Give Bing a Chance

Google still stands tall as the king of search – controlling nearly 65% of the market. However, Bing is giving them a run, thanks in part to their partnership with Facebook.

The Future of Web Search is Social

Google and Bing both understand the future of the search is going social.  Why? Because that’s where the action is.  The social networks are where there is the most activity on the web.  It’s where content is being created, and more importantly, where it is being shared.

Sharing content gives it context in the sense that shared links validate content – the act of sharing suggests a vote of confidence, especially if its from a trusted source. Traditionally, Google has used links from authoritative sources to determine which content will rank the well.  But social media is changing that.

While most of us will still take the advice of credible experts, we will more than likely weigh that against the recommendations of trusted friends. Not only do you trust your friends, but knowing their tendencies will help you make better decisions.

Who Most Influences Your Decisions?

It’s hard to believe that the Facebook Like button is only a little more than a year old.  It’s now second nature to share good content by Liking on Facebook, just as it is to retweet on Twitter.  Do a search on Bing and you will notice it is reference more pages in search results that your friends have liked.

Will these subtle recommendations from friends influence your decisions?  I suppose it depends on the friend and your relationship with them.  If, for example, you are looking to keep your costs down, and notice that your thrifty friend has liked a particular company you were considering – your decision may be heavily influenced.

So, not to be outdone by this, Google recently created the Google+1 button to reference pages that you can use to like or recommend web content for your friends.

Who are your friends?  For Bing they are your Facebook friends.  Google+1 determines who your friends are from the social feeds you have plugged into your Google Profile – which is explained here.  So, this could be your followers on Twitter, Quora, LinkedIn, etc – but will specifically exclude those on Facebook.

Factoring Social into Your Business Marketing

So, this creates an interesting scenario for those conducting a search – and for small businesses like yours and mine that need to be relevant for both Google and Bing.  Given Bing’s relationship with Facebook and 30% share of search, it will be a wise move to invest time into actively engaging on Facebook.

Besides, it’s not really work, is it?

Beyond that, there are all of the other social networks to consider – and Google is doing their best to index that content.  I just learned of a new one today that may change my strategy with Foursquare.

Up until now, I’ve taken a conservative approach – one like most folks do when approving Facebook friends. However, mobile search engine Sonar is making me rethink that strategy.  You can learn more about Sonar from this short article.

What should you do next?

The message is to not to lay back and rest on old familiar ways.  Social will continue to influence how operate our businesses – especially our marketing.  The only challenge is finding what works best for you and your business.

I know I’m going to start splitting my searches between Bing and Google to see what kinds of content is being favored – especially what types of social content.

What are your next steps for keeping your business relevant online for social search?

Leave a comment below and please share this with your social community on Facebook or Twitter.

Until tomorrow, Jeff

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