Dynamically altering search result page layout to increase user response

1. In a computer system, a method for providing content to be displayed to a user in response to a search request, the method comprising:

identifying two or more versions of a first page recipe, each identified version comprising one or more page properties and two or more content module definitions, the content module definitions defining an amount of content to be displayed in a content module to be displayed on a results page, the location of the content module to be displayed on the results page, and a content source from which to obtain content to be displayed in the content module, wherein at least one of the content module definitions identifies the at least one content source associated with at least one category, wherein the page properties and content module definitions of each identified version of the first page recipe are different so as to generate a different results page depending on which version of the first page recipe is selected;

identifying a search request including a search query from a first client;

identifying at least one category associated with the search query;

automatically selecting one of the two or more versions of the first page recipe based on at least the at least one category to generate a rendered results page to be sent to the first client, the rendered results page including two or more content modules to be displayed on the rendered results page as defined by the selected version of the first page receipt; and

displaying the rendered results page on a monitor of the computer system.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising receiving user interaction data identifying one or more performance metrics associated with the two or more content modules of the selection version of the first page recipe.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 , further comprising determining whether the performance metrics associated with the two or more content modules of the selected version of the first page recipe exhibit an increase in performance metrics as compared to another version of the first page recipe for the same search request.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , further comprising, if the performance metrics associated with the two or more content modules of the selected version of the first page recipe exhibit an increase in performance metrics as compared to another version of the first page recipe for the same search request, using the selected version of the first page recipe again in response to a subsequent same search request.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising altering at least one of the amount of content, location, or content source of at least one of the content module definitions of the selected version of the first page recipe to generate a new version of the first page recipe and using the new version of the first page recipe in response to a subsequent same search request.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising associating each identified version of the first page recipe with a demographic condition.

7. In a computer system, a method for providing content to be displayed to a user in response to a search request, the method comprising:

identifying two or more versions of a first page recipe, each identified version of the first page receipt being associated with a demographic condition, each identified version of the first page recipe comprising one or more page properties and two or more content module definitions, the content module definitions defining an amount of content to be displayed in a content module to be displayed on a results page, the location of the content module to be displayed on the results page, and a content source from which to obtain content to be displayed in the content module, wherein at least one of the content module definitions identifies the at least one content source associated with at least one category, wherein the page properties and content module definitions of each identified version of the first page recipe are different so as to generate a different results page depending on which version of the first page recipe is selected;

identifying a search request including a search query from a first client:

identifying a first demographic condition associated with the search request;

automatically selecting one of the two or more versions of the first page recipe based on at least the at least one category and the first demographic condition to generate a rendered results page to be sent to the first client, the rendered results page including two or more content modules to be displayed on the rendered results page as defined by the selected version of the first page receipt; and

displaying the rendered results page on a monitor of the computer system.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the first page recipe is maintained in a data structure that associates other page recipes, each page recipe associated with the same search request, but for different demographic conditions.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein each page recipe is stored as a set of instructions for generating a page recipe identifying a base page recipe and changes to be made to the base page recipe.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein each page recipe is stored as a fully generated page recipe.

11. The method as recited in claim 7 , further comprising receiving user interaction data identifying one or more performance metrics associated with the two or more content modules of the first version of the first page recipe.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 , further comprising determining whether the performance metrics associated with the two or more content modules of the first version of the first page recipe exhibit an increase in performance metrics as compared to another version of the first page recipe for the same search request.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising, if the performance metrics associated with the two or more content modules of the first version of the first page recipe exhibit an increase in performance metrics as compared to another version of the first page recipe for the same search request, using the same version of the first page recipe again in response to a subsequent same search request.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , further comprising altering at least one of the amount of content, location, or content source of at least one of the content module definitions to generate a new version of the first page recipe and using the new version of the first page recipe in response to a subsequent same search request.

15. A system configured to supply content to be displayed to a user in response to a search request, the system comprising:

one or more computers having memory and at least one processor comprising:

a front end module configured to:

receive a search request including a search query from a client,

generate a rendered results page from a first version of a first page recipe,

the first page recipe having two or more versions, each identified version comprising one or more page properties and two or more content module definitions, the content module definitions defining an amount of content to be displayed in a content module to be displayed on a results page, the location of the content module to be displayed on the results page, and a content source from which to obtain content to be displayed in the content module,

send requests to one or more content sources for content,

receive content from the one or more content sources to incorporate in the rendered results page,

send the rendered results page to the client, and

receive performance metrics associated with user interaction with the rendered results page from the client; and

an optimization engine associated with the front end module, the optimization engine configured to:

identify the first version of the first page recipe based on demographic conditions; and

determine whether the performance metrics associated with the rendered results page exhibit an increase in performance metrics for the first version of the first page recipe as compared to another version of the first page recipe for the same search request, and, if so, use the same fist version of the first page recipe in response to a subsequent same search request.

16. The system as recited in claim 15 , further comprising a router communicating with the front end module and the optimization engine, the router configured to receive instructions from the optimization engine and to generate the first version of the page recipe from one or more page recipe templates stored at the router.

17. The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the optimization engine is further configured to:

alter at least one of the amount of content, location, or content source of at least one of the content module definitions of the first version of the first page recipe to generate a new version of the first page recipe; and

use the new version of the first page recipe in response to a subsequent same search request.

18. The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the optimization engine is further configured to associate one or more page recipes for the same search request for various demographic conditions.

19. The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the front end module is further configured to:

identify at least one category associated with the search query; and

identify at least one content source associated with the at least one category, wherein at least one content module of the first version of the first page recipe incorporates the at least one content source.