Just over a year ago, Microsoft launched a new look for image searches on Bing. However, that"s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the changes the company has brought to image search. In a new blog post, Microsoft explains just what it has done to make image searches more accurate than those from its biggest competitor, Google.
One of the examples of these differences in the blog post is the search for images using the string "Prince Albert of Monaco". When searching on Google, the images, shown below, are a mix of Prince Albert photos combined with photos of him with the princess of Monaco.
When the same search string is used on Bing, the first images that are displayed are just of Prince Albert and images of him with other people are pushed down in the search results, rather than mixed in like Google.
The blog post goes into more detail on how Bing"s search formula brings up images that are in tune with the spirit of the search string, such as typing in "Snow White portraits" brings up just images of Snow White paintings. Microsoft states, "By using image click data from the Web and social signals, Bing combines visual and text features to better understand what the searcher is asking for."
Bing"s algorithms also try to avoid showing exact or near duplicate images when a search term is entered. Finally, Bing also tries to find higher resolution images for a search subject, if available, than those found by Google. Microsoft says, "With 40 percent of searches including some visual component, there is a tremendous opportunity for us to build on the advancements we"ve made."
Source: Microsoft | Image via Microsoft