Excited for Bing

Bing will incorporate elements of Facebook activity in their search results - this made techie headlines a week ago. If the news of an impending Bing search engine collaboration with Facebook isn't ringing a bell for you, it should be. This partnership looks to be a game changer in how we experience Internet search. Even as the advertising machine of search itself, a model built largely by Yahoo and brought to an apex with Google, is under attack from hardware manufacturers and social media outfits, Bing looks to freshen the experience by dancing with Facebook.

Bing popped onto the scene with a graphical "smile" and claimed its algorithms were better and more accurate than those of Google. They both display different results for the same keyword search, with Bing delivering graphics and images in such an effective manner that Google quickly altered their image search results to match suit. The Facebook social element added to Bing poses an interesting question - how can popularity influence SERPs (Search engine results pages) and will it make a difference at the cash register? Google has shunned displaying the details and search results that come from inside Facebook. Why not, their competition gets enough hungry eyeballs each day, it would be crazy to send more their way. Small bits and pieces of Facebook info makes its way to Google's search results, but for the most part, what you post on Facebook is ignored (or mothballed) by Google. Bing sees opportunity by integrating the Facebook LIKES and related social media activity of your chosen group of friends into search results. And they are spot on with this assessment! How likely would you be to click on a link or photo if it was also recommended or lauded by four of your trusted Facebook friends? This influence has already proven powerful with Pinterest, a social experience that thrives on sharing of dreams, experiences and shopping hints and tips. Bing can tip the table in an interesting direction by making their meshing with Facebook compelling for the web surfer. Bing also claims that the days of search engine results consisting of a white page with blue hyperlinks is short-lived. They hint at displaying the search results with their usualy graphical flair, photos, icons, perhaps they'll even incorporate familiar Facebook items to enrich what you receive. This is very exiting to me, Bing is not my default search engine today, but I'd be more pressed to try them if they could sprinkle in my Facebook marketing gold among the search engine results. Example, what if I learn that my childhood friend Tom has just returned from a trip to Paris as I search "Tour de France?" Or friend Shiela's photo of new Aasics running shoes (with 12 "likes" from her other friends) is displayed when I search for athletic wear on Bing? This could be very impressive and engaging! How many people are thinking the Bing-Facebook reationship could also have benefits on the Facebook side of the equation? Could my searches, with my permission, become part of my Facebook Timeline or Wall, allowing even more input and interaction with my friends in the Facebook world? Inject a new Facebook mobile presence, mentioned frequently last week among all the IPO talk, and what "could be" is exciting to consider.

Knowing the possibilities is fantastic. Seeing that this new relationship between two Internet titans can also spur Google and Apple to better tit-for-tat competitive advances. This is a great time to be wrapped up in the online shakeout called search!