1. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising: determining, by a computing device based on a content item search query, a plurality of content items comprising a first content item and a second content item; modifying a previously defined hierarchy of a hierarchical set of groups based on the content item search query; categorizing, by the computing device, the plurality of content items into the hierarchical set of groups comprising a first group and a second group, wherein the first group of the hierarchical set of groups corresponds to a first query match factor and the second group of the hierarchical set of groups corresponds to a second query match factor different from the first query match factor; sorting, by the computing device, content items categorized in the first group based on a corresponding popularity value of each content item categorized in the first group and independently of sorting content items belonging to the second group; after sorting the content items categorized in the first group, generating, by the computing device, a ranked list of content items by ordering the content items belonging to the first group higher in the ranked list than all content items belonging to the second group; and providing at least a portion of the ranked list as a response to the content item search query.