What is Bing Search? Comparing Bing Search with Google Search

When it comes to search engine websites, Google is not the only option. Bing is also a search engine that is considered capable of competing with Google at certain times. Let's explore this search engine.

What is Bing Search?

Bing Search is a search engine developed by Microsoft, primarily known as a search engine website accessible by visiting Bing.com. 

Although Bing is mainly recognized for its search engine website, it is not the only way you can access its web search services. People who want to use Bing can also use it through Microsoft Edge, as well as through the Bing mobile app.

In Edge, Bing can be accessed automatically when you perform a web search using Edge's search bar, as it is the default search engine for the browser. So, when you perform a search in Edge using the search bar, you will be directly taken to Bing's search results.

A Brief History of Bing

Bing was announced by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on May 28, 2009, and officially launched in July of the same year. Bing was created to replace Live Search and MSN Search. To facilitate a smooth transition, Microsoft acquired Powerset, a company developing natural language search technologies for the internet. Moreover, Microsoft and Yahoo reached an agreement to have Bing power Yahoo! Search.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Bing

Currently, the majority of search users prefer Google because Bing is not as good at understanding the context around a query when presenting answers in the SERP. However, let's consider the pros and cons of Bing to see if it could be a viable alternative to Google.

Advantages of Bing:

• Access to information beyond search, such as historical events, interesting images, and news.
• Better video indexing for searchers and web admins.
• Easier image search filtering.
• Aesthetically pleasing user interface thanks to Windows' live search technology.
• Frequent updates with new features to compete with Google and Google Chrome.

Disadvantages of Bing:

• Bing ranks forum pages lower in favor of older, more established pages.
• Bing is not as good at understanding intent and context.
• Bing does not provide as much reach for companies.

If you are looking for a comprehensive internet experience with a wealth of information and news, Bing might be a good choice for you. Bing can also be a great option for PPC for companies looking to reach an older audience. However, this search engine may not appeal to everyone.

Comparing Bing with Google

Both Bing and Google are search engines, performing one of the most basic tasks of daily web browsing, but how do they differ? Let's take a look.

1. Google vs. Microsoft Bing Market Share

One of the first differences between Microsoft Bing and Google is market share. According to Statista, in February 2021, Bing held 6.7% of the global search market, while Google held 86.6%. 

While that might tempt you to focus solely on Google, Microsoft Bing offers good conversions and has a user base that cannot be ignored. Though 6.7% might seem small, it translates to millions of people using Microsoft Bing every day.

Over the years, some have wondered if Bing stands for "Because It's Not Google." I’m not sure how true that is, but the name comes from a campaign in the early 1990s for its predecessor, Live Search. Another interesting tidbit is that Ahrefs recently conducted a study on the top 100 Bing searches globally, and the number one searched query was Google.

2. Search Features

From a functional search perspective, the two search engines are similar, but Google offers more core features.

3. Look and Interface

Immediately, the differences between Bing and Google are clear, based on their respective interfaces. Google's main search page is famously simple and minimalist in design, while Bing, in contrast, is often filled with beautiful photos and links to the latest news stories. Bing still has a simple, easy-to-find search bar, but it is not centered on the website like Google’s search bar; in fact, it seems intentionally off-center.

Bing's search home page is also customizable. If you want to use it but prefer more white space or less busy backgrounds, you can opt to hide the page's menu bar, news links, and even its iconic daily homepage image.

4. Quality of Search Results

For the most part, the consensus is that there is not much difference in quality between the search results produced by Bing and Google. However, when it comes to time-sensitive information searches, there are some differences to note.

First of all, if you are looking for articles or researching something that requires the most up-to-date information, Bing is slightly less useful than Google in that it does not always provide publication dates alongside search results, making it difficult to quickly determine which articles or resources have the most recent information. Google provides these dates more consistently.

The fact that Bing does not provide these dates as frequently also tends to highlight another difference; Bing does not always bring the newest articles to the top of search results and tends to show older articles instead of more recent and relevant ones. Google is more consistent in ensuring the latest headlines appear at the top of search results.

5. Advanced Search Options

Both Bing and Google offer advanced search options and filters to narrow down search results, but Google's advanced options and filters are easier to find than Bing’s.

In fact, on a given search results page generated by Bing, there does not seem to be an option for advanced search settings or filters until you select another result tab such as Images or Videos. Only then do additional search options appear.

However, on Google's search results page, advanced search as well as other search tools and filters are usually available and visible on most of the tabs you choose.