Microsoft Integrates Facebook, Twitter Into Bing Results

Microsoft on 11 May unveiled a major update to its Bing search engine, which the the software giant claims will fundamentally transform the way users search the web.

With an eye toward social media, Microsoft also made sure this new version of its search engine offered users a way to integrate information from their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Design overhaul

Microsoft said the update is the most significant since the company launched Bing three years ago and is designed to help users act quickly by taking advantage of the web’s evolving fabric, which has become increasingly social.

Users can also find what they’re looking for faster, with more relevant results and a refreshed user interface. Results are presented in a new, three-column design that focuses on helping users take the leap from finding information to making decisions.

The new Bing updates were developed in response to user research showing that people use search engines to save time and get things done quickly, Microsoft said.

“People are using the web to do things in the real world, and that’s a big change from where things were a decade ago,” said Bing Senior Director Stefan Weitz, in a statement. “And so the 10 blue links that search has been predicated on for the last decade no longer makes sense. Simply put, that’s not how you get things done.”

Engineers improved the relevancy of web searches by removing unnecessary links and simplifying the results to the core set of information users are looking for. They also separated out most social network results from the main web results.

Perhaps most significant, the new Bing brings in social signals in the right way and making it easier for users to take action based on the advice of friends and experts, Microsoft said.

Social results

When searching for a particular subject, a list of Facebook friends who may know about that topic is displayed in a light-gray sidebar on the right-side panel of the results page.

Users can post a question and include web links to get input from the friends Bing suggests, and friends can respond on Facebook or Bing, offering recommendations to help with the search, Microsoft said.

The sidebar also displays the names of experts and enthusiasts who have blogged or tweeted about topics related to one’s search. Users can click on the person’s name and read their blog or follow them on Twitter.

Snapshot

A team of about 20 designers revamped the user interface to make it simpler and cleaner. Microsoft has also improved the search experience with “snapshot”, a new feature that displays useful information about a specific place or topic in one location in the middle column of the search results page. If a user searches for hotels in San Francisco, for example, in the main search results Bing will surface results for hotels including hotel star ratings, locations and average rates.

Snapshot takes it a step further by letting people select check-in and check-out dates, see interior views of the property and read reviews to help them find and book the best hotel in the area.

Initially, snapshot will be displayed for searches where Bing can determine a clear customer intent focused on accomplishing a specific task including restaurants, hotels, businesses and movies. Over time, the feature will be expanded to a greater number of places, things and people.

Consumers can sign up at www.bing.com/new to be notified of availability for their PC, and at m.bing.com to receive notification of availability for smartphones.

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