1. A machine-implemented method comprising: receiving into a memory of a computer system, data representing a plurality of query terms arranged in a plurality of sets of query terms; accessing, with the computer system, an electronic database including computer readable storage that stores data representing items of sponsored content, wherein each item of sponsored content has associated a plurality of item terms, and the computer readable storage further stores data representing the plurality of item terms associated with the sponsored content; using one or more processors in the computer system, for each of the items of sponsored content: identifying a set of matched query terms using a matching operation between the plurality of query terms and the plurality of item terms associated with the item of sponsored content, wherein each of the plurality of sets of query terms comprises at least one query term that matches at least one item term of the plurality of item terms associated with the item of sponsored content; formulating a score for the item of sponsored content according to the set of matched query terms, wherein a value for each of the matched query terms is determined based on a number of sets in which the each of the matched query terms resides, weighted based on a set in which the each of the matched query terms resides, and the score of the item is determined by combining values for all the matched query terms; identifying, from the identified matched query terms for the item of sponsored content, one or more unique query terms that are included in (i) the identified set of matched query terms and (ii) more than one set of the plurality of sets of query terms; determining a number of the one or more unique query terms across sets of the plurality of sets of query terms; adjusting the score for the item of sponsored content as a function of the determined number of the one or more unique query terms; and assigning the adjusted score to the item of sponsored content.