Bing has launched a new search feature that provides searchers a list of Editors’ Picks for the searched-for topic. The company is starting with 140 topics, ranging from “free E-books” to “Photo Editing.”
“Editors’ Picks won’t affect the ranking or relevance of ordinary search results,” according to a Bing spokesperson. “The feature is designed to offer a different angle on search results, based on selections made by editors rather than the complex calculations that go into ranking millions of search results.”
When users do a search for a topic related directly to a set of editorial picks, they’ll see a new option at the top that links into the page Bing constructed for the subject. In standard searches, the link will be in the top-rail and will simply read “editors’ picks,” while instant answers will show the entry at the top of the search page and will look like this:
Given its size and prominence, the entry should be hard to miss for instant answers users. Standard users, however, will want to pay attention for the new option.
Once you arrive at the picks page, you’ll get visual navigation and brief descriptions for the selected sites. Bing has yet to inform anyone on how sites are selected, what the basic criteria is, or how you can submit your site for review.
With 140 topics at launch, Bing has already done plenty to get the ball rolling. You can check out this full list of editors’ picks; if you like what you see, stay tuned for more hand-picked results. Bing will only display the editors’ picks page when they’re confident that you’re searching for the subject in question.
As noted by Kristen Kennedy, Managing Editor of the Bing Editorial Team, Bing’s objective, “whether delivered by algorithm or by editors, is to help you find what you’re looking for faster and to get stuff done.”
Hopefully, Bing’s editors won’t favor Bing/Microsoft content, or the content of friends/advertisers. To ensure that users will get the editorial picks for the subjects they’re most interested in, Bing will take suggestions at PicksChat@microsoft.com
Do you like this new feature? How much do you think you’ll use it? What would make it better? And what do you think Bing should make a page for next? Let us know by leaving a comment below.