What is Google?

Google is a multinational corporation that specializes in Internet-related services and products. Its search tools, online advertising technologies, and cloud computing offerings place it at the center of most web users’ experiences. Google is headquartered in Mountain View, California and is the largest search engine on the Internet by market share. It is also a major provider of cloud computing software, and it owns and operates the Android mobile operating system. In 2015, the company reorganized its interests as a holding company called Alphabet Inc., and Google continues to be its leading subsidiary.

Google’s growth has fueled its ambitions to acquire more companies and expand its reach. It has paid billions of dollars for acquisitions such as the mobile ad firm AdMob and the video website YouTube. It has also acquired companies specializing in technology, advertising, and even health care.

The most well-known aspect of Google’s services are the online search tools it provides for free to Internet users. The company collects data from millions of users each day, and its 11 global data centers store massive amounts of information in proprietary computer programs. These systems use the proprietary file systems GFS, Bigtable, and MapReduce to process and generate higher-level data that is used to deliver search results to users.

Since its founding in 1998, Google has grown rapidly and become one of the world’s most prominent brands. As of 2016, it handles more than 70% of worldwide online search requests and is a major source of revenue for the parent company, Alphabet Inc. The company is known for its search algorithms and innovative advertising techniques, but it also has a wide range of other products and services, including the Chrome browser, mobile operating system Android, and the Google Play digital content marketplace. It also produces physical hardware such as the Pixel smartphone line, the Chromecast streaming media device, and the Chromebook laptop range.

Consumers are more likely to discover businesses and check their reviews on Google than on any other review website. By placing star ratings and review snippets directly on its organic search results, and by allowing business owners to claim their Google My Business profiles, Google cuts out the middlemen. In addition, its search algorithm takes into account the quality of reviews to determine the rank of a site or business.

While Google encourages reviews that are both positive and negative, the company prohibits reviews that promote violence or hatred of any group or individual based on race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or other characteristics that are associated with systemic discrimination or marginalization. Reviews that violate the policy may be removed or deleted by Google staff.