Microsoft's Bing – implications for marketers

Microsoft's Bing search engine launched on the 1st June. This post summarises my recommendations on the features for marketers to consider.

We have to start with popularity - how many will use the new search engine. Microsoft has been somewhat successful in retaining market share in the US primarily through it's cashback affiliate scheme and the launch is likely to increase this. It has an 8% share of searches. In the UK Live Search had a lower share of around 1% according to Hitwise

Source: Comscore

Implications of Bing for marketers

1. Start out by checking out your brand searches: See Amazon example.

There is potential for more brand leakage through Related Searches which show competitors. For the searcher is the main difference from Google at the search results page level.

2. How is your brand described?

The snippets are from meta descriptions, but watch for the Expanded snippets on the Right when you rollover your mouse to the right of the SERPs listing - do those describe your brand accurately?

Sitelink listings under the site are harder to come by

3. For retailers, Shopping is more closely integrated through a Google "Universal Search" type approach as the example above show.  In the UK, shopping gives a link to www.ciao.co.uk so we can expect this will increase in popularity.

4. Image and video search is more tightly integrated.

Bing launched without Help to learn about new features (still used old Live Search Help #Fail).

To find out more you can use the preview site: http://www.discoverbing.com/