Although competitor Google still dominates the market, Microsoft continues to aggressively add features to its Bing search engine, most recently integrating travel information and NFL data into natural search results, creating new opportunities for search engine optimization (SEO).

Microsoft announced the additions late last week in a post on its official blog. The new travel functionality will recognize when a user is searching for flight information and respond with a detailed display of departure, arrival, and location data. Certain other search terms will be recognized as queries about the NFL or its players, so that Bing can then display playing statistics or game data.

The new functionality will change the way that Bing handles certain queries, which must be taken into account by search engine optimization (SEO) professionals trying to raise the profile of their websites, particularly in the travel or sports information industries.

Microsoft is not the only search firm updating its content, with Google recently adding social search and a revamped display for detailed results. Search engine optimization (SEO) professionals must work to stay abreast of these developments.

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.