Interactive search exploration

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• obtaining a search query;
• causing display, via a graphical user interface, of an interactive search exploration tool corresponding with the search query, the interactive search exploration tool including:
• a primary topic, indicating the search query, that is positioned at a center of the interactive search exploration tool,
• a set of distance indicators indicating extents of relatedness to the primary topic, the set of distance indicators represented as concentric shapes positioned around the primary topic, with each shape of the concentric shapes indicating a different extent of relatedness to the primary topic, and
• a set of related topics, identified as related to the primary topic, positioned around the primary topic, wherein each related topic of the set of related topics is positioned in proximity to a distance indicator that corresponds with an extent of relatedness of the associated related topic to the primary topic;
• and
• in response to a selection of a particular related topic via the graphical user interface, updating the primary topic to be the particular related topic and adding a new related topic within the interactive search exploration tool that is related to the updated primary topic.

One or more computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising:

• identifying a primary topic based on an input or selection via a graphical user interface;
• determining a set of topics related to the primary topic and an extent of relatedness of each topic to the primary topic based on analysis of web documents, a search query log, or a combination thereof,
• causing display, via a graphical user interface, of an interactive search exploration tool corresponding with the search query, the interactive search exploration tool including:
• the primary topic positioned at a center of the interactive search exploration tool,
• a set of distance indicators indicating a relatedness distance to the primary topic, the set of distance indicators represented as concentric shapes positioned around the primary topic, with each shape of the concentric shapes indicating a different relatedness distance to the primary topic, and
• the set of topics related to the primary topic positioned around the primary topic, wherein each topic of the set of topics is positioned in proximity to a distance indicator that corresponds with the extent of relatedness of the topic to the primary topic;
• and
• in response to a selection of a particular topic of the set of topics, causing initiation of display of a topic content snippet that provides a representation of the particular topic, execution of a search of the particular topic, or generation of an updated interactive search exploration tool that updates the primary topic to be the particular topic.