SEO company news - Bing targeting Yahoo in battle of the search engines

Bing, Microsoft's new Internet search engine, is continuing to grow market share in the marketplace with Yahoo first in its sights.

Some analysts say it is too early to tell if Bing is making any kind of significant progress, but Microsoft report that Bing has eight per cent more users than the MSN search engine had last year.

Firms specialising in search engine optimisation (SEO) must pay careful attention to signs that Bing is growing in importance because this will affect SEO strategies.

Independent analysis of traffic shows that Bing currently is the third most popular search engine in the US with 6.5% of the online search market.

Yahoo is second with 16% while the undisputed search engine champion remains Google - representing about 74% of search traffic.

The search business is one of Microsoft's most important priorities. A spokesman for Bing said, "We have had a great start and some good buzz. We're settling in for a big long run."

Bing and search engine optimisation

Bing is focusing on etailing - providing information and reviews about online shopping purchases to assist with buying decisions.

It is also targeting local business and company searches, travel planning and research on health issues.

Some analysts believe Bing is more likely to lure users away from Yahoo! than Google, which is woven into people's lives so thoroughly that the company's name is used as a verb to express the act of searching the Internet.

Fuse Optimisation's E Business Marketing Manager, Mark Chapman, said, "Bing is proving to be something of a hit in the world of search, but it remains to be seen if it can grow to be a major player that competes with Google, or even Yahoo. Overall, an effective competitor to Google that comes out of the Microsoft stable should spur development of a better search experience for all as these rivals lock horns and innovate to attract the most visitors."

Companies considering search engine optimisation with Bing in mind would be wise to wait before providing SEO funding for the new kid on the block - return on investment may not be achievable if it does not become a bigger player, he said.