Last week we told you about Google’s latest update to display content from a user’s social network added to sites like Twitter and YouTube into Search Results (Google Update Social Search Results).
To follow suit Bing have now announced their own update to integrate Facebook Likes more closely into their Search Results. Bing originally added Facebook likes back in October 2010 but these were previously separated from regular results. It seems that this update will only apply to Bing’s US audience for now but I’m sure it won’t be long before this update hits UK shores.
On Bing’s Community Search Blog, Lawrence Kim states:
“If your friends have publicly liked or shared any of the algorithmic search results shown on Bing, we will now surface them right below the result.”
The example shown above is taken from Bing’s Community blog and shows the impact this update has when a user searched for a Bed & Breakfast in the popular seaside resort ‘Napa Valley’. As you can see Churchill Manor seems to be a favourite of 3 people from this user’s social network which is likely to greatly influence their decision on where to stay.
This update along with Google’s last week is another significant development in how Social Commerce will play a huge part in how we shop online in the future.