Patent ID: 8078607

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of providing search results, comprising: at a server associated with a search engine: receiving from first and second websites distinct from the search engine, a same search query, wherein the search query is submitted by a first user visiting the first website from a first client and by a second user visiting the second website from a second client; identifying a plurality of information items associated with the search query; and responsive to the search query received from the first website, providing to the first user visiting the first website from the first client a first subset of the information items in a first order, and responsive to the search query received from the first website, providing to the second user visiting the second website from the second client a second subset of the information items in a second order distinct from the first order, wherein the first order is determined, at least in part, by a first website profile associated with the first website and the second order is determined, at least in part, by a second website profile associated with the second website, wherein the first website profile is associated with a first website identifier of the first website and the search query received from the first website is associated with the first website identifier, and the second website profile is associated with a second website identifier of the second website that is distinct from the first website identifier, and the search query received from the second website is associated with the second website identifier, wherein the first website profile is related to a search history of the first website, the search history of the first website including search queries submitted by multiple users visiting the first website from respective clients, search results responsive to the search queries, and user activities by the multiple users visiting the first website on the search results, and the second website profile is related to a search history of the second website, the search history of the second website including search queries submitted by multiple users visiting the second website from respective clients, search results responsive to the search queries, and user activities by the multiple users visiting the second website on the search results.