Search query processing to provide category-ranked presentation of search results

A computer-implemented method of assisting users in locating items that are arranged by category within an electronic catalog, the method comprising:

• monitoring actions performed by a plurality of users, including user actions performed with respect to items in the electronic catalog, to generate user activity data;
• calculating popularity scores for particular items in the catalog using said user activity date, said popularity scores being calculated automatically based primarily or exclusively on user activity data collected over a most recent time period, such that the popularity scores correspond to current preferences of users;
• receiving a search query specified by a user, and identifying a set of items in the electronic catalog that are responsive to the search query (“responsive items”), including items from multiple categories;
• selecting an order in which to present the multiple categories to the user such that the order is dependent upon the popularity scores of responsive items, said order reflecting predicted levels of relevance of the categories to the search query;
• and
• generating a search results display in which the multiple categories are presented in said order together with corresponding responsive items.

A computer-implemented method of processing search queries, the method comprising:

• receiving a search query specified by a user;
• identifying a plurality of item categories that each include one or more items that are responsive to the search query;
• for each of the plurality of item categories, determining a respective category score, each category score being dependent upon results of an automated analysis of user activity data associated with the respective item category, said user activity data reflecting selection actions of each of a plurality of users, wherein the automated analysis gives greater weight to user activity data associated with a most recent time period than to user activity data associated with earlier time periods, so that the category scores reflect current preferences of users;
• and
• determining an order in which to present the multiple item categories to the user such that the order is dependent upon the category scores.