4 ms·

>How many of the general public wouldn't just choose Google if shown a list to choose a search engine? Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella admits the most common searc

by jasode 3y ago

>How many of the general public wouldn't just choose Google if shown a list to choose a search engine? Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella admits the most common search query on Bing is "google": https://www.google.com/search?q=nadella+bing+most+%22common+search+query%22+is+google https://www.google.com/search?q=nadella+bing+most+%22common+...

varispeed 3y ago
It's primarily to do with users not being cognisant that Bing is a search engine. For example, I set my friend's default search engine to Bing, and if she wants to find something, in her mind, she needs to "google it". So she types: "google supermarket opening times" and so on.
- Cthulhu_ 3y ago
  Bing's issue (as a layperson) is that it's regressed to 90's internet start page; I just opened it up, starts off alright with a pretty picture and a search bar, but then an advert opens up for its Dall-E / AI integration and a list of recent news shows at the bottom. Then searching, a cookie banner shows, a popup points me to a feature on the top right, and the main content suddenly vanishes (probably because I have an adblocker, which blocked 35 items). The "New Bing" opens up another thing where you can ask the AI things... just like Ask Jeeves did 25 years ago.
  - ourmandave 3y ago
    At least they have a hide arrow for the Recent News. Each headline can only be a few words so they have to get right to the point, with keywords like "missing", "shooting", "died", "convicted", etc. Compact doom side scrolling.
- jasode 3y ago
  >It's primarily to do with users not being cognisant that Bing is a search engine. For example, I set my friend [...] she types: "google supermarket opening times" and so on. I'm not debating you because I don't have the raw usage data but I observe a different behavior with non-HN non-techie crowd: they deliberately want to go to the "google.com" home page to also navigate to Google's webapps like Gmail, Google Calendar, etc example screenshot: https://imgur.com/a/X0pFgAs https://imgur.com/a/X0pFgAs The users have Google sign-ins and they don't know (or haven't memorized) direct urls like "gmail.com" or "calendar.google.com". What they do know is the colorful icons on Google's main page to click on to get to those apps. In these use cases, the Google landing page -- which has a search bar -- is also acting as a modern-day version of America Online's "portal to the internet". That's what I personally observe people typing "google" into Bing is trying to accomplish. Of course the prominent search field is still front-and-center so they'll naturally use Google Search because of familiarity. The search text field PLUS the Google web apps reinforce each other's continued usage habits.
  - varispeed 3y ago
    This is also true. The user I based my observation on is using Microsoft for email and office stuff, so they don't have much need going to google.com.
cubefox 3y ago
The most common search term could still be used quite rarely.
Tarragon 3y ago
I intentionally start searches on Bing and have it set as default. But half of the time that I type anything to it it's because the browser didn't autocomplete like I expected. So when I do want to see goggles results for the same thing I type "google", and a lot of the time the browser doesn't autocomplete to google.com before I hit return. So whoops, I just searched for "google".

by jasode 3y ago

varispeed 3y ago

It's primarily to do with users not being cognisant that Bing is a search engine. For example, I set my friend's default search engine to Bing, and if she wants to find something, in her mind, she needs to "google it". So she types: "google supermarket opening times" and so on.

Cthulhu_ 3y ago
Bing's issue (as a layperson) is that it's regressed to 90's internet start page; I just opened it up, starts off alright with a pretty picture and a search bar, but then an advert opens up for its Dall-E / AI integration and a list of recent news shows at the bottom. Then searching, a cookie banner shows, a popup points me to a feature on the top right, and the main content suddenly vanishes (probably because I have an adblocker, which blocked 35 items). The "New Bing" opens up another thing where you can ask the AI things... just like Ask Jeeves did 25 years ago.
- ourmandave 3y ago
  At least they have a hide arrow for the Recent News. Each headline can only be a few words so they have to get right to the point, with keywords like "missing", "shooting", "died", "convicted", etc. Compact doom side scrolling.
jasode 3y ago
>It's primarily to do with users not being cognisant that Bing is a search engine. For example, I set my friend [...] she types: "google supermarket opening times" and so on. I'm not debating you because I don't have the raw usage data but I observe a different behavior with non-HN non-techie crowd: they deliberately want to go to the "google.com" home page to also navigate to Google's webapps like Gmail, Google Calendar, etc example screenshot: https://imgur.com/a/X0pFgAs https://imgur.com/a/X0pFgAs The users have Google sign-ins and they don't know (or haven't memorized) direct urls like "gmail.com" or "calendar.google.com". What they do know is the colorful icons on Google's main page to click on to get to those apps. In these use cases, the Google landing page -- which has a search bar -- is also acting as a modern-day version of America Online's "portal to the internet". That's what I personally observe people typing "google" into Bing is trying to accomplish. Of course the prominent search field is still front-and-center so they'll naturally use Google Search because of familiarity. The search text field PLUS the Google web apps reinforce each other's continued usage habits.
- varispeed 3y ago
  This is also true. The user I based my observation on is using Microsoft for email and office stuff, so they don't have much need going to google.com.

cubefox 3y ago

The most common search term could still be used quite rarely.

Tarragon 3y ago

I intentionally start searches on Bing and have it set as default. But half of the time that I type anything to it it's because the browser didn't autocomplete like I expected. So when I do want to see goggles results for the same thing I type "google", and a lot of the time the browser doesn't autocomplete to google.com before I hit return. So whoops, I just searched for "google".