There is no denying that Google is the king of the internet. Google Maps, Google Translate, Google Everything. Nobody innovates quite like the Big G.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they do EVERYTHING better. When it comes to finding a hiking trail near you, there is a better option. While Google dominates overall search engine activity by a large margin, Bing offers a much better product when searching for hiking trails near you. Here is why.
1. Bing shows the actual hike length.
In 2017, search engines need to be more than just a locator. It’s important that they show relevant information regarding the search results. Bing’s search algorithm does more than just find a good trail nearby, it also gives you relevant data to help you determine whether or not the hike is a good fit for your day.
2. Bing is less likely to send you to a city park.
Google’s algorithm does a very poor job of distinguishing between urban trails and more rugged non-urban trails. There is nothing inherently wrong with hiking or running at Wash Park, but let’s be honest, that’s probably not what you’re looking for.
3. Bing shows you the elevation gain of each hike.
It’s one thing to know the length of a hike, but if you live in Colorado you understand that’s only half of the equation. Unlike Google, Bing puts the elevation gain of each hike right in the search results.
4. Bing offers better sorting options.
An important part of narrowing down a final selection is effective sorting tools. Bing offers extremely effective funneling options for someone looking for a rugged trail. Google? Not so much. Google doesn’t differentiate trails from any other map search result in this regard. Why do I need an “open now” sorting option? I’m not looking for a late night taco.
5. Bing brings it all together.
We all have our favorite websites for finding a great hiking trail, but Bring pulls together all of the important information and displays it in a no-nonsense format. This is what search engines were designed to do, and Bing knocks this one out of the park.