Why a 2D search for a 3D world? Why the need to travel around to compare products, in a virtual world which doesn't REALLY have any geography (it just simulates it)?
So, how about the following alternative: when you create a vendor for a product, you assign it keywords and mark it as available for Search. The vendor prim has limits on its size.
Then, when the search is carried out, rather than just getting a list of text entries and parcel pictures illustrating the store... the avatar appears in a virtual sim. The client automatically connects to each of the real sims where a search result was found, and rezzes the vendor prim that was listed in the search in the virtual sim, arranging them all in a grid. Then, the avatar can simply walk around and view the products and compare their quality live. Any clicks on the vendors are passed on to the appropriate real sim and the results returned (so scripts, for example, can still run).
That seems to allow search to identify product quality nicely, although I'm not sure how disparate connections to sims would work, but I'm sure it could be made to. Plus, of course, the effect of a search for "guns" would no doubt be pleasing to fans of VR movies
