After a failed attempt to take over Yahoo! last year Microsoft has revealed it’s all new search engine Bing which is to be rolled out worldwide by 3rd June.
As stated in the Microsoft press release here in the UK we will have a Beta version, Paul Stoddart, Microsoft UK search lead, said: "Bing is being built in the UK over the next six to 12 months based on consumer insights and is designed to help people find the shortest distance from their initial Search query to the point of making an informed decision."Silicon.com May 2009
With an Explorer pane on the left hand side designed to assist those not so familiar with searching Bing is aiming to take search results to the next level, offering:
Autosuggest – similar terms which have been used in searches in the past
Best Match – the most relevant result is prominently displayed
Deep Links – site previews
Quick Previews – hoover over a result for a text preview
Instant Answers – used for day to day queries such as weather and traffic
XRank – displays what is popular in the world
Challenging the view of traditional search engines Bing will try to help us to not only find information but, also put this information to use, through Bing Shopping, Bing Health, Bing Travel, Bing Local, Bing Mobile, Bing Toolbars. By the same token Bing for Mobile will assist with searches on the move and Bing Maps Gadget will give real time traffic conditions.
It is estimated that advertising for the new site will be in the region of $100million. Part of this advertising is to show the site as a “decision engine” as opposed to a “search engine” through the use of the autosuggest element. This might sound a little sickly – something else trying to guess what we want. However, Microsoft have taken this a few steps further with the introduction of real world information sources. The Guardian (28th May 2009) gives the following example of how this will impact “.. different results if you search for Wimbledon during the tennis season or Cannes during the film festival than if you search for the same terms at Christmas”.
Are we ready for a new type of search engine? With the recent reports of Google Fail , 4Ps Marketing (15th May 2009) perhaps it is time that we all began to question our reliance on Google. Whether you use Google Mail, Google News, Google Analytics, Google Search or in fact all of them (as many of us do!) what would be the consequences if Google Fail were to become a more regular occurrence? Having said that, with such market dominance is it realistic that anyone can compete? After all Google has managed to turn itself into not only a household name but a verb people use even if they are using Live Search or Yahoo!
The bigger picture – What does this mean in terms of SEO and PPC?
A lot is still unknown at the moment and it is certain that over the next 12 months there will be numerous changes and advances as to how sites will rank on Bing. Considering Microsoft have changed the name four times it is only expected.
As Microsoft themselves have said Bing will reduce the number of wasted clicks which they state currently accounts for 24% of clicks. It has been suggested that Bing will require SEM agencies to step up to a new challenge with sub category optimisation as opposed to the traditional key word approach.
The Future?
Will Bing ever be able to compete with Google? Will this new “decision engine” actually make searches any easier? Will customers be able to find your site more easily? Will bounce rates be a thing of the past?….Just a few of the questions we are sure to be pondering whilst Bing endeavours to convert us from Google.
Alternatively, will Wolfram Alpha be the victor in successfully tearing us away from the beloved Google….
