One engine is trying to get to know what the web is looking for, providing quick and handy summary information for some searches so you can find what you need quickly. Meanwhile, the other is turning searches social, suggesting information from your friends on social networks and even enabling you to seek a friend’s advice while searching to make sure you get the best answer possible.

Google : Quick Answers

Google started rolling out its knowledge graph across all search tools in May. Now, when you search for something in Google, the engine will try to determine exactly what you are searching for by tapping into information from knowledge databases, such as Freebase, Wikipedia and Google Maps. Since the engine is looking at topics as a whole rather than simple keywords, searches are more intuitive and more likely to provide information about what you’re really looking for.

A summary of some topics also appears on the right side of the page beside your search results. For instance, a search for “William Shakespeare” will bring up a photo of the playwright from Wikipedia along with a brief biography and a short list of his plays.  Google+ results also show up in summary information and search results. In the case of our Giants search, for instance, the most recent update on the team’s Google+ page shows up.

Bing : Social Answers

Bing takes social media searches to a whole new level. Where Google has a summary on the right-hand side of the page, Bing instead provides information from social networks. While the platform only provides information from Facebook, Bing has plans to integrate Twitter, Google+, Quora and LinkedIn into search as well. The toolbar, labeled “What Your Friends May Know,” showcases information about your search topics from friends on various social media sites, and also offers the option to pose questions to those friends to help with your search.

In addition to finding out what your friends know, Bing searches also offer a “What Bing Knows” tab, providing varying levels of information on things like local restaurants, movies, events and people. A “What the Web Knows” tab provides general results from the web. At the time of launch, Bing executive Derrick Connell told Mashable that the goal of the new Bing is to “surface people, not web pages.”

Which Is Best ?

What search engine is best depends on how you plan to use it. While Google’s search may be best for gathering information about your favorite sports team or a famous author, Bing may have the search giant beat in the realm of social and local knowledge.