Internet users frequently go online to search for products and services, but just as often, they turn to browsers for inspiration. Bing wants to help them discover ideas and advice by serving web content in new ways through Bing Boards.
With comScore reporting the site accounts for just 17.4 percent of total United States search volume, Bing’s slice of the search market pie may not be large enough to sway marketers’ SEO and content marketing strategies. Still, it’s wise for brands to stay abreast of industry developments to gauge whether they’ll be flashes in the pan or signals of broader shifts. Bing Boards are created by experts and influencers rather than algorithms or companies, the search engine boasts in a blog post announcing the new feature.
“Bing Boards are visual collections of images, videos and links that tell a story from a unique point of view. They are created by people who are passionate about the topics they write or talk about,” the blog states.
Basically, internet users will see three columns when they conduct searches on the site. The left-hand side contains organic results, the middle column features Bing Boards and the right integrates social media content. This is part of the search engine’s larger efforts to bring social elements into search experiences. Brafton previously covered Bing’s launch of Facebook data in search results, bringing real-time social conversations to individuals’ search behaviors.
“Bing Boards are visual collections of images, videos and links that tell a story from a unique point of view.”
Bing’s announcement implies this is just the tip of the iceberg, as it plans to continually experiment with search experiences until striking the optimal balance.
Marketers know technology evolves at a rapid pace – as better solutions roll out, previous tools are rendered useless. SEO and content marketing are here to stay, but brands must stay agile to keep their branded content visible in search results.
