A system is provided for allocating combinations of search results, types
of space, and/or other information from different sources (e.g., search
engines) in which a type of space, search results, and/or other
information from at least one source or type or from each source or type,
for example, are optimized to obtain an optimum commercial value. Using
the example of a search, a commercial metric and a user satisfaction
metric are established for search terms and used in the optimization
process. In calculating the commercial value and the user satisfaction
value for a set of search results, the weight given to the commercial
value and the user satisfaction value of a search result is different
depending on its source. Optionally, keeping the user satisfaction value
above a certain threshold is treated as a constraint while optimizing the
commercial value. Alternatively, a tradeoff may be allowed between the
minimum threshold for the user satisfaction and a better commercial
value. For example, a commercial value may be associated with the
commercial metric and quality metric so that the total commercial value
may be calculated and optimized.