Love them or hate them, no matter what you feelings towards them, even their most vociferous detractors cannot in truth deny that Google have become a major guiding force in the web. Some would argue that they have even supplanted Microsoft from the top spot with the level of web applications, tools, and sheer brand recognition.
Of course Google’s tour de force is search, and it is rightly so that they are considered the leaders in the field, being that they really pushed what was considered then, an unprofitable area of the Internet. Search became a major feature of how to use the Internet, and Google have become the kings – how many SEO experts have based their craft around how a site will be seen by Google?
As part of their making search the prime force it is today, Google have also given us more focused searching. After the amount of websites began to reach critical mass, and unscrupulous web designers would stuff the widest range of keywords into their meta tags something had to give and Google took the initiative to sort things out – and still do so. Making searching more accurate and quicker for users, Googles staff are constantly changing their algorithms. What may sometimes cause frustration for anyone trying to get good positions is actually a good thing, if only for the fact that it created an industry of its own, and gave us jobs!
Another of Googles most recognisable and popular creations is their very successful adverts – adwords or adsense, depending on which side of it you use. These adverts have become ubiquitous almost to becoming an essential part of a website and if successful a way of making a site pay for itself. The adwords side can offer an excellent method of market feedback and keyword analysis.
More recently, and very successfully, Google has brought about or acquired a diverse and highly useful box of tools, some aimed at improving our web experience Who do you know who has a gmail account,? Who hasn’t used Google maps to plot their journey. And their webmaster tools have become a must-have for anybody serious about promoting their website, including browser plug-ins designed to assist in working with Google, like the Page rank checker for example. What is most unique about all this, is that the services are provided for free!
Love them or hate them, Google are going to continue to dominate the web for some time to come. They have hit the magic formula and will probably continue to do so for some time to come.
