Microsoft’s Bing search engine is now stepping into a contentious area for publishers by offering full form query answers at the top of search results. Many webmasters were upset when Google began providing this service to search users, as it may mean that some searchers now don’t need to click on a site to learn more about an organization – they can simply find the information through the search company. However, this addition to Bing’s search platform can bring the same advantages to users that Google’s knowledge graph currently offers. In this blog, we’ll look at why Bing is offering this service and the benefits it provides.
Improved Search Functionality
A leading benefit of the full form queries now presented through Bing is that they ensure each user is able to quickly see information without having to scroll through several pages. As with recent Google initiatives, such as their mobile algorithm update Bing is focusing on improving the user experience. By reducing the number of pages between the user and the information they require, Bing is helping streamline the search process and provide a better service to users.
Microsoft Looking Ahead in Terms of Search
Microsoft appears to be looking to the future by offering long-form answers within their search platform. Bing will now provide mobile users with direct access to information through their smart phone, which would otherwise have taken them several minutes to find. For those with restricted data plans, this type of continuous search can be costly. More important than simple data, time is often a factor for mobile users. They are often looking for the location of a building while on-the-go, or simply looking for a quick recipe while in the kitchen. This new search functionality is designed to appeal to this search user-base.
While many content producers might not like their content being utilized by third-party search companies outside of their website, this type of search platform evolution has been going on for some time. Search companies must balance their need to appeal to users with their ability to help companies market their products on line. By only showing specific answers to common questions and by sourcing the content they provide, the big search companies can maintain this important balance.
To discover more on the constant changes taking place in search marketing, speak with our trusted experts directly today!
