Bing starts 'curating' the Web just as Google gives up
Microsoft adds hand-picked sites as an aid to Web searchers--just months after Google killed a similar feature.
Editors at Microsoft's Bing search engine are now curating content to help users find answers to common queries.
The software giant just introduced Bing Editors' Picks, hand-selected Web sites that its staff thinks Net searchers will be most keen to see.
"Our goal, whether delivered by algorithm or by editors, is to help you find what you're looking for faster and to get stuff done," wrote Kristen Kennedy, managing editor for the Bing Editorial Team, on a blog post this morning.
The news was first noted by Search Engine Land.
Kennedy wrote that Editors' Picks are "small collections of relevant sites" that Bing editors think are worthwhile even if they don't rise to the top of search results. The company has created 140 topics for the launch, including everything from finding a baby sitter to shopping for used cars.
Netizens can find Editors' Picks at www.bing.com/editors-picks. They'll also surface when users search with Bing. If the query relates to topics that Microsoft has created Editors' Picks for, a tab will appear where users can click for the curated content.
Bing-rival Google has moved away from curating Web content, believing that its search algorithm is better at locating the sites users most want to see. It eliminated the Google Directory in July.