Bing’s ‘Russian invasion of Ukraine’ outcomes present Opinions part and timelines

Microsoft Bing’s search outcomes for queries associated to the battle in Ukraine present an Opinions part and two timelines (one in the primary column and one other within the information panel).

The Opinions part. On Bing, information outcomes sometimes seem within the “News about” part (on the prime of the instance above; this characteristic is much like Google’s Top tales part) or in the usual, non-rich consequence listings.

However, media retailers typically publish opinions and commentary on present occasions from non-staff writers. Bing has began highlighting a lot of these leads to their very own part, “Opinions.”

For the question [Ukraine Russia], the Opinions part included six outcomes from completely different media retailers. When a featured picture isn’t accessible, Bing will present a preview of the article (as proven above).

The timelines. For related queries, Bing could present as much as two timelines: the horizontal timeline that seems in the primary column of search outcomes and the vertically oriented timeline inside the information panel (on the right-hand rail of the search outcomes).

The timeline inside the information panel begins on August 24, 1991, when Ukraine turned an impartial state following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and contains prior occasions, such because the annexation of Crimea, which have led to the present state of Russo-Ukrainian affairs.

The horizontal timeline in the primary column solely exhibits occasions from February 9 till March 5 (the screenshot beneath was taken on March 14).

Additionally, the primary column timeline cites sources, whereas the information panel timeline doesn’t.

Why we care. The Opinions part could assist Bing contextualize some news-related outcomes for customers. Informing customers {that a} result’s an opinion (and never strictly information) helps them perceive the character of the content material, thus probably decreasing misinformation.

Likewise, the timeline options could assist customers perceive how an occasion has unfolded, which can additionally assist them make sense of the content material on that very same search outcomes web page. For instance, if a timeline had been current on coronavirus-related search outcomes, it’d present a body of reference for customers, enabling them to raised interpret the variety of every day new circumstances or perceive whether or not restrictions are being loosened or heightened.

The visibility alternatives related to these options are primarily for information publishers, however as was the case with Google’s COVID-related search outcomes web page, these options could ultimately obtain a wider rollout, which may open up alternatives for manufacturers as effectively.

About The Author

George Nguyen is an editor for Search Engine Land, masking natural and paid search. His background is in journalism and content material advertising. Prior to getting into the business, he labored as a radio persona, author, podcast host and public college trainer.