How Google Changed The World, One Innovation At A Time

Everybody knows tech giant Google, and these days we rarely speak of search engines as such, as we have adopted the term to “Google” something. That’s how massive their presence is in our online world. Not only is Google the king of search engines, the company has created some breathtaking innovations:

• Solar Sinter: a 3D printer which turns sand into glass
• Project Loon: sending a fleet of balloons into the edge of space to provide internet access to remote locations
• Google Fibre: an internet connection of 100 megabits per second
• Now On Tap: use the power of your voice on your mobile phones

But these creations, fantastic as they are, are not the innovations we think about first when we hear the name Google. It was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, graduate students from Stanford University in 1998, and at the time it was one of many search engines in the www, including Yahoo, Excite, Hotbot, Lycos et al. The competitors fell by the wayside one by one, and Google became king. This was the beginning of Google’s expansion into the multifaceted giant it is today.
What are your favorite world-changing Google inventions? Here’s our list of Google’s technologies which changed our world:
Google Search
This is what Google is best known for. Born in the 1990s, Google’s algorithm grew up in a garage in Menlo Park, California. In its presence, other search engines simply fade into the background. When working on search engine optimization projects, all adjustments and tweaks are done to appear on Google search. We rarely even consider the competitors; Google is the way to find anything and everything online.
Gmail
In 2004 the free email service from Google was launched and it took the world by storm. It was so popular that it overtook Hotmail in 2012. We have to say, Gmail does rock!
Google Earth & Google Maps
In 2004 Google bought Keyhole, Inc., which created the “Earth Viewer” product. Google developed this into Google Maps and Google Earth. Isn’t it crazy that we’re able to zoom into planet Earth and look at our own house with a 360 view?
Android
In 2005 Google bought tech company Android, which it developed into its smartphone rival to Apple.
YouTube
A perhaps even more significant purchase was acquiring YouTube in 2007. It was and remains the most popular online platform for sharing videos.
DoubleClick
A less well-known acquisition in 2007, Google made sure it would get a piece of the online advertising pie through DoubleClick.
Google Drive
Before the cloud became the phenomenon we interact with every day, Google had the foresight to invest in providing free cloud-hosted services. It offered docs and drive, which basically offers you a virtual office, accessible from anywhere on the planet, and providing you have internet access, all with one login address.
Chrome
Google’s iconic browser was unleashed on the online world in 2008, and most of its source code is open source. As of August 2016, it is estimated that Google Chrome is used by 62% of worldwide online surfers. How’s that for domination?
Analytics & Search Console (formerly Webmaster Tools)
Then came the truly awesome toolkit that no web developer wants to be without: enter the world of Google Analytics and Search Console (or Webmaster Tools as it was originally called). These toolkits provide a maze of information about traffic and content of your website, and used properly they are powerful and vital components to successfully market a website. And don’t forget, all of these features are accessible with your Gmail address, all under one single password.
Adwords & AdSense
The final piece to website glory: Google’s Adwords and AdSense offers an organized way to run online campaigns and advertising, again all under one roof.
We look forward to Google’s next big thing: what do you think they will come up with?