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A couple weeks ago, Microsoft announced they ran the Bing Challenge. It was basically a blind taste test of Google results versus Bing results.
Microsoft claimed Bing one 2:1 times.
So I asked the readers here to take the challenge and then tell me who won. And the results said that Google won most of the time.
We had about 350 results, now that is a lot less than Bing and we target a much more search savvy audience than a normal user. But only 38% said Bing won, while 55% said Google won. The rest, the 7%, was a tie.
Please read my poll disclosure policy before jumping to any scientific conclusions.
Note: This story was scheduled to be posted on this day, but was written earlier.
Forum discussion continued at WebmasterWorld.
Comments:
Praveen Sharma
10/01/2012 12:34 pm
This was expected. Now if Bing claims 2:1 ratio, they should come out with something to prove their statement.
cjvannette
10/01/2012 04:51 pm
Pay close attention to what they actually claimed. They hired a market research group to sample random San Diego residents. In that test, supposedly Bing won 2:1. They are not making any claims about how the live public "challenge" is going.
Winson Yeung
10/01/2012 05:26 pm
Well this is kind of expected result
wal
10/01/2012 06:29 pm
Well google is clearly better in almost every way
Richard Gailey
10/01/2012 11:28 pm
That is a million miles away from my average results with Bing. Here is an average day for my Bing results vs Google. Yesterday was 70:1 in Google's favour. I have no idea as to why Bing refuses to see my site though. It's been like this for over a year. My sitemap is fine and my URL's pass Bing's SEO test.
Jack
10/02/2012 08:10 am
Google always provides me with the result that gets me where I need to go faster. If I want to search for Looper showtimes, I want times of the day when Looper is playing in a movie theater; not times when an annoying Farmville-hound from my Facebook saw it and her two-word review of it. The "Bingiton.com" challenge is also easy to fluke. The Google results are typed in Google's standard RGB blue color, whereas the Bing results are typed in a lighter, more teal blue. Not too big a deal, but it was blatant enough that I saw it on my first test, even though they try to mask it by making both sides look like Google search results.
tomshark
10/02/2012 01:57 pm
When I took the challenge I kept seeing multiple ebay listings in my search results from Bing. Sorry Bing you lose.
Lisa Agostoni
10/02/2012 02:57 pm
I took the test myself, and it seems that where Google excelled time and time again was local. That being said, Bing has a more 'appealing' look to their SERP from a UX perspective as Google's real estate is largely taken up by local -- so it depends on how important local is to you for a given search.
i_praveensharma
10/03/2012 11:23 am
Will Bing be used by on San Diego residents? No. So they should test it globally if they really want to make some point with this BingitOn challenge.
cjvannette
10/03/2012 03:17 pm
That's just silly. This is how market research works.
i_praveensharma
10/03/2012 03:27 pm
Now who told you that? Can you go for an online survey globally?
me here
10/08/2012 06:59 pm
How many folks used Google to find this article.
True Review
10/09/2012 09:17 pm
BING WON 0 ROUNDS * Google may have won this round, but others picked Bing web search results over Google nearly 2 to 1 in blind comparison tests.* The above is exactly what my "Bing it On" results showed. Google won 5 out of 5. They simply get me the results I'm looking for with near perfect and speed. Bing just can't compete.
Ryan
10/13/2012 02:35 am
I prefer Google myself. On the fluking note, special searches such as "Do a barrel roll" still work on the Google side.
Ted Kopple
10/15/2012 06:16 pm
i received the EXACT same result. 5 of 5 to Google and it wasn't a hard choice.
Mikayla McQuown
10/17/2012 10:09 am
How do you tie a "5" question Poll? I may not be the brightest person in the world but I'm pretty sure with 5 questions, you can't have a tie!..
brad
10/23/2012 03:28 pm
Bing has improved since it was first launched, but I still prefer Google. I also find it interesting that if you end up with Google or Tie as your result there is an option to "take a rematch". Yet that rematch is nowhere to be found if Bing wins.
fire115
10/24/2012 11:29 pm
"Microsoft claimed Bing one 2:1 times." won not one
Jordan Ecker
10/27/2012 03:58 am
How about 2:2 and a tie...
Bri
11/01/2012 06:19 pm
Google won for me.
snappy and happy
11/06/2012 01:46 am
google won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
james
11/27/2012 12:04 am
What the heck is bing?
Charles
01/10/2013 09:04 pm
Google sucks. Bing is professional. You fruits and cupcakes out there gotta get wise soon. Microsoft is better at everything.
Megan Noel
01/14/2013 02:37 pm
Hey! Was Bing what taught you how to talk like a professional dipshit?! I am sure Microsoft would not want you endorsing anything of theirs by the way. I have never been more certain in my entire life. You’re embarrassing them!
Hi
02/12/2013 12:01 am
Bing won for me, hands down. I have used it every single time I search something, and almost always get bing.
contraychris
03/11/2013 08:17 pm
yep i think Microsoft needs to rethink and quit bribing people with a Xbox 360, but if not Google should give away ps4 to people after doing a comparison commercial.
sydneymcallister
05/08/2013 08:14 pm
i love google i think that google should win but i do not want to start a fight with the people who hate google
sowdani
11/14/2013 07:59 pm
I just did the test and google won 5-0...