Which search engine do you use? Raise your hand if you didn’t say Google. I’d be surprised if more than 5% of you raised your hands. Even with the default engine in Internet Explorer being Live, many people change it to Google. Microsoft has been hard at work trying to outdo the search giant and recently launched Bing.com. I truthfully haven’t used it at all since it’s launch, but came across a website that will let me test out whether or not I should consider switching:
www.Bing-vs-Google.com
The split screen view allows you to compare speed (visually), and results. It also allows you to make the split screen vertical or horizontal. The horizontal split screen isn’t as effective as the vertical because you have a natural tendency to only read the top results.
My Initial Impressions of Bing
So far, I am pleasantly surprised by some of the features in Bing. For instance, the mouse-over feature on the right that gives you a little more information about a specific search result (shown below) is very nice:
The Search History (on left, above) is nice, but I can see how some people might get in trouble with this one. What if you share a computer/login with your spouse or children and happen to be searching around for the best price on a gift for them? Or, what if you are not a fan of your boss and are looking for a way to oust him from his position? Then, while researching something for him, he walks in your office and sees the history? There are several other inappropriate examples that I could highlight, but I’ll leave that to your imagination…
On the plus side of the history, it’s nice to be able to quickly re-search a topic. For parents, it’s a great way to see what your child is researching online.
The Look of Bing
Microsoft is no stranger to “borrowing” functionality/features that work well. They clearly went with a more Google-esque look for their results, which I think was a good idea, simply because so many people are comfortable with it.
What’s To Come?
Who knows?!?! When you pit two giants against each other, there’s bound to be progress made on both sides, which ultimately benefits all of us.
Blog Post Invite
I would like to extend an invitation to Josh Curcio, our Director of Client Marketing to provide some feedback on Bing with respect to Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing.
