Bing integrates Qwiki, search gets sexy

Bing ups its game overnight

Today, Microsoft’s search engine, Bing announced¹ that Qwikis will be integrated directly into search results. AG introduced you to Qwiki in 2011, noting that “Qwiki simplifies information, adding sound and visuals to traditionally text-only search results.”

Bing describes Qwikis as “interactive presentations combining images, videos, maps and spoken narration. In other words, Qwikis are a gateway for further exploration that offer a unique, visual experience to help you quickly get information and do more.”

Qwikis enrich the Bing search experience

Users simply click “play” on any available Qwiki that shows up in search results, but we would like to actually see the Qwiki more obvious, and less of a link you have to search for on the page – it is a visible element, so why not actually make a wide thumbnail that implies there is more to see?

Nonetheless, Bing says, “With Qwikis and other visual elements in Bing, we’re helping people decide what they want to do by creatively exposing them to information that might otherwise take them awhile to find.” Qwikis will initially appear next to Wikipedia results, but will expand to other types or results in the future, the company said.

Earlier this month, Bing added a social layer to search results, relying on the rising trend of peer to peer consumer ratings and reviews as a large part web search. The company is clearly seeking to do more than just remain competitive with Google, they are showing that they are serious about competing.

Like all search engines, the experience is still marred with ads (removed from the screenshot above), and more visuals would be extremely helpful, but adding Qwikies and going social in the same month shows that Bing isn’t playing around, and they want to be the search engine of choice.

¹ Bing announcement