Microsoft's new search engine Bing to 'change face of search'

LONDON - Analysts have said that Microsoft's new Bing search engine will 'change the face of search', but it will take share from Yahoo! rather than Google.

The Bing search engine will replace live.com on 3 June and Microsoft expects it to help it gain more searcher share by delivering results and content more relevant to how users actually search, keeping them on the homepage.

Microsoft claims 30% of searches are abandoned without a satisfactory result, which advertisers aren't happy with.

Microsoft will also integrate its Ciao online shopping and comparison website into Bing.

Bing brings together websites, related searches and a users' search history so that if you search for holiday or flight you can get relevant price and travel information rather than a directory of websites. Or a search for a pop star may bring up biography, videos, music and concert information. 

Brands will have to change their search engine optimisation strategies to optimise their content for sub categories rather than key words.

Forrester analyst Shar Van Boskirk says Bing provides 'more, quality search inventory'. 

'Today most advertisers buy search ads just with Google and Yahoo! because Microsoft has a measly 8% share of searches, not enough reach to make buying search ads with Microsoft worth the trouble. Forrester expects Bing to change that.  We expect Bing to appeal to the savvy searcher seeking more relevant search results.'

Forrester expects online media planners to adjust the sites where they buy as consumers start to go to Bing instead of other content portals such as Yahoo! or VirginMedia.com

Microsoft is reportedly spending $80m to $100m on a new ad campaign for its search engine with JWT.

Published by: Fiona Ramsay

Published 29th May, 2009

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