Microsoft Live Search: back from the grave?

The news is out and it`s spreading like wildfire, as usually happens when it`s of such magnitude as the latest algorithm update of Microsoft`s Live search engine. The search giant appears to be making history with its release of many brand spanking new and useful search features. No longer should it cower in the shadow of its two bigger brothers, as it has released an unprecedented number of new enhancements. It is only world-sized players like Microsoft that can afford major renovations like this one, yet it`s under question exactly how this will affect the balance in the market. Usability, relevance, and innovation in features are pivotal factors that separate the search contenders in the race, where Google has dominated that stage since the turn of the century.

In response to consumer feedback, some very exciting, critical changes have been made to the main search platform:

• A four hundred percent enlargement of the main website index to maximize relevance.
• Enhanced interpretation of user-query intent, involving spelling, punctuation, stop word and synonym processing. Also query refinement that invisibly corrects obvious query variations and suggests relevant options to the searcher.
• Click-through data analysis to affect the algorithm, helping with relevance.

Additionally, advanced features have been developed to help the majority of users find what they want faster, focused primarily on the entertainment, shopping, local search and health niches:

• Product search is made easier with the likes of user reviews and ratings on a particular searched product. What is termed an “opinion index” is a fusion of data gathered throughout the web, calculated and turned into a unanimous assessment of what others say about a product.
• They`ve increased the image search index and created viewing preferences.
• What I think will contribute greatly to the battle against Google`s “universal search”, is the in-house technology of Live Search Video, which lets users browse and watch video content in a high quality format. And to top it off, there is the “smart motion thumbnail” video search feature, which will appear in search results, and will play a short preview of a video simply by hovering your mouse over it. Google move over, and let Live take over!
• They`ve mastered the “single-results-page” search methodology with Live search Health, Entertainment, Products and Instant Answers.
• Live search Maps will get a fresh user interface, and include a very useful “directions” generator, which will include hints and “shortest route” type calculations.
• Business search will fetch pertinent info on a specific business , from its location to photos, maps and product info.
• Live Search Academic will allow users to browse academic journals for topics like computer sciences or physics.
• Users will be able to create sharable custom search engines, thanks to Live Search Macros.

These are not even all the added search aspects; the totality can be found at the Microsoft Live fact sheet page. The full changeover of the index is predicted to be available throughout the US in as short as a week, and across the internet-active globe by end October.

It will be very interesting to see the new platform in action, as surely many questions are surrounding the effectiveness of the changes. Microsoft`s attitude is leaning very much toward the positive, as its vast expenditure would appear foolish should it all be ultimately ineffectual. At the very least though, the massive boost in usefulness and relevance will give the existing Live search customers something back for their time and money, and only time will tell how many users switch their default platform from other search companies to Live. With innovation like the development of Mobile phone client software, making Live search available even further, will be the kind of advancement that puts Live into the front running position in the global market.

Sources:

Microsoft Live fact sheet page

ADN News Network Release

Webware report