Google executes plan that captures Bing copying searches

Suspicious that Microsoft’s Bing may be replicating Google results, the search engine giant concocted a sting. Google manufactured results which were used as bait to prove their assumptions and Bing fell for the scheme hook, line and sinker. Bing could not refute Google’s assertions, however it dismissed the matter as a trivial concern. Bing would rather copy Google than take out a unsecured loan to create their individual search results.

Something Google is aware

Google started suspecting that Bing was copying its internet search engine results last spring. Users would enter into Bing unique misspellings of words. This would then bring up the exact same list of websites that Google had. The correct spelling would be searched for by Google, although Bing would correct the spelling and instead would list the exact same results. Google decided to arrange a lure. "Honeypot" pages were put at the top of results that would show up on Google with a copied page by Bing on 100 synthetic searches. The Bing Toolbar was used at home by Google Engineers. They used Internet Explorer to do the queries.

Google springs the trap

Before Google presented the Bing sting on Dec. 17, the synthetic queries came up nil or with a smattering of junk pages. A manual change was made by Google. This was done in order to make sure a specific page came up at the top of these searches. Google inserted honeypot pages so they would rank first in the synthetic queries, even though they weren’t relevant. By December 31 the honeypot pages started showing up as top ranked pages on Bing.

Sting called stunt by Bing

Google’s Bing sting firmly implies that Bing was copying Google's outcomes by monitoring how Internet Explorer users use Google. The sting Google did was called a "spy-novelesque stunt." This is what Bing corporate vice president Harry Shum had to say. He said it misconstrues how Microsoft uses consumer data to “improve our user experience.”. Amit Singhal, who oversees Google’s search ranking algorithm, told Search engine Land that Bing’s blatant copying was “plain and simple cheating,” and equated it to “running a marathon and carrying someone else on your back, which jumps off just before the finish line.”

Citations

Search Engine Land

searchengineland.com/google-bing-is-cheating-copying-our-search-results-62914

Fox News

foxnews.com/scitech/2011/02/01/microsofts-bing-caught-copying-google-search-results/

CNET

news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-20030265-265.html