At the risk of sounding like Microsoft is now sponsoring ADMAVEN - I am going to write my third article in as many weeks covering Microsoft innovations. Bing is the new incarnation of Live Search, and comes with a host of advertisements in print, television, and online video touting the "decision engine" as the savior of modern search.Let's examine - as objectively as possible - the differences between Google and Bing. I'll do a series of random searches and report top five non-sponsored results via image capture displayed below (click the images for larger versions, results links point to live searches). Let's get started!
If you want to do your own comparison, check out this tool to compare results for the same search live!
Search query: best new running shoes
Bing results:
Google results:
Although Bing provides some useful information, Google wins this particular search thanks to its propensity to point me toward running communities that offer a lot of easily accessible peer data on running shoes. The first Bing result sends me to an About.com page offering little more than a list of links to other reviews that may or may not be factual.Search query: best hotels in Cancun
Bing results:
Google results:
The Cancun search seems to be a tie. Both search engines list Tripadvisor as the first result with a smattering of other sites below. Although Google includes deeper content links the parent link seems to be most relevant.Search query: dog groomer in Elmhurst, IL
Bing results:
Google results:
Google flexes its local muscles and crushes Bing in our search for a dog groomer. Unfortunately the concept of a "decision engine" is put to rest by the fact that Bing provides little information in its results to actually help me make a decision. With Google I have a map, reviews, and contact information at my fingertips from the actual search page.Clearly Microsoft has created a search engine that is effective at big picture searches but, for the moment, falls behind Google in helping people make informed decisions at the micro level. Due to the fact that most search is unique and very specific, Google remains the champions of the search engine market.
Do you have any stories of success with Bing when Google was unable to provide you with the information you needed? Share them by commenting below.
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