1. A method comprising: providing a user interface that allows a user to establish optimization preferences used to personalize results based on a query input by the user for item listings containing an item that matches the query, the optimization preferences including a plurality of interrelated optimization factors and a value assigned by the user to each interrelated optimization, a sum total of the value for each interrelated optimization factor equaling a total allowed value assigned to the plurality of interrelated optimization factors, the plurality of interrelated optimization factors including a relevance factor that is applied to a relevance score; receiving the optimization preferences via the user interface; receiving the query input by the user that triggers a search of a publication system comprising a plurality of item listings for the item listings that contain the item that matches the query; performing the search of the publication system to identify the item listings containing the item that matches the query; calculating a factor score corresponding to each optimization factor for each item listing resulting from the search, the factor score including a relevance score that is based on relevance of each of the item listing compared to past history of interactions by other users with item listings containing similar item types as those in each of the item listings resulting from the search of the publication system that was triggered by the query input by the user; and applying, using at least one processor of a machine, the optimization preferences to the factor score for each of the item listings resulting from the search of the publication system to generate a personalized result set of item listings, the applying including applying the relevance factor to the relevance score.