When Did Google Become Popular? Google History

Google today is a company and a verb. People casually say, “I’ll just Google it.” Google history is a bit complex. But the powerhouse you know started in someone’s garage in 1996. Larry Page and Sergey Brin met at Stanford University in 1995 when Brin was chosen to show Page around the school. Their minds immediately challenged one other and by 1996, they began building their search engine in their dorm rooms. Part of a school project, the company started as an idea for a better search engine. 

The two men created their own algorithm, which ranked sites based on the number of backlinks they had and provided a results page to users intended to most closely match user intent. Of course, they’ve always closely guarded the actual nitty gritty of the algorithm, but some elements are easy to figure out.

They soon renamed their project “Google,” a name inspired by a mathematical term that encompassed the idea of organizing information. They moved their operations to a friend’s garage, where they leased space for their endeavor from 1996 to about 1998. In the beginning, they embraced bold colors and stick to that theme today with their logo and office space. 

Why Did Google Grow So Fast?

The simple design was easy for all internet experience levels. Other popular search engines of the time included Hotbot, Excite.com, Yahoo!, MSN.com and Netcenter. However, these sites were filled with flashy banners and tons of ads. They were busy, cluttered and didn’t offer a great user experience (UX). 

By focusing on a minimalistic design and excellent UX, Page and Brin were able to draw new users rapidly and the popularity of their product continues to increase. People also noticed their queries were closer to what they looked for than other search engines provided. Google’s algorithm worked. 

They incorporated and they kept indexing more and more pages and refining their algorithms. Users were loyal to the browser as changes weren’t always obvious and the platform was familiar. They also stuck to their core mission of making information accessible to everyone. Google forged its way into the history books.

However, many argue it is the determined innovative approach of the team that drives the company’s success. You’ve likely heard about The Googleplex in Mountain View California and the perks for employees as well as their nontraditional approach to team work and generating ideas. The company attracts top minds, with interns scrambling for a spot on the team. 

Becoming the Main Browser Player

In 1998, Google history varies with some sources saying they raised $100,000 and others saying they launched on $1 million dollars, raised from family, friends and a few investors. But a huge growth spurt happened in 1999, with $25 million in venture capital money. 

At the time, they processed around 500,000 searches a day. However, Yahoo! teamed up with Google around 2000, driving those numbers to around 200 million per day. Even after Google ended the partnership, the trajectory continued on an upward spiral. 

Google History: Monetizing the Company

The founders realized to keep up with the growth, they’d have to pay for the servers required to run such a huge undertaking. They couldn’t rely on investors to keep putting in funds. They started to monetize search engine results pages (SERPs) by adding text-based ads.

In October 2000, developers added Google AdWords and gave all businesses a new way to reach online customers. Because of their highly advanced algorithms, the results of advertising on the platform spoke for itself and more and more companies paid for ads. 

Marketers could reach a very specific audience based on keywords they’d likely search for. The first year, Google brought in around $70 million in ad revenue. And the company started late in the year to reach that number, achieving it in a mere three months.

Google’s Expansion

Back in 2009, Search Engine Land reported Google reached a 65% market share. Through the 2000s, Google added products such as Gmail, Google Maps and Google Earth. New tools and services, such as photo storage, Google Docs and Google Analytics all contributed to the growth of the tech giant. 

Google delved into software development with products such as Alexa, Google Glasses and smartphones. Businesses use products to run their companies and individuals tap into the free features, creating a synergy between B2C and B2B clients. 

Today, Google history includes 60 data centers globally, with locations in North America, Europe, Uruguay, Chile and Canelones. The company hit $305.63 billion in revenue in 2023. 91.47% of all searches originated with the platform. Each year, the numbers increase. 

Their main competition seems to be from other startups and private search engines such as DuckDuckGo. While most people still use Google, they may give others a try. 

Will Google Continue to Grow?

Google ran into some legal troubles in the last few years, the legal team is still navigating. A federal judge ruled Google illegally maintained a monopoly on internet search by being the default search engine on devices. He also ruled the brand violated antitrust laws. In a nutshell, the judge stated Google made agreements that were exclusionary to keep their competition at bay. 

Google has also been slapped with General Data Protection Regulation Act fines, facing pending lawsuits from states and is appealing the decision from the federal judge. The outcome could change the technical behemoth a bit but Google seems to rise from any setback and continue to grow. However, the more the company grows, the more danger there is of the government deciding the company has a monopoly and breaking it up. Navigating the fine line is complex when it comes to antitrust laws. 

Where Will Google Be in Ten Years?

Google may one day be overtaken but a different search option. No matter what,those two students made a huge and lasting impact on the internet search and advertising industry. Google paved the way with innovative new products, including their own artificial intelligence chatbot named Gemini.

It will be fascinating to see how the most innovative minds in the world continue to push new innovations at Google and how the public responds.