Design and Evaluation of Whole-Page Experience Optimization for E-commerce Search

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel framework for optimizing entire e-commerce search results pages by modeling layout and relevance interactions, using causal metrics for long-term satisfaction, validated through large-scale A/B testing.

Contribution

It presents a new Whole-Page Experience Optimization Framework that considers layout and relevance interplay and employs causal metrics for long-term user satisfaction.

Findings

1.86% improvement in brand relevance

+0.05% revenue uplift

Validated through industry-scale A/B testing

Abstract

E-commerce Search Results Pages (SRPs) are evolving from linear lists to complex, non-linear layouts, rendering traditional position-biased ranking models insufficient. Moreover, existing optimization frameworks typically maximize short-term signals (e.g., clicks, same-day revenue) because long-term satisfaction metrics (e.g., expected two-week revenue) involve delayed feedback and challenging long-horizon credit attribution. To bridge these gaps, we propose a novel Whole-Page Experience Optimization Framework. Unlike traditional list-wise rankers, our approach explicitly models the interplay between item relevance, 2D positional layout, and visual elements. We use a causal framework to develop metrics for measuring long-term user satisfaction based on quasi-experimental data. We validate our approach through industry-scale A/B testing, where the model demonstrated a 1.86% improvement in brand relevance (our primary customer experience metric) while simultaneously achieving a statistically significant revenue uplift of +0.05%