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Google Tweaks Algorithm As Concern Over Bing Grows

Posted by samzenpus on from the we-have-the-technology-we-can-make-it-better dept.

SharkLaser writes "As Bing gets closer to capturing almost 33% of the market share in the U.S., Google has again made a large tweak to its algorithms to provide more up-to-the-minute search results. The change affects around 35% of queries and is intended to give users more recent news and stories. For breaking news stories the search engine will now weight more heavily the most recent coverage, and not just those sites that are linked the most, and for general terms the search engine values fresh content more than old. Google is hoping that these recent new changes will provide better search experience and stops users from switching over to Bing, which just recently launched its own GroupOn like site."

4 of 397 comments (clear)

  1. This is Crap! by ChronoFish · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here is the line to focus on:
    "Google is facing an increasing threat from Microsoft’s Bing search engine, which is close to providing a third of all internet searches, either directly or via partners such as Yahoo."

    Without it's partners - Bing has crap:

    http://www.netmarketshare.com/
    Mobile, Google = 91%, bing =1%
    DeskTop Google = 82%, bing = 4%

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-10/google-s-u-s-search-market-share-rises-to-65-3-yahoo-declines.html
    US Search : Google = 65% bing = 14%

    http://www.karmasnack.com/about/search-engine-market-share/
    Global: Google = 84%, bing = 2%
    US Google = 83%, bing = 5%

    Claiming that bing has 33% of the US market share on search (as in "nearly a third when including business partners such as Yahoo") is generous at best.

    -CF

  2. Re:Look in the mirror, Google! by thasmudyan · · Score: 4, Informative

    Have you tried putting a + in front of your words on Google recently? The plus is deprecated, they are going to drop it, it was all over the news. But even if the plus was supported in the future, it's a usability nightmare.

  3. Re:What? by reilwin · · Score: 4, Informative

    Have you actually tried to find Google as a search provider for IE9? Last I tried it, Google wasn't even present until the list of search providers. Clicking on "see more" resulted in loading a webpage...again, without Google present. Using the search field present on that webpage to look for "Google" yields no results.

    If I recall, I finally got Google by searching on Bing for how to set up Google as the search provider for IE9. I ended up downloading an addon from Google which added it to the list of search providers in IE9.

  4. Re:What? by LordLimecat · · Score: 4, Informative

    If its set to bing, its a phenomenal PITA to switch-- Google isnt "built in", and you have to go to their "choose search provider" webpage, which has about a zillion search engines that noone cares about. And to even get there you have to navigate through internet options, under "programs".

    Its incredibly user-hostile, and theres no excuse for not including the largest search engine provider by default, even if its not set as the active one.