Users Satisfied with Google, how will Bing Compete?

Google users showed their vast satisfaction with the search engine in a survey conducted by the American Consumer Satisfaction Index. Google earned 86 points out of a possible 100, while Yahoo! scored 77 points. The survey does not reflect current search engine Bing. According to ReadWriteWeb, “In this survey, Microsoft’s Live Search received 75 points. However, while the numbers might be a bit old, they clearly show the problems Bing faces in a marketplace where most consumers are perfectly happy with Google”. What seems to be the issue with other search engines? According to Microsoft, users are simply in the habit of using Google, and need to break the habit in order to experience different engines like Bing.

Microsoft’s Bing has always tried to shy away from being just another search engine, going as far as calling itself a ‘decision engine’. In fact, ReadWriteWeb states, “Microsoft wants to get consumers into the habit of demanding more from a search engine than Google can currently deliver. This explains Bing’s current focus on shopping and travel, for example, where Bing generally delivers superior results”. Bing seems to be growing quite nicely. Reports also show that Bing’s digital word of mouth is growing as more and more users are recommending the decision engine to their friends and colleagues. Of course this growth is only addressing Bing, only time will tell how the Microsoft-Yahoo! deal will affect the competition.

What more do you expect from your search/decision engine of choice?