1. A method of collecting search data from a plurality of user computing devices, the method comprising: sending, by one or more first computing devices to a second computing device, a browser-executable component, wherein the browser-executable component is configured to be executed in response to a browser accessing a search engine, wherein the browser-executable component is further configured to obtain usage data corresponding to a search query and to generate a search record for transmission to the one or more first computing devices; receiving, by the one or more first computing devices, the search record, wherein the search record includes the usage data obtained by the browser-executable component, the search record including one or more of a code corresponding to an instance of execution of the browser-executable component, location information, or a selected parameter; and storing, by the one or more first computing devices, search activity data as a collection of search records that includes the search record, wherein the search records in the search activity data are indexed in a manner that does not identify a user of the second computing device.