Microsoft labels Google's shopping search results "misleading"

The software giant has launched a new campaign called 'Don't be Scroogled' in a bid to convince users of Google Shopping to stop using it and to use its 'Bing' search service instead.

Microsoft said that Google Shopping users who search for an item will be presented with results that are generated "partially" on the basis that they have been paid for by businesses. It said Google did not make that fact clear to consumers.

"Instead of showing you the most relevant shopping search results ... Google Shopping now decides what to show you – and how prominently to display what product offers they show -- based partially on how much the merchant selling the product has paid them," Microsoft said in a blog. "Merchants can literally pay to improve their chances to display their product offers higher than others inside of Google’s shopping 'search,' even if it’s not better or cheaper for the consumer."

"The result of this new 'pay-to-rank' system is that it’s easy for consumers to mistake an ad for an honest search. That’s not right, it’s misleading," it said.

Microsoft said that it too displays paid-for search results on its Bing service, but it said Google was putting consumers' trust in its Shopping service at risk by tampering with the "objectivity" of the search results displayed.

"Shoppers visit the site they have used for years, conduct what they think is a 'search,' and get a set of rankings that look like the objective results Google delivers elsewhere," Microsoft said. "Meanwhile, the lawyers at Google are now calling it a 'listing.' They even call out – hidden behind a disclaimer or buried in a footer – 'Payment is one of several factors used to rank these results.' Consumers are potentially getting a raw deal because 'relevance' is now influenced by how much Google is getting paid, not just by things that matter to shoppers."

"We, of course, accept enhanced listings and advertisements just like other search engines. But at Bing, we just feel Google should distinguish ads clearly from search results and not use payment as a factor in ranking shopping search results," it added.

A spokesperson for Google said its Shopping search service "makes it easier for shoppers to quickly find what they’re looking for, compare different products and connect with merchants to make a purchase," according to a report by the Huffington Post.

Regulators in the US and EU were due to meet on Monday to discuss their relative investigations into Google's search practices, according to a report by The Guardian newspaper. Both the European Commission and the US Federal Trade Commission are looking into whether the internet giant has breached competition laws in the way its search services operate.

In May this year the European Commission called on Google to propose changes to its search practices after deeming that the company had abused its dominant market position in the industry.

Google's rivals in the search market, including Microsoft and UK search engine Foundem, have urged the Commission to ensure the market becomes more competitive. Foundem published proposals in September which it said, if enforced, would address the alleged problem.