Which is best … To google or to bing?
This may well be the debate between savvy internet searchers since Microsoft has totally revamped their old search engine, MSN Live, calling it “Bing” and giving Google real competition for the first time in its history.
Microsoft may have finally done something right in its quest to beat Google in search engine rankings. Instead of simply upgrading their MSN Live search engine they renamed it and started a heavy advertising campaign to get people talking about “Bing” and not “the upgraded MSN Live”. Smart move. The new name separates it from its predecessor and some people will never know its run by Microsoft.
The whole design of Bing is pleasingly aesthetic and simple. And, when you type your search phrase into the search box you get a big ‘bang for your bing’ – relevant results that are just as good as a Google search. And…a big difference – there are actually fewer results than a Google search – which Microsoft is promoting as an improvement to search. There are other options too – like news, articles and even your search history to choose from. With this more robust and fine-tuned search, I can see why Microsoft calls Bing a “decision search machine.”
Of course, Microsoft faces a major hurdle in its move to overtake and surpass Google: branding. [Note: WSJ Blogger, John Paczkowski, recently noted that Bing has been making progress]
Google is THE search engine everyone uses. It is a household name and has become synonymous for the word “search”. People don’t search the Internet, they Google it. Somehow, “binging the Internet” just doesn’t have the same ring to it! It sounds rather dull and boring in comparison. While it was a very smart move to give the search engine a new name, I’m not sure the name is smart! (I even mis-typed “bling” before…)
Naysayers declare that Bing will never catch or surpass Google. Who knows? A few years ago the big question was will Google ever be as big as Yahoo?
What do you think? To Bing or not to Bing?
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* Shakespeare’s Henry V, Act III
