The internet is centred on search engines. Despite Google's overwhelming dominance in terms of market share and user popularity, other search engines have their advantages and markets where they are particularly significant.
When comparing search engines, it can be difficult to determine which one is best for you. There are a lot of distinctions between Google and Bing that may make one more fit for your needs than the other.
When it comes to deciding which search engine is better, there are several factors to consider. From the user interface to search engine personalisation, both Google and Bing offer different approaches to searching the web.
In this article, we'll help you figure out if Google or Bing is the best search engine for your needs and let you decide for yourself which is better.
What are Search Engines?
A search engine is a tool used to search for information on the Internet. Search engines use algorithms to search for and retrieve information from websites, databases, and other sources.
They are the primary means of navigation on the Internet and are used by millions of people every day.
Search engines use keywords to locate information. When a user types in a search query, the search engine looks for websites and other sources that contain the keywords. The search engine then ranks the sources according to how relevant they are to the query.
A Brief History of Search Engines
The first search engine was developed in 1990 by Alan Emtage, a student at McGill University in Montreal. He called it Archie, short for "archives." It was designed to search FTP sites, or file transfer protocol sites, for files. It was the first search engine that allowed users to search for files on the Internet.
In 1995, two Stanford students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin created a search engine they called BackRub. It was later renamed Google, and it quickly became the most popular search engine on the Internet. Google has since become one of the most powerful companies in the world, and its search engine dominates the market.
In 2009, Microsoft launched its search engine, Bing, in an attempt to compete with Google. Bing is now the second-most popular search engine, with a market share of about 9%.
What is the Market Share of Google vs. Bing?
Market shareis one of the primary distinctions between Google and Bing. According to Statista, Bing held 8.95% of the global search market in December 2022, while Google held 84.08%.
Interestingly, Yahoo only held 2.6% of the global sharebeing one of the very first search engines launching in 1994.
What Does Microsoft’s Investment in ChatGBT Mean for MSFT Stock?
This story originally appeared on MarketBeat
In news that was widely expected, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) announced it was expanding its partnership with OpenAI, the creator of the chatbot ChatGBT. For now, the higher-ups in Redmond are being tight-lipped about their investment other than to say it’s a multi-billion, multi-year investment. But the word on the street is this will be a $10 billion investment.
One thing is certain, this infusion of cash will certainly help OpenAI as it works to improve and scale ChatGBT. But is this $10 billion money well spent for Microsoft? Is it part of a bigger or even a plan that would have Microsoft buying OpenAI outright? And what does all of this mean for MSFT stock?
How close is ChatGPT to becoming the dominant search engine?
Microsoft has said it plans to use ChatGBT in all of its products. However, it’s hard for investors not to consider the particular implications for Microsoft’s search engine, Bing.
OpenAI's ChatGPT is a cutting-edge natural language model that leverages deep learning to generate human-like prose. Based on OpenAI's Generative Pre-Trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3), ChatGPT has been optimised for use in generating conversational language.
At the end of 2022, ChatGPT gained extensive media coverage, with people utilising the chatbot to write poetry, students cheating on essays, and businesses pondering how it could be used to expedite work. Many just used the chatbot to obtain answers to inquiries they would normally ask search engines like Google. Rapidly, individuals started questioning, "Could ChatGPT replace Google?"
For the time being, ChatGPT does not pose a threat to Google's search engine dominance.
Whereas search engines such as Google are meant to index, rank, and retrieve material from the internet, ChatGPT's primary objective is to generate conversational text. Indeed, ChatGPT cannot access the internet in its current state or any material published after 2021, the cutoff date for its training data.
ChatGPT has limitations despite being trained on a wide dataset of resources such as books, journals, and webpages. First, its replies are constrained by the information included in its training data. Any queries outside of this area will not receive a response. Second, ChatGPT is able to confidently provide erroneous or biased responses, reflecting the bias in the human-generated content of its training data.
ChatGPT therefore poses no direct challenge to Google's dominance in the search engine business. However, integrating ChatGPT into a preexisting search engine might provide substantial benefits.
Therefore, if such integration were to happen, it would make Bing an even more formidable competitor to Alphabet’s dominance in search. If the rumours are true, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL), the parent company of Google, is keenly aware of the threat this poses and have called in Help From Larry Page and Sergey Brin for the A.I. Fight.
What is conversational search's future?
Despite the fact that online search has become much more sophisticated in the nearly two decades since START was developed, making it less likely that a "expert" would be required to find the relevant information, ChatGPT's popularity demonstrates that "just the right information" remains a popular concept.
To be able to answer any conceivable question in any conceivable wording, however, is a highly complex computational task, as it requires the ability to understand how different words and parts of speech relate to one another and come together to form a whole, as well as the ability to retrieve the correct piece of information in response to that. Ask Jeeves and START were ahead of their time, but both had their limitations; it wasn't until the early to mid-2010s that major search engines like Bing and Google attempted to handle more complicated, multi-part natural language searches.
However, the objective of true conversational search is desirable enough for big search businesses to invest significant time and resources in its development.
How do the Functionalities of Google and Bing Compare?
In terms of search capability, the two search engines are comparable, although Google provides more features:
Bing Doesn't Provide an Alternative for Google Books and Scholarly Articles.
Google's research-oriented features, such as Google Books and Scholarly Articles, will likely attract university students and avid readers over Bing.
There are numerous practical applications for these capabilities. Students seeking a vital reference to support their thesis can use Scholarly Articles to restrict their search without having to sift through countless books in a physical library. And if you like the sound of a new novel by your favourite author but would like to preview it before purchasing it, Google Books can help you do exactly that with previews for numerous titles.
Google Was Ahead of the Curve Regarding Flights and Finance.
Flights and Finance are two more innovative Google products. Similar to services like Skyscanner, Google Flights offers exactly what it says. Users can search and book flights through third-party operators from a single page.
Even though Bing has developed its own Flights product, Google Finance remains unmatched. This interface enables you to monitor market trends, current share prices, and pertinent news articles without leaving Google.
Flight Booking and Tracking as well as Accommodation and Holiday Planning Need Further Consideration.
With both Google and Bing you can easily book flights, look up things to do and book your stay at a hotel or other holiday accommodation.
Here is a side-by-side comparison of each:
Booking Flights:
You can search and book flights through third-party operators from a single page. Both Google and Bing offer a variety of filters to narrow down your search. Google does offer the ability to view your flights on a price graph and a date grid which can be helpful when looking at several options. They also offer a bonus feature of being able to select flights by their carbon emissions impact.
Accommodation and things to do on vacation:
Again, both provide very comparable choices for searching for accommodations and activities to do while on vacation and saving them for easy reference from your profile when signed in.
Accommodation:
Things to do:
Bing brings additional convenience to the table by allowing you to book car rentals and vacation packages all within the Travel dashboard, making it even easier to organise your next trip.
Which is More Secure to use - Google or Bing?
Google's search results are personalised, which means that the company keeps and makes use of the data obtained from their user accounts, queries, and interests.
Bing is less intrusive and only gathers a small portion of user information for organic results, namely language and geotagging. Microsoft states that rather than steering users in a particular direction, their search engine helps users make informed judgments.
Our conclusion on the privacy debate between Bing and Google is that Bing's strategy is undoubtedly more security-focused. This is the main distinction between the two SERP presenting strategies.
Is Google or Bing More Effective at Online Advertising?
You literally cannot afford to ignore pay-per-click (PPC) advertising if you want swarms of customers who are prepared to make a purchase to visit your website.
The data speaks for itself. Up to 80% more people will be aware of your business thanks to search ads. Furthermore, these PPC visitors are 50% more likely to make a purchase than organic visits after they reach your website.
Google Ads and Bing Ads are the two leading PPC campaigns currently available. And if you're here right now, you're presumably trying to decide which one to put your 2022 marketing budget into.
Yes, Google Ads has a wider audience. It does, however, face greater competition and a higher CPC.
The audience base you may target with Bing Ads, however, is different and there is less competition. Keep in mind that the platform might not provide you with the desired level of traffic.
Which Maps are More Accurate - Google or Bing?
Google Maps and Bing Maps are now fundamental parts of their respective search engines thanks to their widespread adoption and use. In the context of local search, we've only scratched the surface of the distinctions between them; further investigation is warranted.
These side-by-side screenshots reveal that, at first glance, the two apps' user interfaces (UIs) don't diverge all that much:
Both mapping functions offer the user a knowledge panel with information about the area or business, as well as navigation, sharing, and saving options. The map occupies the primary area of both UIs; in both cases, the map allows the user to zoom in and move around.
The biggest noticeable distinctions between Google Maps and Bing Maps are in the directions they provide and the data that goes with them. The predicted travel times and route information vary across the two web mapping programs.
The Verdict: Which is Better Google or Bing?
Google and Bing have clearly come a long way, and in some areas they are diverging from one another.
Bing's market share continues to increase year after year, despite Google's dominance. It is also evident that Microsoft is attempting to offer advertisem*nts in a morally superior manner by minimising the amount of user data it uses and stores. There are benefits and drawbacks to both policies. It's up to you to determine which option you're more comfortable using and be aware of what how much information you're giving away.
Both Google and Bing have functionalities that are quite comparable. Google is the most dependable and convenient source of information for students, but when it comes to seeing and booking trip packages and transportation, Bing appears to have the upper hand.
Google offers a superior day to day travel planning experience with their Maps by warning you of road closures and providing superior alternate routes - Bing is certain to incorporate these services in the near future.
In the advertising space, Google has a significantly larger reach than Bing, yet this results in higher PPC expenditures for Google Ads. We would recommend that you modify your marketing efforts to accommodate both platforms, as they operate similarly. You may discover success with one or the other, and then you can modify your action plan as you progress.
With this information, you can make a far more informed decision regarding which platform you are most comfortable with and which would best fit your needs. In the end, these search engines are designed to be of service to you and even drive up your earning potential exponentially.
