Microsoft unveils new look Bing UK

Microsoft HQ

Microsoft has overhauled its Bing search engine to improve the site's user experience, as it fights to wrest share from arch rival Google.

The software giant said the makeover will make Bing "slicker" and "cleaner" to use, with a new front page featuring a much larger image.

Within the search results, information on the left has been removed to decrease the size of the header, explained Micrososft.

"[This]raises the level of consistency and predictability while making it easier for you to scan the page and quickly find the information you want," said the firm in a post on the Bing UK site.

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

"Increasing the space between lines improves readability and optimises the page for touch devices," it added.

The team said that the new experience is "more than skin-deep". It added that users would also notice faster page-load times and more relevant search results.

"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," said 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."

The move comes a couple of months after Microsoft revealed "The New Bing," as a completely redesigned social search interface for US audiences.

While the UK homepage matches the look of the US, social search has yet to make an appearance on these shores.

According to figures from StatCounter Bing has 3.27 per cent of the global search queries compared with Google's 91.75 per cent.

Rene Millman

Rene Millman is a freelance writer and broadcaster who covers cybersecurity, AI, IoT, and the cloud. He also works as a contributing analyst at GigaOm and has previously worked as an analyst for Gartner covering the infrastructure market. He has made numerous television appearances to give his views and expertise on technology trends and companies that affect and shape our lives. You can follow Rene Millman on Twitter.