WO2012075304A2

WO2012075304A2 - Internet search engine

Info

Publication number: WO2012075304A2
Application number: PCT/US2011/062911
Authority: WO
Inventors: George Moser
Original assignee: George Moser
Priority date: 2010-12-01
Filing date: 2011-12-01
Publication date: 2012-06-07
Also published as: WO2012075304A3

Abstract

A computer search engine is provided in which advertising results can be paid for via a success fee incurred upon completion of a sale of a product to a user who previously received a link to that product within a search query result. The search query result can be prioritized based on criteria beneficial to consumers.

Description

INTERNET SEARCH ENGINE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to the field of search engines for finding, sorting and using information in the Internet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND STATE OF THE ART

[0002] When the founders of Google were trying to launch a new search engine, one of the biggest obstacles they encountered was the perception that previous search engines had already met the needs and wants of Internet users. They were confronted with the question: does the world need another search engine? Yahoo and other search engines seemed at the time to be doing a reasonably good job.

[0003] Today a new search engine is likely to encounter the same question:

considering that Google has become so big and seems to be doing such a good job, does the world need another search engine? Ten years from now, Google (and the other existing search engines) will be substantially different from today or they will be gone or on their way out, so the answer is definitely yes. The field of Internet search engines is a highly dynamic field with many unmet needs and substantial potential for improvement. This invention addresses some of those key unmet needs and is expected to lead to another major wave of Internet expansion.

[0004] The most critical part of any search engine is its revenue generation module, because it determines its economic and financial viability. Currently the most well- known search engine is Goggle, which generates most of its revenue (over $20 billion per year) through its revenue module called adwords. Any manufacturer or merchant can sign up for adwords, which is basically an advertising program that works as follows: the manufacturer submits its URL (basically the address of the merchant's website) and signs an agreement agreeing to pay Google whenever a potential buyer does a search on Google, finds the desired item and clicks on the ad to see more details about the item. The revenue accrues on a pay-per-click basis (PPC), i.e. every click costs the merchant the agreed amount (usually just a few cents per click, but over a week or a month adding up to a substantial amount). This method works and generates billions of dollars for Google every year. It is estimated that 80-90% of Google's revenue is generated this way. It is also generally less expensive for the merchant than traditional advertising on billboards, radio and TV, and therefore it has been very successful.

[0005] Despite its huge success, it is important to recognize that the above system is more advantageous and more successful for Google than for its customers, and hence there is room for substantial improvement. In the current system, the merchant has to pay for each click. The click guarantees payment to Google but it doesn't guarantee anything to the merchant. Most users who click on an URL just browse and very few actually buy. The click is definitely not free for the merchant, and cumulatively actually quite expensive. Most small businesses cannot afford such a system, and many mid size and even large businesses do not participate in online advertising because of the relatively high cumulative cost without any guarantee of success. Most businesses do not advertise on the Internet because they can't afford it or they see it as a very uncertain and expensive proposition. The present invention intends to change that, allowing the bulk of manufacturers and merchants worldwide to benefit from the opportunities of the Internet, while at the same time generating even larger revenues for the Search Engine Provider (hereinafter referred to as "SEP"). Typical current SEP's are Google, Yahoo, Bing and others. Various embodiments of the New Search Engine that is the subject of this disclosure, some or all of which may be addressed in the claims below, will be referred to as the "NSE".

[0006] Improvements are possible not only with regard to the above-mentioned revenue module, but also in the way results are displayed, which is crucial for the productivity of a user searching with a search engine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a prior art search user interface.

[0008] Figure 2 is a diagram of a prior art Google search engine search result rendered on a typical desktop computer web browser.

[0009] Figure 3 is a diagram of a prior art Yahoo search engine search result rendered on a typical desktop computer web browser.

[0010] Figure 4 is a diagram of a prior art Bing search engine search result rendered on a typical desktop computer web browser. [0011] Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram of a search system implementing a query operation.

[0012] Figure 6 is a schematic block diagram of a search system executing a browsing operation.

[0013] Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram of a search system implementing an ordering operation.

[0014] Figure 8 is a diagram of a search user interface.

[0015] Figure 9 is a diagram of a search user interface, in which display pane widths have been adjusted.

[0016] Figure 10 is a diagram of a search user interface, in which display pane widths have been adjusted.

[0017] Figure 11 is a diagram of a search user interface providing further display pane adjustment capabilities.

[0018] Figure 12 is a further diagram of a search user interface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] While this invention is susceptible to embodiment in many different forms, there are described in detail herein several specific embodiments, with the

understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the

embodiments illustrated.

[0020] Figure 1 illustrates a prior art search user interface, showing the typical format that has been adopted by the major search engines. The information is organized into three vertical columns 11 , 12 and 13. Column 11 offers the ability to change some settings and is seldom used by users. Column 12 is where the actual search results are displayed. The upper portion 14 is used for ads. The whole column 13 is used for ads. Ads displayed in areas 14 and 13 are contextual with the search.

[0021] Figure 2 shows the results from a sample search using the Google search engine. The areas 24 and 23 are used for contextual ads. Actual search results are shown in area 22. Area 21 is for settings.

[0022] Figure 3 shows the results from a sample search using the Yahoo search engine. The areas 34 and 33 are used for contextual ads. Actual search results are shown in area 32. Area 31 is for settings. [0023] Figure 4 shows the results from a sample search using the Bing search engine from Microsoft. The areas 44 and 43 are used for contextual ads. Actual search results are shown in area 42. Area 41 is for settings.

[0024] While state-of-the-art search engines such as those illustrated in Figures 1-4 provide effective search capabilities, embodiments of the invention illustrated herein may provide improvements to the Search Engine User Interface which can have a significant impact on user productivity and convenience.

[0025] Embodiments of the New Search Engine (NSE) include a revenue module that works as follows: the merchant signs up with the SEP (Search Engine provider, such as Google) and submits its URL (Uniform Resource Locator, basically the identifier of the merchant's site) to the NSE, agreeing to be bound by the conditions of the NSE Agreement (the "Agreement"). Under this Agreement, when a potential buyer does a search for a certain item he/she is looking for and finds it on the NSE, there is no charge to the merchant. The clicks on the merchant's URL do not trigger any payment (clicks are totally free). However, if the buyer after browsing this (and probably also other URL's) finally makes up his/her mind and makes a purchase facilitated by the NSE, a small success fee is automatically deducted from that purchase. The success fee is automatically split between the buying customer and the NSE (for instance the buyer may receive 80% of the success fee, which is equivalent to a discount on the purchase, while 20% of the success fee would go to the NSE).

[0026] With this innovative arrangement, the merchant has completely eliminated the risk of advertising. There is no charge if the shopper doesn't buy. The success fee is completely contingent on success and therefore totally risk-free. A small percent of the purchase amount pays for the advertising, without any unpredictable and risky expenses to the merchant.

[0027] In some embodiments, merchants are encouraged to offer discounts on their products to the buyers as a way to attract buying customers to them. The way this encouragement works is as follows: the higher the discount, the higher the probability of being higher in the list of search results, because the prioritization algorithm assigns points for a higher discount. In other words, merchants offering good discounts are rewarded by showing up higher in the list, which should generate higher sales for them.

[0028] The success fee is actually the discount given to the customer as a reward for using the NSE. Most of this discount goes to the buyer, with a fraction going to the NSE. The objective of the discount is to encourage buyers to use the NSE, by offering not only the convenience of easy online buying but also an instant reward for every purchase made on the NSE. Therefore this innovative arrangement is not only good for the merchant and for the Search Engine Provider, but also for the customer. It is actually a win-win situation for all parties, with the potential of adding to the Internet millions of businesses of all sizes that today do not participate in a material way because of the high cost and uncertainty of current advertising programs. The new approach also has the potential to add millions of new shoppers and customers attracted by the discount mechanism intrinsic in the New Search Engine.

[0029] Prioritization. As previously described, the success fee for a transaction is split between the buyer, who receives it as a discount on the purchase, and the SEP, who is paid a small fee for facilitating the transaction with its search engine (the SEP assumes the role of a retailer, which is a good analogy, because in retail stores customers are not charged for browsing either).

[0030] In the search engine of this invention, the total amount of the success fee can be influenced by the merchant because the merchant can determine at its own discretion what the amount of the discount should be. For instance, the merchant may set the discount at a level of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% or any other desired level, depending on the item and on the eagerness of the merchant to sell that item. The amount of discount can be determined by the merchant for all its merchandise or can be individualized for each item or group of items. A minimum success fee payable to the SEP is set by default by the NSE (for instance, 1 %) to pay for SEP expenses.

[0031] The total amount of the success fee will be a key factor in prioritizing the order in which the merchant search results are displayed, i.e. websites with higher discounts will be ranked higher in the search results and displayed closer to the top of the list. In some embodiments, if the merchant site sells many items, the prioritization can be based on an average of discounts offered for all products at that site. Once a history is established, that average can be further weighted by the revenue of the different items sold.

[0032] Therefore, the merchant can influence his ranking in the search results. The higher ranking becomes basically a reward for higher discounts offered to the buyers. At the same time, the buyer is benefitting from being shown the items with higher discounts on a higher priority basis. [0033] The discount is of course not the only criterion that can be used to prioritize search results. In other embodiments, one or more of several criteria can be used and each can be weighted in a different way by the NSE. Besides the level of discount, another important prioritization criterion that can be utilized in some embodiments is the base price of the item. The base price is the standard normal price of an item (prior to discounts, rebates or special promotions). When the merchant signs up for the program, the merchant will be asked to provide a file with the base prices for the items the merchant sells. The process of providing the merchant's prices to the SEP can be facilitated by offering the merchant different methods to provide the price data, such as:

[0034] - by downloading a file in a secure website maintained by the SEP (preferably in a file format provided by the SEP),

[0035] - by filling in an online questionnaire providing a user interface to a simple database entry program,

[0036] - by using an SEP provided FTP facility (file transfer protocol) to transfer files to the SEP database, and/or

[0037] other user-friendly methods.

[0038] In one exemplary embodiment, the base prices provided by the merchants will be stored in a price database. The prioritization criterion will be that the higher the price, the lower the priority. The frame of reference will be the average price for that item for all subscribers. A price lower than the average will receive positive points that will increase that merchant's priority, while a price higher than the average will receive negative points that will reduce that merchant's priority. This weighting criterion may be utilized to mitigate or eliminate incentive for merchants to inflate base prices to be able to give large discounts. The algorithm will not reward that, since it will take both the base prices and the discounts into account. From a shopper's point of view, this system can be implemented to reward good, aggressive price policies and assign higher priority to deals that are better for the consumer. It is important that the NSE be viewed by shoppers as a valuable and practical shopping tool, and encouraging merchant actions favorable to the consumer may contribute to that objective.

[0039] Other possible criteria that the prioritization algorithm can consider is exemplary embodiments include: relevance of the merchant (based on total hits a search for that merchant would generate); website quality, user-friendliness,

conformance to SEP suggestions and security; total sales of that merchant through the NSE; size of the merchant; reputation of the merchant; returns to that merchant (negative criterion); track record; complaints; quality certifications; references;

Consumer Reports or other industry reporting sources; and/or other relevant criteria as determined by the Search Engine Provider. In yet other embodiments, the SEP may desire to offer higher prioritization in exchange for payment of a prioritization fee to the SEP.

[0040] In various embodiments, some or all of the above criteria will be considered by the prioritization algorithm. The Search Engine Provider will decide how the different criteria should be weighted and incorporate those weights into the prioritization algorithm of the search engine. However, in some typical embodiments, the discount will usually have a high weight within the total mix of criteria, because it provides two important incentives:

[0041] a) incentive to the merchant to be listed with a higher priority, and thus increase sales through better visibility, and

[0042] b) incentive to the buyers to use the NSE for their purchases and receive the discounts.

[0043] Benefits of the new system. As a result of the strategies enabled by embodiments described herein, Internet advertising with the NSE becomes universally accessible to all businesses of any size. Advertising costs are directly linked to actual sales, By removing potential downsides associated with traditional SEP advertising models, a massive influx of businesses of all sizes is expected. Any business of any size can sign up. Advertising affordability hurdles can be eliminated while reducing economic risk and improving predictability.

[0044] Embodiments described herein can also be very profitable for the Search Engine Provider, due to, amongst other things, the high volume of transactions the NSE will generate.

[0045] Embodiments described herein are also beneficial to the buying public because it encourages competition, discounts, good customer relations and good scores on all the prioritization criteria including quality, certifications and favorable references.

[0046] Trackability Feature. Embodiments will preferably enable the NSE to ensure that it collects payment when the purchase is made, even if the purchase happens a couple of week later. Also, the NSE will preferably be able to collect payment even if the shopper eventually goes directly to the merchant's site (instead of going through the NSE) to place the order after having completed his or her shopping. The NSE will also preferably discourage the use of the NSE for just information-gathering and then buying at a retail store. Embodiments described herein can provide these and other valuable features.

[0047] In connection with one such embodiment, as part of the Agreement between the merchant and NSE, a shopping customer who clicks on a URL advertised by the NSE creates a temporary link to the NSE and any purchase of the searched item within a certain period of time (typically approximately 1 month) becomes trackable and triggers a success fee payable to the buyer (and to the NSE) when the order is placed. The merchant has to agree to such trackability as part of the Agreement. The trackability feature can use the shopper's IP address. No personal information need be collected, but the IP address is retained for a period of time, such as approx. 1-2 months, to make the eventual purchase trackable. After that period of time, the IP address may be irrecoverably deleted. When an IP address is collected by the NSE, the merchant is immediately informed and the order processing system of the merchant may be required to automatically pay the success fee to any order placed by the shopper with such an IP address.

[0048] Furthermore, the merchant has to agree in the Agreement to allow the NSE to detect the IP addresses of any purchases made at the merchant's site that match the IP addresses being tracked by the NSE. This would be done through an NSE-provided payment module to be installed at the merchant website.

[0049] The large volume of potential transactions that must be tracked at any given time create challenges. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the NSE would provide, and the merchant install at the merchant's site, software to conduct the tracking. Such software includes the previously mentioned payment module, but also in addition automated auditing and monitoring software resident both at the NSE and at the merchant sites. The auditing software will automatically generate "fake" transactions from time to time to verify that transactions are being properly recorded and payments made as agreed. The NSE operator provides the necessary software to the merchants who will install it in their websites.

[0050] Typically, the IP addresses collected for trackability purposes will be permanently deleted after a reasonable period of time (e.g. 1-2 months) to avoid any privacy issues. However, in some embodiments, an exception will be provided for customers who sign up for updates and offers. Preferably, the privacy policy of the NSE will be prominently displayed and publicized to avoid any concerns about privacy issues.

[0051] Finally, in some embodiments, the NSE will also issue discount coupons to users, which create a link to the NSE and provide an automatic incentive for the consumer to enforce the discount (and therefore also the payment to the NSE).

SYSTEM STRUCTURE AND IMPLEMENTATION

[0052] Query processing. Figure 5 illustrates a schematic block diagram of a system for query processing, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The user enters a query into his/her PC 100, which starts the query process. The query is relayed to the user's modem 105 and then to the user's local router 1 10, which sends it to the user's ISP (Internet Server Provider) router 1 5.

[0053] The ISP router communicates with the Internet 120, which splits the query into encoded packets of information that are transmitted through a network to the intended destination, which is the SEP Computer 125 (Search Engine Provider). In the illustrated embodiment, the NSE (New Search Engine) 130 is implemented on SEP Computer 125, and it has access to the following previously created databases:

[0054] URL Database 135 (Uniform Resource Locator): this is a collection of website identifiers (URLs) that NSE 130 has stored in the database 135 to cache them and have easy, instant access to them. The URL Database 135 can be created by the standard crawling algorithms used by search engines. Contents can also be entered directly from directories or lists of relevant URLs. The URL Database 135, in and of itself, is not a feature unique to NSE 130. Most search engines cache URL information in a database in this or a similar form. The URL information is updated by appropriate algorithms on a regular basis.

[0055] SUB Database 140 (Subscribers): list of all businesses that have subscribed to the NSE services. Subscription is free and usage is free as well, so this database has the potential to become the largest collection of commercial advertisers in the Internet. This database contains relevant contact information and business information about the subscribers, including their IP address (or range of addresses in case of dynamically allocated IP addresses). [0056] PRC Database 145 (Prices): contains base prices of the items that the subscribers sell. If the items can be sold in many different configurations and with or without many options, the base price should preferably reflect a reasonable entry-level version of the product, and the options can be priced separately.

[0057] DISC Database 150 (Discounts): contains the discounts (% of purchase price) that the subscribers have agreed to grant buyers for purchases of their products. In some embodiments, the sales managers (or other designated managers) at the subscriber sites can be granted password-protected access to this database so they can update the desired discounts at any time. That allows an advertising manager or a sales manager of a subscribing merchant to run specials, special promotions or make corrections / adjustments almost instantly at any time. If the sales manager decides at 3:00 in the morning that a certain item is not moving fast enough and needs to be more aggressively marketed, he/she can change the item's discount and have the changes online in a matter of a few minutes. He/she does not even need permission from the SEP. He/she can make the changes at any time. The same applies in reverse: if a certain promotion results in an out-of-stock situation, the sales manager can make appropriate changes instantly.

[0058] Using URL Database 135, NSE 130 compares the query with the content of available URL's cached in the database and selects the most relevant hits, which constitute first search result list 155.

[0059] The PRIO Algorithm 160 (Prioritization) processes first search result list 155 and re-arranges it's contents based on the prioritization criteria previously described, such as discounts and other criteria. The result is second search result list 165, which is reported to the user.

[0060] The SEP Router 170 sends the prioritized second search result list through Internet 120 to the user, and the hits are displayed on the screen of user PC 100. That completes the processing of the user query.

[0061] The Browsing Process. Figure 6 illustrates an embodiment of the subsequent browsing process. In this process, a user makes a selection by using PC 00 to select one of the hits submitted by NSE 130 on hit list 165. The user then views the contents of the selected website. In a conventional search engine, the clicking on a subscribing URL would trigger a payment to the SEP (the click fee). In the NSE implementation of Figure 6, the click does not trigger any payment. [0062] Once the user selects a URL by clicking on it, this information request js sent by modem 105 and routers 110 and 115 through Internet 120 to SEP computer 125. SEP computer 125 records the IP address of the user 172 in IPDatabase 175 (Internet Protocol Addresses), for trackability purposes. The user's IP Address 172 is also sent to the merchant's URL. Then the merchant's site 180 sends the site information 185 requested by the user to the destination identified by the IP address. The requested info is displayed on the screen of user computer 100.

[0063] Notice that during the browsing process of the embodiment of Figure 6, no fees are collected.

[0064] In an alternative architecture the information request could be sent directly to the merchant's address (instead of going first to the NSE). That alternative architecture is actually more straightforward and more efficient from a traffic point of view, but the NSE has less control to monitor the flow of information and subsequent payments. The decision between the two methods is partly a matter of trust between the SEP and the merchant, and partly an issue of response time. The need for trust can also be avoided by other means, such as monitoring and payment processing software at the merchant's site as part of the subscription Agreement.

[0065] Figure 7 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of an ordering process, which generates the revenue for the merchant, the savings for the buyer and the revenue for the SEP. This process starts when the user, after browsing one or more websites, makes a buying decision and places an order at his computer 100. The order 200 is sent through network components 105, 100 and 115, and Internet 120, to the payment module 205 at the merchant's website. The payment module 205 has several tasks to accomplish: a) it calculates the amount of discount, collects payment from the buyer and sends a confirmation email to the buyer (operations 210 and 211 ); b) it pays the merchant and issues a confirmation to the merchant (operations 2 5 and 216); c) it pays the SEP and sends a confirmation email (operations 220 and 221 ); and d) it exchanges information with the NSE on a regular basis as part of the trackability features of the system.

[0066] New User Interface. Figure 8 illustrates a new user interface for the NSE, in accordance with another aspect of certain embodiments of the invention. The purpose of the new interface is to allow the user to concentrate on the activity he/she is really interested in at that point in time. For instance, if the user is interested in doing a search for research purposes (and not interested in shopping at that time) it does not make sense to bombard the user with commercial ads. Instead, the user would appreciate a clean list of results catering to his needs, rendered in panel 81. Thus, users are likely to prefer a search engine in the future that provides that better user experience.

[0067] At some point though that user will be looking for an item to buy, and in that case he can conduct his search in another area of the screen (the right hand commercial panel 82 in Fig. 8) that caters to that need. Preferably, that area will not be a straight advertising area as it usually is today; it will be a shopping/ sourcing area with shopping tools and with a list of findings prioritized by price and other criteria. In some embodiments, the user will even be allowed to define or influence the criteria by which the list is prioritized.

[0068] The settings area, usually a panel occupying the left hand side of the screen on current search engines, has been eliminated. Instead a button 83 is provided which the user can use at any time to invoke the settings functionality without permanently sacrificing a valuable portion of the screen to it. The button 83 can trigger a drop-down menu with any required options.

[0069] Figure 8 also shows a wide window 84 at the top for the top ads. Underneath there are two windows: 81 is the area for the search results and 82 is the area for shopping / sourcing. The dividing line has a handle 85 that the user can drag to adjust the relative size of the tow areas (within limits, because otherwise some users may just routinely eliminate the advertising area, which is not in the interest of revenue generation). The advertising area on the right hand side can be reduced down to approximately the size shown in Figure 9.

[0070] Figure 9 shows the user interface for a user who is interested primarily in searches and not in shopping. The user has reduced the advertising area 82 to a minimum width, as shown in Figure 9.

[0071] By contrast, Figure 10 shows the user interface for a user who is primarily interested in buying. That could be a shopper looking for some merchandise, or the purchasing manager of a company looking for suppliers. The advertising area 82 is maximized. This feature allows the user to focus on his main interest and task at hand, which is not possible with the current rigid, non-adjustable formats in current search engines. [0072] Another important feature is that the different panels are filled with content in different ways:

[0073] - the top panel 84 is space for sale. The main criterion for an advertiser to get into that spot is a) the contextual fit, and b) the amount paid for the ad space. These are intended to be expensive spaces for advertising. A cash-rich advertiser can buy a space in this panel.

[0074] - the left panel 81 is reserved for searches. The main criterion for inclusion in that area is the contextual fit. All hits are displayed here, including shopping-related sites (subscribers and non-subscribers). This is an all-inclusive panel. The only special consideration that advertisers can get in this area is a highlighted box or other graphics that makes them stand out. This area is intended not to be overwhelmed by advertising.

[0075] - the right panel 82 is a commercial area and its is open only to subscribers. Subscribers are prioritized here according to the criteria previously described, including discounts.

[0076] Figure 11 illustrates another embodiment in which top panel 84 (for big advertisers) can also be expanded with a handle 91. The general concept illustrated in several of these embodiments is to give the user the ability to allocate screen space according to his/her interests and objectives.

[0077] Figure 12 shows another embodiment in which the user interface further includes scrolling bars 301 and 302 to allow the user to easily scroll through a lengthy list of hits in panels 81 and 82, respectively, without.having to trigger a new list of hits every time (with the added clicking and waiting time involved). The next list(s) up and down can be automatically cached in memory or in storage so that the user doesn't have to wait when he/she uses the scrolling bar. That can provide a significant increase in user productivity and convenience.

[0078] The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention and the invention is not limited thereto except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed:

1. A search engine system comprising:

a search engine provider computer system interconnected for communications via the Internet, which system executes a search algorithm to conduct a search for content on the Internet requested by a user and to generate an initial search results set; a set of databases associated with the search engine provider computer system; a communications interface between the search engine provider computer system and the Internet allowing communications there between, through which the search engine provider computer system receives and responds to queries from the user via the Internet;

a prioritization algorithm implemented by the search engine provider computer system that allows the search engine system to reorganize the initial search results set according to a set of prioritization criteria, yielding a second search result set that is reported to the user;

a tracking and payment system enabling merchants to determine and pay a success fee to the search engine provider upon completion of a sale of an item to the user, which was previously referenced in the second search result set.

2. The search engine system of claim 1 wherein the success fee is calculated as a percentage of a purchase amount for the sale.

3. The search engine system of claim 1 wherein the success fee is calculated as a small flat transaction fee.

4. The search engine system of claim 1 wherein the set of prioritization criteria includes a discount offered by the merchant to the buyers, allowing merchants to improve their placement in the second search results set by offering discounts and simultaneously incentivizing buyers to use the search engine system to take advantage of those discounts.

5. The search engine system of claim 4 wherein the discount is shared between the buyer and an operator of the search engine system.

6. The search engine system of claim 1 wherein the set of prioritization criteria include the base price of items within the initial search results set.

7. The search engine system of claim 6 wherein the items within the initial search results set are assigned a higher priority if their price is lower than the average, and a lower priority if their price is higher than the average.

8. The search engine system of claim 1 wherein the set of prioritization criteria includes one or more of the following criteria: relevance of a merchant associated with each search result on the primary search result list based on total hits generated by a search for that merchant, a quality rating for the website of the merchant, prior sales by the merchant through the search engine system, size of the merchant, reputation of the merchant, returns to the merchant, track record of the merchant, complaints against the merchant, quality certifications held by the merchant, references, consumer reports and industry reports..

9. The search engine system of claim 1 wherein the prioritization algorithm further enables a user to influence the prioritization criteria and/or the relative weights of the prioritization criteria used to prioritize the second search results set.

10. The search engine system of claim 1 wherein the merchant is provided with a more prominent display of its name or product in the second search results set, without affecting the order of results within the list.

1 1 . The search engine system of claim 1 wherein the prioritization criteria includes payment of a priority fee by a merchant associated with a result within the initial search results list.

12. The search engine system of claim 1 wherein the second search results set is reported to a user within a web page transmitted via the Internet; the web page providing a user interface wherein a first area of the screen is reserved for paid advertising, and one or more additional areas of the screen are reserved for factual search results or for shopping or sourcing.

13. The search engine system of claim 1 wherein the success fee is determined to be the greater of a portion of a discount offered to the user, or a predetermined minimum success fee.

14. The search engine system of claim 1 wherein the set of databases include one or more of the following: URL Database to identify subscriber websites; Subscriber

Database to identify subscribing merchant companies; Price Data Base, with the prices of items sold by subscribers; Discounts Data Base, with the discounts offered by subscribers; Orders Data Base, with orders placed by buyers; and IP Data Base, with the identification of shoppers currently using the system to track usage and payments.

15. The search engine system of claim 1 wherein the search engine system includes a tracking system operating to temporarily store the IP addresses of users using the system for shopping in order to track payment of fees.

16. The search engine system of claim 1 wherein the system has a payment module integrated into websites operated by merchants to track, collect, record and report payments, and to calculate and allocate success fees, ensuring timely and correct payment of discounts to buyers and fees to the SEP.

17. The search engine system of claim 16 wherein the payment module is operated by a third party.

18. A search engine system comprising:

a search engine provider computer system interconnected for communications via the Internet, which system executes a search algorithm to conduct a search for content on the Internet requested by a user and to generate an initial search results set; a communications interface between the search engine provider computer system and the Internet allowing communications there between, through which the search engine provider computer system receives and responds to queries from the user via the Internet;

a prioritization algorithm implemented by the search engine provider computer system that allows the search engine system to reorganize the initial search results set according to a set of prioritization criteria, yielding a second search result set that is reported to the user via a search result web page transmission;

an improved user interface implemented by the search result web page transmission that provides for user customization of the way search results are displayed.

19. The search engine system of claim 18 wherein the user interface contains separate areas which can be dedicated to different objectives, with a first area dedicated to factual searches, a second area for commerce-related content such as shopping or sourcing, and a third area for paid advertising; thereby allowing the user to concentrate his search in the area of primary interest at the time.

20. The search engine system of claim 19 wherein the user interface further includes elements sizing enabling the user to expand or reduce the size of the different areas of the screen, or change their relative location, or create new custom areas.

21. The search engine system of claim 19 wherein the search results in the area for commerce-related content are ordered according to criteria including one or more of price, discount level, quality, and merchant track record.

22. The search engine system of claim 19 wherein the user can assign, re-assign, define and modify the prioritization criteria and the weights associated with them.