US Patent 9336314 Dynamic facet ordering for faceted search

Methods for dynamically ordering facets for search result presentation are provided. Facets specific to a query are determined and facet orderings are dynamically generated. A number of search result arrangements are generated based upon the facet orderings and, as users input the query, various search results arrangements are presented and user engagement with respect thereto is monitored. To determine which of the arrangements to present to a given user, a number of factors are taken into account, e.g., previous user engagement for each arrangement across a segment or population of users, and whether the user has previously been shown any of the arrangements and, if so, the nature of the user's engagement therewith. Each time an arrangement is presented to a user and the user's behavior with respect thereto is recorded, additional data becomes available for deciding what arrangement to show the next time a user inputs the query.