Bing Launches Search Updates, Foursquare App for Maps

Microsoft announced some new updates to Bing today at SES NY, where WebProNews covered the event live (during which a representative for Bing also let me know that live.webpronews.com would be a good place to check it out).

Will Bing’s updates affect your search strategy? Discuss here.

Microsoft’s Yusuf Mehdi, senior vice president, Online Audience Business, announced the updates during his keynote, which you can view here:

"The updates demonstrate Bing’s continued mission to connect people with the knowledge they want on the web," a Bing rep tells me.

So what are the updates?

There’s an update to the Bing user interface, which adapts the page and search results based on the intent of the query. "We’ll be testing a new user interface that includes new design concepts that move the Quick Tabs functionality to the top of the screen, so customers see a more visual and organized page," the rep explains. "On the left side of the page, there will be query-specific options to help refine users’ questions and help Bing better understand user intent. This rolling update begins today and will become available to approximately 5% of customers."

A new search experience for autos will also be rolled out (and available to everybody in the coming weeks). It pulls together disconnected content from across the web for what Bing calls a "one-stop-shop."

In addition, there is a new Foursquare map app for Bing Maps, where customers can see Foursquare check-ins, badges, and mayorships in Bing Maps.

When asked about how businesses can monetize the new opportunities presented by Bing, Mehdi said they can provide different kind of ads and find out more about user intent. "Signals of data have helped us understand user intent," Mehdi said.

The flighting of most of the updates begins today and will be rolling out to all customers later this spring and summer.

Check out our exclusive interview with Microsoft’s Stefan Weitz on the new Bing features:

What do you think of Bing’s new updates? Share your thoughts here.

There are 16 Comments. Add Yours.

Guest
March 25, 2010 at 1:50 pm

I hate Bing and I hate that microsoft is so damn pushy with it. Cannot stand the site.
Nick Norris
March 25, 2010 at 2:11 pm

I like the direction that Bing is going (all personal preference aside, duh). They are definitely enhancing the user experience by using user data to change their algo based on behaviors and not the same old methods. I like how they are trying to better understand HOW people search, and they’re not as focused on which results should or should not be filtered out based on keyword.

I like Bing. I can’t wait to see what they look like in the next couple of years.
business1directory
March 25, 2010 at 2:23 pm

I think it
Asset Protection Blog
March 25, 2010 at 2:35 pm

I think Microsoft will accomplish what they have set out to with Bing.

It will defiantly be interesting to see how they will be able to compete with Google.
I would personally like to see them roll out a really good Publisher Program that is more Competitive than Adsense.

With Google cutting Publishers and treating them like dirt.
We need a new solution and we need it now!!!!

Yahoo still hasn’t brought there Publisher program out of Beta in years.
And at this rate likely won’t.
This would be a great place for us honest Publishers to go to for our Niche sites.
John
March 25, 2010 at 2:46 pm

Go Up Bing! Hope bing can crawl again my site
James P
March 25, 2010 at 3:07 pm

“they’re not as focused on which results should or should not be filtered out based on keyword”

Quite. Isn’t that another way of saying that it doesn’t work as well as Google?
Old Luxe
March 25, 2010 at 3:27 pm

Thank you so much for letting me know about the Bing updates.
Dewaldt Huysamen
March 25, 2010 at 5:27 pm

Not close to Google but surely an improvement and great idea lets see how it works in practise and it will be interesting to see how it affects SEO.
Cindy
March 25, 2010 at 5:49 pm

Good! Bing has been having a tough time finding sites and indexing sites, maybe this new update will improve search results. I think Bing is pretty cool and Google better watch out!
Daz
March 25, 2010 at 9:52 pm

Bing Search Is Still The Pits – Msn Home Page Is Crap – You Clic On Story And Nothing All Front Nothing Backing It Up – Even Windows SoftWare Is Crap Know A Use Windows 98 Pub For Weebsites And Logo’s Ect New Stuff Is Not Up To The Job A Don’t No Why – Do You?
tricajus
March 25, 2010 at 9:53 pm

Google has been the king far too long. If Bing can improve and provide users as an alternative, why not? It’s good to have competition where you’ll be given a choice to choose. It should not be only A…..but either A or B.
Jeemy
March 26, 2010 at 5:46 am

This goes for Google too, but is this really what the user wants?

If is was then why did Yahoo – with blended search results and a portal style steadily lose traffic to Google – a search box on a page and nohing else.

Maybe that is what people realluy want – to search for and find information and nothing else?
PJT
March 26, 2010 at 6:08 am

I like that Bing are pushing it…something else for me to talk to clients about rather than Google,Google,Google. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
daz
March 26, 2010 at 9:53 pm

Webpro News Got To Keep Up – Well We Are All Inc To A Beer Day Off

Take A Look Blogger Template Designers Are Us All And Google Been List 2 Us On Airplanes Stores Buses Trains Fourms Groups Twitter Ect http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6haqZoivBQ&feature=player_embedded
Guest
March 29, 2010 at 3:42 pm

So far I have not liked Bing. I can go to the first page of Google and find what I am looking for as apposed to searching tons of pages of Bing.
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