Bing enhances search functionality in a bid to catch Google

SOFTWARE HOUSE Microsoft has unveiled a number of changes to its Bing search engine in a bid to compete with market leader Google.

Microsoft announced the news on the Bing blog, where it talked up a number of speed, performance and design enhancements to its homegrown internet search engine.

"Most of us would like to spend less time searching for information online, as, let's face it, there is more to life than search," explained Peter Maxmin, head of Bing UK.

"We want to make your search experience quicker and easier so you can get on with the important stuff."

To make searching speedier, Microsoft has removed information from the left hand side of the page , which the firm said will make the search experiences more consistent and optimised for touch devices and will enhance page loading times.

Microsoft has also added a larger home page image to the Bing landing page, hoping to compete with the famous Google Doodle.

At present, Bing accounts for around 4.37 per cent of the world's search traffic. Google leads overwhelmingly, serving 89.94 per cent of global search queries. µ