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the system determining that, for first and second content items of the particular set of content items, the first content item should be presented at the client computing device at a higher ranking than the second content item based at least in part on a first social signal being associated with the first content item. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the first social signal comprises data that indicates one or more of: (a) generating the first content item; (b) recommending the first content item; (c) flagging the first content item; (d) reviewing the first content item; (e) viewing the first content item; (f) posting a link to the first content item; and (g) posting content that is related to the first content item. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of content items include content items that represent news stories. 
     
     
         12 . One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform:
 receiving, at a system the includes the one or more processors, information about a plurality of content items;   wherein the plurality of content items include content items available from a plurality of distinct content providers;   receiving, at the system, social graph information from a first social network service provider;   wherein the social graph information includes information about a social graph of a particular user;   based, at least in part, on which content items, of the plurality of content items, match social signals in the social graph of the particular user, the system selecting a particular set of content items from the plurality of content items; and   sending, from the system to a client computing device that is associated with the particular user, data that is based on the particular set of content items.   
     
     
         13 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 12  wherein sending data that is based on the particular set of content items includes sending search results, based on the particular set of content items, for a search query submitted by the particular user. 
     
     
         14 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 12  wherein sending data that is based on the particular set of content items includes sending a personalized page that is based on the particular set of content items. 
     
     
         15 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 12  wherein:
 social signals in the social graph of the particular user indicate that a particular content item is popular among friends of the particular user, and the particular content item is selected for inclusion in the particular set of content items. 
 
     
     
         16 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 15  wherein the social signals indicate at least one of:
 a friend of the particular user posted a link to the particular content item; 
 a friend of the particular user commented on the particular content item; or 
 a friend of the particular user liked the particular content item. 
 
     
     
         17 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 15  wherein the social signals indicate that a friend of a friend of the particular user took a particular action relative to the particular content item. 
     
     
         18 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 12  wherein the system selects the particular set of content items from the plurality of content items based, at least in part, on which content items, of the plurality of content items, match social signals in social graphs obtained from a plurality of distinct social network service providers. 
     
     
         19 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 12  wherein:
 the instructions further comprise instructions that cause, before the step of receiving social graph information from the first social network service provider:
 the system sending, to the first social network service provider, metadata for the plurality of content items; and 
 
 the social graph information received by the system from the first social network service provider has been filtered by the first social network service provider based on the metadata. 
 
     
     
         20 . A system comprising one or more processors, the system being programmed to cause the one or more processors to perform:
 receiving, at the system, information about a plurality of content items;   wherein the plurality of content items include content items available from a plurality of distinct content providers;   receiving, at the system, social graph information from a first social network service provider;   wherein the social graph information includes information about a social graph of a particular user;   based, at least in part, on which content items, of the plurality of content items, match social signals in the social graph of the particular user, the system selecting a particular set of content items from the plurality of content items; and   sending, from the system to a client computing device that is associated with the particular user, data that is based on the particular set of content items.