Microsoft Gives Bing Search Engine Major Overhaul

There was a time when Microsoft's Bing search engine, launched in mid-2009, was one of the hottest pages on the world wide web.

But Bing's popularity has cooled since the days of its high-profile release. Today, Microsoft is 'searching' for ways to draw web users away from Google search and toward Bing.

As part of this effort, Microsoft has introduced a major overhaul of the ways Bing displays its search results on its main page.

The new strategy aims to "de-clutter" Bing's search results by getting rid of what the Redmond-based firm characterized as 'unnecessary distractions.' (Source: cnet.com)

Layout of Search Results Based on Query

Gone is Bing's old navigation menu on the left side of the page. Minimized is the page header, where users were told to find categories for refining their search results with images, videos, and so forth.

Under the new approach, Bing's presentation of results will depend greatly on the specific terms and topic which the user enters as the search query.

For a search query, such as 'bacteria,' where the best results will be text-based, Bing displays web pages at the top of its search results page, and follows them with images.

But for instances where a searcher is more likely to want to view pictures, such as in a search for 'dogs,' Bing places relevant images at the top of its results page.

Shopping links are generally added further down the new Bing results pages.

Extensive Research Drives Changes

Microsoft says extensive research and planning went into developing and implementing these changes. Because the new display methods clearly set Bing apart from Google search, experts believe this new approach may help Bing attract more traffic, and more revenue.

"Over the past few months, we've run dozens of experiments to determine how you read our pages to deliver the link you're looking for," Microsoft's Bing Team noted in a recent blog post.

"Based on that feedback, we've tuned the site to make the entire page easier to scan, removing unnecessary distractions, and making the overall experience more predictable and useful. This refreshed design helps you do more with search--and gives us a canvas for bringing future innovation to you." (Source: pcmag.com)

The most popular addition to Bing's search results may be its newly boosted performance.

"You will also notice," Microsoft said, "faster page-load times and improved relevance under the hood. After all, our goal is to help people spend less time searching and more time doing. And changing how we look is the next big step in doing just that." (Source: pcmag.com)