1. A receiving apparatus comprising: a memory configured to store service information including search criteria set in a memory device and a connection method for connecting with the memory device, the memory device storing attribute information including attributes of contents in a searchable condition and being connectable via a network; a first generator configured to generate a common search query that is a search query expressing search conditions used in searching contents and that includes at least a pair of a common search condition attribute and a common search condition attribute value, the common search condition attribute having a common mode of expression of a search condition attribute that represents any of the attributes, the common search condition attribute value being a value which can be taken by the common search condition attribute; a second generator configured to generate a search query according to the search criteria specified in the service information with the use of the generated common search query; a transmitter configured to transmit the generated search query to the memory device based on the connection method specified in the service information; and a receiver configured to receive, from the memory device, the attribute information obtained as a result of executing the search query, wherein the attribute information is metadata, the service information further includes a metadata attribute that is an attribute represented by the metadata which can be provided as a result of executing the search query and a metadata description format that is a description format of the metadata, includes a search condition attribute representing the metadata attribute that is specifiable as a search condition in the search query, includes a search query description format representing a description format of the search query that can be processed by the memory device, and includes a metadata attribute conversion table representing a correspondence relationship between the metadata attributes, the search condition attributes, and the common search condition attributes, and the second generator generates the search query that includes the search condition attributes and that is written in the search query description format, the search condition attributes being obtained by conversion of the common search condition attributes included in the common search query with the use of the metadata attribute conversion table.