Microsoft Bing is rolling out 5 upgrades for search results

Microsoft Bing is launching five research updates that aim to move SERPs beyond a link list to give users a richer experience.

The latest updates from Bing have one thing in common: They all combine visually rich images with textual information in a single view. The experience is described as more intuitive and engaging.

The new format is supposed to deliver information quickly and in a way that allows researchers to find what they need without scanning large chunks of text.

Bing’s enhanced search features include:

• Intuitive highlighting of content
• Integrated visual search
• Extendable carousels
• Infographic type SERPs
• Richer results for local queries

Here are more details on each of the updates announced today.

Intuitive highlighting

Bing upgrades SERPs to adapt to intuitively highlight the content the searcher engages with.

An example provided shows how this feature works with recipe search results. You can see how Bing presents the first results in a single map-based format.

When a user clicks on one of the results, Bing extracts the recipe information and displays it online without leaving the search results page.

The expanded view contains information such as:

• List of ingredients (with possible substitutions)
• Calories Per Serving
• User reviews
• A drop-down menu to adapt the recipe to a specific number of servings
• Nutritional information

For step-by-step cooking instructions, researchers will still need to visit the current web page.

The recipes are just one example. This feature can also be applied to other types of research such as home improvement and creative projects.

Integrated visual search

By browsing the map-based results as shown above, users will have the ability to instantly perform a visual search to find similar items.

Bing has integrated the visual search button into these results, which allows users to perform an image-based query with just one click.

“By exploring these visual results, you might see something that you like but that is difficult to describe in words. That’s why we’ve also built visual search into the experience, so you can quickly search using an image.

For example, in the result “DIY coffee table” you can see wicker baskets that match the look of the table. With a single click, you will get image results of similar items and can directly click on retailer sites to purchase a particular basket if you are sold on it.

Extendable carousels

Bing upgrades its carousels with a feature that displays additional information when users hover over results

You can see in this movie search how hovering over a result shows details like the movie’s release date, synopsis, and review notes from multiple sources.

Infographic type SERPs

An upgrade that Bing says provides “style and substance” presents results in an infographic-like experience that combines text and images.

“For example, you can search for general topics like ‘Kenya’ or ‘giraffes’. The latter’s results go beyond a dense summary of textual results and blue links, and bundle the best textual and visual results into one infographic-inspired experience. Piqued curiosity? Click on the sites that have more details or explore other related topics.

See below for an example of the old experience compared to the new experience.

Local Search Upgrades

Bing applies many of the same design principles discussed throughout this article to local search results.

Performing a general search on an area or landmark, such as “things to do in Seattle” or “Eiffel Tower,” will return a SERP with aggregated information from multiple sources.

The enhanced local search experience combines Bing Maps results, best images, visitor reviews, and more.

In a single view, users can learn more about a place or attraction with a full overview, instead of a single carousel of images or a simple text summary.

Another example below shows how Bing is tailoring this new search experience to list-centric queries such as “best rivers to visit” or “most interesting volcanoes”.

Many of these features are now available in Microsoft Bing. Local search features will only launch in the United States in the coming weeks.

Source: Microsoft Bing Blogs