Google versus Bing

This post will be a collection of links discussing web search. Why? Because that's what I do. I'm very linky. ;)

As you know, Google released Instant Search not long ago. I discussed this on this blog at that time: What's up with Google.com lately?, September 8, 2010.

So, what does that mean for the web search business?

First up is a story from eWeek.com.
"Google Instant Search Could Kill Microsoft Bing: 10 Reasons Why"
http://www.eweek.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=63286&Itemid=28
Reason #1 is "Google Instant works well." That's what really matters. Speed matters, and Google has it. Not only that, but having the infrastructure to roll this out on such a wide scale is a big deal.

Bear in mind that Microsoft is spending a fortune, millions of dollars per month, to advertise Bing. From ClickZ, earlier this year:
"Microsoft Upped Display Ad Spend for Bing in December"
http://www.clickz.com/clickz/stats/1711625/microsoft-upped-display-ad-spend-bing-december

Microsoft is also trying to integrate Bing into various forms of entertainment, a form of product placement. From the NY Times:
"Searching for Bing? It’ll Be Baked Into TV and Online Fare"
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/05/business/media/05adco.html?_r=1

In my personal experience, I have noticed Bing ads MANY times on this very blog. And on my Google-issued phones, running the Google Android operating system (in apps with embedded advertising). Yes, that's right, Microsoft is paying Google to advertise Bing using Google AdWords on Google websites (Blogger, in my case) and using Google AdMob on Google Android phones. I apologize for saying "Google" so much, but I'm trying to make a point. Microsoft is so serious about advertising Bing that they have turned to the experts to get it done. Kind of ironic, isn't it?

Not only that, Microsoft is flat-out trying to buy market share. From TechFlash (again, from earlier this year):
"Microsoft pays the price, literally, for Bing's bigger market share"
http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2010/02/microsoft_pays_the_price_literally_for_bings_bigger_share.html

There are a couple noteworthy items in the above article. These are clearly spelled out in the two figures. First of all, Microsoft is spending literally billions of dollars to push Bing. Secondly, Google's market share keeps rising. Bing's share is also rising, but it appears to be coming out of Yahoo--which is not good for Microsoft given their partnership with Yahoo.


All is not bleak for Microsoft, however. Microsoft is clearly playing to win. They are investing heavily and developing new ways to present search results--and forcing Google to adopt some of those methods (showing images in search results, for instance).

Furthermore, Microsoft would argue in response to Google Instant that 1) speed is no substitute for the quality of search results; and 2) they already did the same functionality years ago. From USA Today:
"Bing exec: Google Instant may be fast, but Bing results are smarter"
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2010/09/bing-exec-google-instant-may-be-fast-but-bing-results-are-smarter-/1

Here is the Bing live search page produced by Long Zheng of Microsoft back in 2009:
"The Real Live Search - your browser and Bing's AJAX APIs make sweet love"
http://www.istartedsomething.com/livesearch/

Try it for yourself and see what you think. Although it may sound as though I'm saying that sarcastically, I'm really not. Microsoft has not gotten where they are by chance. They know what they're doing, too.

I think Stefan Weitz of Microsoft lays it on a little thick in the USA Today interview. For example, "Bing is a decision engine." What exactly does that mean? Nonetheless, he makes some good points. Chief among those is this statement: "The benefit of having this choice [Google or Microsoft] is that people can keep us honest by using both of us."

Tough competition like this means that the customer is the real winner, and that's a good thing.