Are Bing A Real Competitor To Google?

For search engines theses days there’s a clear frontrunner. Google have made it to the top of the ladder through good business decisions and an ethos that reassures users, making them feel free from manipulation and pleased with the service on offer. With Android OS for smartphones Google have also shown how they’re capable of branching into new, difficult areas.

So in the face of this, can Bing really compete? Microsoft are obviously a massive company, and a massively powerful force in the computer world. They’ve shown already that they can branch out into new areas and make them a success, such as with the release of the X-box, which took off despite a market dominated by Japanese manufacturers. But with Google integrated into so many websites on a viral scale, is there really anything they can offer?

Microsoft seems to think so. Bing is essentially a re-branding of MSN search, using MSNbot as its algorithm and appealing to hotmail users in the same way. However, it does offer new features too. They’re branding it as a ‘decision machine’ rather than search engine. This is based on it giving more options to the user at a faster rate than Google, so for example giving search options as you type, and giving a list of suggested searches for more search results.

The thing is, the fact that these are the only new options – essentially an augmentation of what you get with a search bar already – shows how little there is to improve on with Google. And MSNbot isn’t as fast as Google, and misses sites completely that should be listed. Microsoft are coming from behind on this, and it makes it unavoidable that there system needs time to improve. There’s also been criticism of the unfiltered nature of websites being given thumbnails on the search bar of Bing, leading to the danger than even with parental filters children might be exposed to explicit material. In response Bing have created a specific explicit section, but that may lead to further criticism in the future.

Microsoft aren’t going anywhere, and neither is Bing, so there’s still plenty of chance for them to bridge the gap, but with Google so obviously out-front it’s probably not going to go Bing’s way anytime soon.

SEO London can improve rankings on both Bing and Google