By Horst Joepen

Market share numbers squarely place Google as the leader in the internet search sector, certainly in the US, UK and many parts of Western Europe, but Microsoft’s Bing is doing all it can to catch up. Here are five key ways in which Bing seems to be gaining some ground on Google:

1. Bing’s partnering to attack mobile search

In May this year Research in Motion (RIM) announced that Bing will become the global default search engine on all new BlackBerry phones, along with the BlackBerry Playbook tablet. It will be closely integrated with the operating system, demonstrating the depth of the relationship between RIM and Microsoft.

This news follows Microsoft’s highly publicised alliance with Nokia, which will see the Finnish giant move to Windows Mobile-based phones, all of which run Bing as the default search engine. Add in that Microsoft has also struck deals direct with carriers (such as Verizon in the US) to make Bing the search engine for some Google Android-based phones and you can see a concerted push into the mobile market.

This is important because mobile surfing is expected to increase dramatically in coming years, with a large slice of this likely to be focused around search – such as looking for the nearest bank/petrol station when you’re out and about or comparing prices on the web against physical in-store goods.

2. Bing’s got a social search headstart with its Facebook partnership

Experts keep telling us that search is going social, and this is one reason why Bing’s partnership and integration with Facebook – the world’s biggest social network – could turn into a major windfall.

In its latest announcement Bing reveals how it has enhanced the way it takes and uses data from Facebook (such as Likes and interests) to create personalised search results. So if you are looking at shopping results (and you are logged into Bing) then it will tell you which pages have been Liked by which friends. It will also use Facebook data about your interests to bring specific pages higher up.

Here’s what Qi Lu, director of Microsoft Online Services, says about the integration: “Bing and Facebook are collaborating to create a search experience that doesn’t exist at the moment. What’s missing from search is the trusted opinion of people you value.”

There are still industry debates about whether Likes do add a level of trust and whether they’re all that valuable in the context of search. But if social is going to play a role in search, then having access to Facebook’s data (which Google doesn’t have), gives Bing the advantage of being able to try new techniques and models for marrying the two areas. That’s got to be a major plus.

3. Bing’s iPad app has won industry praise

While Apple includes Google as the default search engine for its Safari browser, the Bing for iPad app has been roundly praised by the industry as providing a more complete experience than Google’s equivalent app and really maximising the benefits of the high resolution touchscreen device.

You’d assume that the first wave of iPad users are technology innovators who will be willing try new things, so Microsoft will be hoping that they try Bing on the iPad and then migrate to it on other devices... and maybe influence their friends and colleagues too.

4. Bing’s privacy policy is considered to be tighter than Google’s

The issue of data privacy is growing in importance as people wake up to the wide range of information that is available about them on the web. Regular media stories about high profile hacking attacks means more people will want to control their online footprint. This may give Bing an advantage because some experts have said that its privacy policy is tighter.

In fact, in late 2009, Asa Dotzler, an executive from Mozilla (a Microsoft rival when it comes to browsers of course) posted instructions on his personal blog on how to change Firefox’s default search engine from Google to Bing because he felt so strongly that Bing is better on privacy than Google.

5. Microsoft is adding Bing to Xbox

Microsoft’s Xbox is much more than a games console. For many users it acts as the gateway to the internet from their living room, making it a central part of their online experience. So the news that Microsoft is making a version of Bing available for the Xbox opens up a potentially huge new market.

While Bing will initially offer a limited range of search types, you can expect that to increase in line with user adoption. And again, after using Bing on one device people may well adopt it on other platforms, and help boost market share.

Final remarks

So far Bing has only gained some critical market share in the US (where Bing plus Yahoo – which is powered by Bing’s search engine –together have around 30 per cent). In most Western European countries Google has a very dominant 90 per cent + share. So part of Google’s global success is because of its commitment to investing in international versions of its products and quick penetration of countries outside the US. Bing will definitely need to increase internationalisation, such as through its recent partnership with Chinese search giant Baidu, if it is to get closer to its rival.

But whatever happens, the fierce contest between the two is driving search technology to greater heights and is fascinating sport for industry observers.

About the author

Dr Horst Joepen is CEO of search analytics software services provider, Searchmetrics, where he is responsible for general management and strategy. His company's online software is used by digital marketing /search agencies and in-house marketing departments to better manage their search engine optimisation (SEO) campaigns. Dr Joepen has a broad background in Internet and software technology and is a successful software entrepreneur in online marketing, CRM and IT security markets. He is the author of numerous IT publications and a frequent speaker on SEO trends and tools at international search marketing conferences.

About the company

Searchmetrics is the global expert in search analytics software, empowering marketers to increase visibility and market share on the world’s leading search engines. The company creates value by providing the best quality data. Searchmetrics’ robust SEO tool includes access to one of the largest, freshest online databases of 25 million keywords/55 million domains and 90 search engine/country combinations. Clients and partners worldwide rely on Searchmetrics to maximize return from SEO investments with actionable insights that help better manage, improve and scale SEO campaigns.

Headquartered in Berlin, with subsidiaries and offices in New York, London and Paris, the company delivers real web intelligence to a growing international customer base. You can connect to Searchmetrics on Twitter @Searchmetrics or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Searchmetrics. For more information, please visit: www.searchmetrics.com.