1. A metadata search ranking system comprising: a session manager; a query manager; a popularity sorter; and an association; wherein said session manager applies search requests to a search engine and retrieves said search engine results; said query manager receives said search requests and identification information from said session manager and interrogates a query database, producing from said interrogation a popularity vector; said popularity sorter receives said popularity vector from said query manager and said search results and identification information from said session manager, producing a sorted resource list that is provided to said session manager; and said association receives said resource list and said identification information from said session manager and updates said query database based on this data.