Identifying the items most relevant to a current query based on items selected in connection with similar queries

A method in a computing system for ranking items in a search result, the method comprising:

• receiving one or more search terms for a user;
• identifying a plurality of items that match at least one of the terms;
• identifying one or more demographic groups to which the user belongs;
• generating a relevance ranking for each of multiple of the identified items based on a number of selections of that item by users in the identified demographic groups during at least one prior period of time;
• and
• providing an indication of the generated relevance rankings for the multiple items.

A computer-readable storage medium whose contents cause a computing system to perform a method for ranking items in a search result, the method comprising:

• receiving one or more search terms for a user;
• identifying a plurality of items that match at least one of the terms;
• identifying one or more demographic groups to which the user belongs;
• generating a relevance ranking for each of multiple of the identified items based on a number of selections of that item by users in the identified demographic groups during at least one prior period of time;
• and
• providing an indication of the generated relevance rankings for the multiple items.

A computing system for ranking items in a search result, comprising:

• an input subsystem that receives one or more search terms for a user;
• an item identification subsystem that identifies a plurality of items that match at least one of the terms and that identifies one or more demographic groups to which the user belongs;
• a relevance ranking subsystem that generates a relevance ranking for each of multiple of the identified items based on a number of selections of that item by users in the identified demographic groups during at least one prior period of time;
• and
• an output subsystem that provides an indication of the generated relevance rankings for the multiple items.