Bing’s New Homepage
Parisa Tabriz, the security leader for Google Chrome, has criticized Microsoft for a new strategy involving Bing’s search interface.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tabriz denounced Microsoft’s decision to imitate the design of Google’s homepage, labeling it “another tactic in its long history of tricks to confuse users and limit choice.” She concluded her statement with sharp words: “New year; new low, Microsoft.”
The Search Engine Journal is reporting that this criticism comes after Bing introduced a controversial feature that mimics Google’s user interface when users search for “Google” or “Google.com.”
Microsoft’s New Bing Interface
When users not signed into a Microsoft account search for Google on Bing, they see a page that looks a lot like Google’s homepage.
The page has a search bar in the center, a banner with animated figures similar to Google Doodles, and a message saying, “Every search brings you closer to a free donation. Choose from over 2 million nonprofits!”
This message links to the Microsoft Rewards catalog, where users can donate their reward points to nonprofit organisations.
The design makes it hard to see Bing’s branding by scrolling the page slightly down to hide the Bing logo. Users may only realise they’re still using Bing when they scroll or interact with the page further.
Industry observers like Windows Latest and The Verge note this move appears targeted at users setting up new Windows PCs, who might initially search for Google through Microsoft Edge’s default Bing search engine.
The design change could potentially retain users who might otherwise switch to Google’s search platform.
Many of these users search for Google to switch their search engine. Microsoft’s change aims to keep users from leaving Bing.
While tech-savvy users may notice this strategy, it might persuade less experienced users to keep searching on Bing, helping Microsoft retain more users.
This latest tactic highlights the ongoing competition between Microsoft and Google in the search engine market.
Microsoft has employed various strategies to promote its Bing search engine and Edge browser, including pop-ups and changes to Chrome’s download pages.
In parallel, Google has encouraged users to download Chrome and set Google as their default search engine, though its methods haven’t included outright deception.
Google’s and Microsoft’s rivalry remains heated. As of December, Google’s search engine maintained a dominant global market share of 89.74%, while Microsoft’s Bing held 3.97%.
