Search Marketing Blog
It Rhymes With ‘Ding’
Posted by Sean McMahon on 05.28.2009
The Associate Press reported this morning, in an article titled ‘Bing it on: Microsoft overhauls search, again’, that the Redmond-based software giant will be launching its re-designed online search service under the new name of Bing. According to Microsoft, the newly revamped search site is intended to make online searching less haphazard, and easier for individuals to make purchases, schedule travel plans, and locate credible health information.
The reason for this make-over, as conveyed by Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, is that “We want to do better.” Given that Microsoft currently captures less than a ten percent (10%) share of total online search queries in the United States according to the Nielsen Online MegaView Search in May 2009, as apposed to Google’s share of more than sixty-four percent (64%), I would say that Mr. Ballmer very astutely identified the desire for this development!
As noted in this AP article, Microsoft has been relegated to third place behind Google and Yahoo! in terms of search market share for years. This fact is important, since Google’s reported revenue of more than $4.7 billion in Q1 2009 is inextricably tied to its search market dominance. Microsoft, by contrast, reported a net loss from its online advertising business in the first quarter of this year.
When asked why Microsoft chose Bing, Mr. Ballmer responded, “The name is short, it’s easy to say, it works globally.”
I guess he perceives it to be shorter, easier, and more global than Live.
Let me know if you think this latest incarnation of Microsoft’s search product will have an impact upon Mr. Softy’s position within the search space.
Dape 06.05.2009 at 2:49 am
I would have thought microsoft would have been a bit more inventive for there search engine key name ‘bing’, however the more you say bing the bigger the thought becomes, ‘lets bing it’, ‘bing it’ ‘bing it on”bing on’ ‘bing O’ and so on. I like a comment that Bill Thompson made recently
‘Microsoft is going to have to work very hard to penetrate the dense forest of thorns that Google has assiduously constructed over the years to protect the Sleeping Beauty of search in her fairytale castle.
Lets hope there is a happy ending for microsoft ‘bing’ (’but its not google’)and the phrase becomes bigger than bingo.