Google in 1998: A Look Back at the Search Engine's Early Days

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Google in 1998 a Look Back at the Search Engine’s Early Days In the late 1990s, the internet was rapidly growing, and people were starting to use search engines to find what they were looking for. At the time, there were several search engines available, but none of them were as successful as Google. In this article, we’ll take a look back at Google in 1998 and how it became the dominant search engine it is today.

The Early Days of Google

Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two computer science students at Stanford University. They developed a search engine that would use links to determine the importance of web pages, rather than just counting keywords. The name “Google” comes from the word “googol,” which is a mathematical term for the number 1 followed by 100 zeros.

Google’s Algorithm

Google’s algorithm was different from other search engines of the time, which relied on keywords and metadata to determine the relevance of web pages. Instead, Google’s algorithm used links as a way to determine the importance of web pages. Pages that had more links pointing to them were seen as more important and ranked higher in search results. This system, known as PageRank, helped Google to provide more relevant search results than its competitors.

Early Features of Google

In 1998, Google’s homepage was very simple. It had a logo, a search box, and two buttons: “Google Search” and “I’m Feeling Lucky.” The “I’m Feeling Lucky” button would take users directly to the first search result, bypassing the search results page altogether.

Another feature that Google introduced early on was the ability to search for images. In 2000, Google launched Google Images, which allowed users to search for images on the web.

Google in 1998: A Look Back at the Search Engine's Early Days — Google in 1998: A Look Back at the Search Engine’s Early Days

Google’s Rise to Prominence

Google’s focus on providing relevant search results and its innovative use of links to determine relevance quickly made it the most popular search engine on the web. By 1999, Google was handling 500,000 searches per day, and in 2000, it became the default search engine for Yahoo.

Google’s success continued through the early 2000s, as it expanded its offerings to include Google News, Google Maps, and Google Translate. The company also went public in 2004, and its stock price skyrocketed, making Larry Page and Sergey Brin billionaires.

Google’s success story is one of innovation, hard work, and a commitment to providing the best search experience possible. From its humble beginnings in 1998, Google has grown into a massive corporation that offers a wide range of services beyond search. But even as Google continues to evolve, it’s worth taking a moment to look back at the search engine’s early days and appreciate the simple, but revolutionary, idea that started it all.

FAQs

When was Google founded? Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
What made Google different from other search engines at the time? Google used links to determine the importance of web pages, rather than just counting keywords like other search engines.
What was the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button? The “I’m Feeling Lucky” button would take users directly to the first search result, bypassing the search results page altogether.
When did Google go public? Google went public in 2004.
What other services does Google offer besides search? Google offers a wide range of services, including Google Maps, Google Translate, and Google News, among others.

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