What’s Behind Google’s Search Engine?
Google is one of the most well-known brands in the world, but there’s a lot more to this American tech giant than its search engine. The company also offers cloud computing software, mobile hardware and other services. It is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and employs thousands worldwide.
The Google story began when co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page met in 1995 at Stanford University. The pair were both considering graduate school at the time, and though they disagreed on nearly everything else, they formed a partnership and began working on a search engine from their dorm rooms. Initially named Backrub, the search engine worked by following links from one webpage to another and using that information to rank web pages in order of relevance. Backrub soon became Google and the rest, as they say, is history.
From its start in a garage to the sprawling Googleplex that is now its home, the company has pushed boundaries with its unconventional approach to business. The company motto, “Don’t be evil,” encapsulates the spirit of doing things differently that has led to many of its most innovative products and initiatives.
Almost 70% of all online searches are processed by Google, making it the most popular search engine in the world. Google’s search algorithm uses a large number of factors to rank web pages, including their content and popularity, to ensure that they appear in relevant results when users type in certain keywords or phrases. In addition, the company takes into account other information like a user’s location and language to tailor results even further.
To process all these search requests, Google has built a massive network of data centers around the world. Each data center contains many server racks filled with multiprocessor computers that store and manage data in chunks (called “bits”) on hard drives. These servers are connected via high-speed networks, which allow them to access and retrieve information from each other as needed.
Google’s system of storing and processing huge amounts of information has allowed it to offer such a wide variety of tools and services. Gmail and Google Maps are two of the most popular of these, but the company has also developed a range of other applications, including Google News, Google Shopping, Google Docs and Google Earth.
Google has also produced physical products designed to operate in conjunction with its services, including the Pixel smartphone range, Chromecast in-home streaming device and Chromebook laptop line. Its sister company Sidewalk Labs has procured the rights to turn Toronto’s Quayside waterfront into a sensor-laden smart city, and it has a number of other projects in the works. This is in addition to its flagship search engine and the Android operating system that powers millions of smartphones.
