1. A method in a computing system for ranking items in a search result, the method comprising: receiving a query specifying one or more terms; generating a query result identifying a plurality of items satisfying the query; and for a plurality of items identified in the query result, combining ratings reflecting both (a) the frequencies with which users selected the item in query results produced for earlier queries specifying one or more terms of the query and (b) levels of effort required to make such selections, such that the combination of ratings produces a ranking value for the item.