I finally noticed a new search function known as BING Visual Search.  If you have not checked it out yet, you would be well served to at least give it a try. It is entertaining on the one hand yet, it soon became frightening because I realized that I was most likely looking at the future of this industry.

Visual Search operates by showing a grid of images, which does exactly what it says: searching visually without knowing the exact name of what you are looking for. The searching seems to function at its best when trying to shop for technological items, public figures, and music and film related things. Basically, you start with something you recognize and then essentially pare down into exactly what you are looking for.  This new searching feature is powered by Silverlight, and the content for Visual Search is provided by several sources, one of them being MSN of course. This is all very similar to the new user interface that is popular with Apple these days.  Interestingly, Google does not have a comparable feature to date.

What does this do for SEO?

For now, the standard way we do business is fine. We are probably doing things right, and for today we don’t need to change a thing; Aliens have not landed and it did not rain frogs, but it is a curious change to say the least. This is a new gadget that is exciting, and easy to use, and is only on BING right now and not really anywhere else. If this interface catches enough interest however, I would bet that you see a new Google product which utilizes some sort of visual searching methodology. Right now, the Google comparative product is non-existent, but I would not expect that situation to remain.

What concerns me is tomorrow.

I still enjoy my Blackberry curve, but I did break down and get an iPod touch. I have to say that the interface is easy to use, intuitive and very addictive. This BING interface reminds me of how the iPod touch and iphone work. To me, this user interface is truly the wave of the future; these new interfaces combine familiar real world visual methods of searching with state of the art technology. The end result is finding exactly what you were looking for, by actually looking at, and not simply describing what you want to a piece of software. In this new world, enforcements are going to skyrocket, as we have to face the idea that people are going to use “similar to”, or “ripped-off”, images to re-direct traffic. Copyrighting of imagery will most likely hit an all time high as well. Ironically, the Apple “Look and Feel” lawsuit with Microsoft will probably be more relevant than ever, now around 20 years later.  In addition, I imagine laptops will be changing to suit this new way of searching. I could envision giant iphone-styled devices with touch screens and the keyboard embedded as an application not a peripheral. I am aware that similar devices exist already, but they are not universally affordable and not prolific, yet.

What happens if the other search engines all follow suit and this is the new way we search for things?
We need to be prepared in this industry for just that very likelihood. I doubt that this technology goes the way of mid-1990’s virtual reality because this is actually in people’s hands as we speak. Teenagers and older are familiarizing themselves with “Aps” and are getting used to searching visually.  In this industry, we should all probably take notice and at least start thinking along these lines.