Google and Bing: The Ramifications for Search and Web Design
Search engines have become an integral part of our daily lives, and as with anything that enjoys mass-market appeal, there is an intense battle to provide the biggest and best service. Google has enjoyed the lion’s share of the market for some time, with current estimates giving them 62% of world-wide search activity. Bing is the second largest international search engine and has garnered something of a cult following of devoted searchers. The battle between the search engines, and the devices on which people access them, are important in digital industries. Organisations such as Bing and Google play a major role in the development of new approaches in web design, as designers know their clients are reliant on good search engine optimisation to get their websites seen.
The Argument for Google
Juan Andres, on the North Denver News website, attempts to explain why Google enjoys greater recognition and superior search statistics than its rival. His article consists of fourteen points about why Google is more attractive than Bing for search services from the point of view of a typical internet user. Andres points to the superior sophistication of Google’s search infrastructure, such as weather and currency exchange reports, and the fact that Google is the more established brand with huge levels of recognition in the mass market that Bing cannot match.
The Argument for Bing
By contrast Mark Hachman, writing for PC World, explains why he switched from Google to Bing for his searches and why three weeks later he hasn’t looked back. Hachman has highlighted aspects of Bing’s search services that are at least as effective as Google’s, including the quality of its search results for web pages and specifically for images. He is also incentivised to search with Bing because of their BingRewards scheme. For every two Bing searches he does, Microsoft loads a credit on to his user account. With as many as 15 credits available per day in a short amount of time, Hachman collects enough credits to trade for real rewards, such as money off Microsoft digital content and Amazon.
Responsive Web Design
The concept of responsive web design (RWD) has risen to prominence in recent years as surfing the web via mobile devices has become more popular. Content designed through RWD acclimatises to different devices, so that web pages can be viewed on a range of screen sizes without limiting usability. Design studios such as http://www.easiserv.com , who are well-established providers of web design in Northampton, understand the latest industry developments and routinely incorporate RWD and other such approaches into their website builds.
Digital Industries Moving Forward
Because web pages can be difficult to navigate on mobiles and tablets, both Bing and Google have recommended RWD as the best way to craft web content going forward. Their recognition around the world means the voices of the two largest international search engines resonate throughout digital industries on all manner of subjects facing businesses, from web design to search services.
