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What is Google?

Google is an Internet search engine. It uses a proprietary algorithm designed to extract and classify search results to provide the most relevant and reliable data sources possible. Google’s stated mission is “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”. It is the world’s first search engine, a position that has been criticized and worried about its power to influence the flow of information on the Web.

Google is the almighty. It explores the Web, determining which pages are most useful and relevant to its users for virtually any subject. We do not rely solely on Google results, we rely on them to make decisions all day, for all aspects of our lives. With such power and influence, placing your small business on the first page of Google may seem unrealistic. However, it is precisely this power that Google has that allows more than ever access to the first page of Google results.

Google Beginnings

The google.com domain was registered on September 15, 1997 and the company incorporated on September 4, 1998. The image below is a screenshot of The Internet Archive’s website showing what Google looked like in 1998. This allows Google to stand out from the competition and help it continue to grow and become the number one search engine with its Page Rank technique that sorts search results. While being one of the best search engines on the Internet, Google also incorporates many of its other services, such as Google Maps and Google Local, to provide more relevant search results.

Key Benefits and Features of Google

• There is a simple search field in which you can type your query.
• Answers are provided almost instantly.
• You can choose to search for websites, pictures, news, maps, and more.
• It will suggest alternative search terms if you misspell a word or name.
• You can search only in the UK or worldwide.
• Google has also created its own web browser, Google Chrome. The company has a huge commercial side, creating and placing the advertisements that you see often on websites. Plus, Google Analytics is a free service that can provide a tremendous amount of information about how a website works.

Google security features

• Enable secure search to filter mature content
• Browse the web privately
• Restrict access to approved apps and games only on your tablet.

Google products and services

• G Suite – A suite of cloud computing software for businesses.
• Gmail – Free online email service with over 1GB of storage and the best spam protection available.
• Google Ads: Previously Google AdWords, Google Ads is a service that allows users to pay to advertise on the Google search engine and other websites using Google AdSense.
• Google AdSense: A service that allows website publishers or blog developers to post ads on their site.
• Google AdWords – a service that allows users to pay to advertise on the Google search engine and other websites using Google AdSense.
• Google Alerts – Create text alert messages that are sent daily to an email address or, where applicable, to web searches, news searches, and more.
• Google Allo – A mobile instant messaging application developed for Android and iOS to exchange messages, images, files and videos.
• Google Analytics – Google Analytics allows anyone with their own domain to control and report on visitors to their website.
• Google App Engine – a service that gives users the ability to create scalable web services using Google’s resources.
• Google Assistant: Google’s digital help desk using artificial intelligence to answer voice requests
• Google Blog: Blog managed by Google that helps to better understand the company.
• Google Books – Another fantastic Google service containing hundreds of thousands of books that can be searched.
• Google Calendar – A way to organize your schedule, sync, and share events with your friends.
• Google Chrome – The most popular desktop browser.
• Google Classroom: a Google service that allows students and teachers to participate in a digital class.
• Google Cloud – A business service for storing data and running applications in the cloud, as well as for backup and disaster recovery.
• Google CSE (Custom Search Engine): A service for creating a custom Google search engine.
• Google Daydream View – VR headset.
• Google Developer – Search for documentation, resources, events, and products for Google developers.
• Google Docs – A fantastic free Google solution that allows you to create documents, open Microsoft Word documents and share your documents with other users with Internet access.
• Google Drive – A Google cloud storage service launched on April 24, 2012 that allows users to view, edit, and store their documents and files in the Google cloud.
• Google Earth – Fantastic software that allows a person to see almost anywhere on Earth, get directions, find stores, places of interest and more.