With the birth of Google, the Internet was changed forever. Getting information was now easy even for the novice Internet user. It’s been over 10 years and some research reports have Google’s global Search Engine volume at over 70%. Google is now the most dominant Search Engine on the Internet with the Google website as the most popular website in the World. Google’s Search Engine dominance comes from an algorithm that brings the information people want in the most trusted and relevant way. But now what for Google? Will Google ever be more than just a Search Engine?
Since using a Search Engine is now the 2nd most popular things to do on the Internet next to checking your email, what is Google going to try and dominate next? Well, let’s just go back to my previous sentence. Email. Enter Gmail. Now Gmail is the 3rd largest free email service next to Yahoo mail and MSN’s hotmail. When Gmail launched in 2004 it was probably the most feature rich free email platform around but that wouldn’t last long as Yahoo Mail and MSN’s Hotmail added features like increased storage to compete with the Google’s Beta email. According to SmartCompany.com, between December 2007 and December 2008, Gmail’s unique monthly visitors in the United States grew 43% from 20.8 million to 29.6 million, according to ComScore. Hotmail lost 5% of unique monthly visitors during the same period, falling from 45.7 million to 43.5 million which means Gmail could overtake Hotmail by the end of this year as the 2nd most popular email service. And don’t forget Google Enterprise email for businesses, www.google.com/apps/business. Talk about feature rich and free even depending on your company’s email requirements.
But not everything Google touches turns to gold. Google video launched, then died. Why try to reinvent something that was already a hit, which is why Google purchased YouTube in 2006 for $1.65 billion. Pretty smart move if you ask me as YouTube is probably worth 10 times that amount today and was a great way for Google to syndicate ads out on their ad network.
Heard about Goog 411? I love this free service especially because I used to call 411 all the time to get numbers and that $1.00 charge was irritated me for years. Google still needs to work out some kinks with there voice verification platform, but it does work and saves me a few bucks every month. However, we’re talking about whether or not Google will ever be more than a Search Engine and Goog 411 has lacked picking up any significant steam as it should be the leader in directory services with the Goog 411 platform if it every decided to market it correctly.
But what ever happened to Google Accelerator, Google Catalog, or Google Answers? There are probably several other Google concepts I could list that you never heard of because they never took off, yet still today Google Labs is hustling and bustling with several big ideas on the horizon. I wouldn’t count Google out from streamlining other industries like cell phone service and solar energy but I still think Google is very reluctant to spending big bucks on marketing its beta services because they never really had to market their Search Engine and look at it now. In my opinion, Google is much more than just a Search Engine and prove to be one of the most progressive companies in the world, but you probably won’t see Google coffee chains or supermarkets as their brains are solely focused on the technology sector, but I guess you never know.
