The Beginnings of Google

Google, the world’s leading search engine, is the primary source of information for 90% of people online. Most of us are familiar with Google’s range of internet-related services and products, including online advertising technologies, a search engine, cloud computing, software, and hardware. However, few know the story behind its creation.

The Origin: BackRub (1996)

In 1995, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two computer science students at Stanford University, began developing a computer program that would later evolve into Google. Their project, initially named “BackRub,” utilized a unique algorithm that tracked and recorded data on the World Wide Web by calculating the number of “back-links” each webpage had.

The core of BackRub was a data collection procedure called PageRank, which determined a webpage’s significance by tracking the number of other pages linked to it, assessing the content relevance of those pages, and linking them back to the original page.

The Launch of Google (1998)

Larry Page and Sergey Brin formally launched Google in 1998. Although it started as a university project, Google quickly emerged as the leading web-based search engine.

Growth and Development

Google’s growth trajectory has been impressive. To sustain their success, Page and Brin hired IT specialists, developers, business analysts, computer scientists, sales and marketing staff, and accounting officials. They moved from their old garage office to a new, expansive campus known as “The Googleplex” in Mountain View, California.

Milestones Since 2000

• AdWords (2002): Google launched AdWords, a third-party advertising initiative based on a pay-per-click mechanism, displaying various ads on different web pages. Despite an initial funding rejection from Yahoo, AdWords became a significant profit hub for Google.
• AdSense (2003): This product allowed businesses to connect with global advertisers with a click of a button.
• Gmail (2004): Launched on April Fool’s Day, Gmail quickly became one of the most dominant email platforms globally, despite initial skepticism from users.

Fun Facts About Google

1. Extensive Indexing: Google indexes at least 3 billion websites. When users search, they sift through all these sites to deliver results in milliseconds. To rank high on Google’s index, website owners must optimize their sites for search engines (SEO).
2. April Fool’s Day Pranks: Google is known for its April Fool’s Day pranks. Gmail, one of its leading services, was launched on April 1, 2004, and was initially thought to be a prank.
3. Top Employer: In 2007, Fortune magazine named Google the best company to work for in the US.
4. First Employee: Today, Google has over 88,000 employees. Its first employee, hired in 1998, was Craig Silverstein.
5. Cultural Impact: The term “to Google” was popularized by Hollywood, appearing as an English verb in the TV show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” on October 15, 2002.

Google’s journey from a university project to a global powerhouse is a testament to innovation and persistence. As it continues to grow and evolve, its impact on the digital world remains unparalleled.

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