Method for selecting images for matching with content based on metadata of images and content in real-time in response to search queries

A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations of matching images with content items, the operations comprising:

• in response to a search query received from a client device for searching content, searching in a content database or via a content server by a search engine based on one or more search terms of the search query to identify a first list of one or more content items;
• searching by an image selection module in an image store based on the one or more search terms to identify a list of one or more images;
• integrating by the search engine each content item of the first list with one of the images, generating a second list of one or more content items having at least a portion of the images integrated therein;
• and
• transmitting by the search engine the second list of content items to the client device, such that each content item of the first list is presented with one of the images.

A data processing system, comprising:

• a processor;
• a search engine, in response to a search query received from a client device for searching content, to search in a content database or via a content server based on one or more search terms of the search query to identify a first list of one or more content items;
• and
• an image selection module to search in an image store based on the one or more search terms to identify a list of one or more images,
• wherein the search engine is to
• integrate each content item of the first list with one of the images, generating a second list of one or more content items having at least a portion of the images integrated therein, and
• transmit the second list of content items to the client device, such that each content item of the first list is presented with one of the images.