When Google first launched 25 years ago, it wasn’t the first search engine. However, Google Search quickly became known for its ability to help connect people to the exact information they were looking for, faster than they ever thought possible.
Ongoing Innovation
Over the years, Google has continued to innovate and enhance Google Search on a daily basis. The company has achieved this by introducing entirely new methods of searching and assisting millions of businesses in connecting with their customers through search listings and ads.
This journey began with a local lobster business, which initiated its advertising via AdWords in 2001. Google has also added an element of enjoyment to the experience with features like Doodles and Easter eggs.
A Walk Down Memory Lane
On its 25th birthday, Google took a retrospective glance at the significant milestones that have contributed to making the company more helpful in crucial moments and shaping its current position. Interested individuals can delve deeper into this historical journey by exploring Google’s history on its “Search Through Time” website.
Jennifer Lopez’ Versace Dress
In the year 2000, when Jennifer Lopez graced the stage at the Grammy Awards in her daring Versace dress, little did she know that she would become an instant fashion legend and the subject of the most popular query on Google at that time.
However, during those early days, Google’s search results merely consisted of a list of blue links, making it challenging for people to locate the pictures they sought. This predicament served as the catalyst for the birth of Google Images.
Google’s “Did you mean?” Feature
One of the noteworthy advancements in Google’s search functionality was the introduction of “Did you mean?” This feature, which included suggested spelling corrections, marked one of their initial forays into machine learning.
Prior to its implementation, if users made typographical errors in their searches, such as “florescent,” Google would direct them to pages containing the same errors, often not the most relevant ones. Over the years, Google honed its AI-powered techniques to rectify such issues, ensuring that even if users made keyboard slips, they could still find the information they needed.
September 11 Spurred Google News Launch
In 2002, during the aftermath of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, people grappled with the challenge of accessing real-time news on Google. To address this pressing need, Google launched Google News the following year. This service provided links to a diverse array of sources for any given news story, delivering timely and comprehensive information to users.
Google’s Hidden Easter Eggs
Throughout its evolution, Google has hidden numerous clever Easter eggs within its search interface. In 2003, one of the earliest Easter eggs yielded the answer to life, the universe, and everything, delighting millions of users.
These playful additions to the search experience, like pages turning askew or executing barrel rolls, have since become iconic features of Google Search.
Automated Prediction of Queries – Google Suggest
Another groundbreaking development was the introduction of Autocomplete in 2004. This feature, initially known as “Google Suggest,” automatically predicted queries in the search bar as users began typing. On average, Autocomplete reduced typing efforts by 25% and saved an estimated 200 years’ worth of typing time per day.
Google Waved Goodbye to Traditional Phone Books
Google recognized the growing importance of local information in 2004. Traditional phone books were gradually being supplanted by online searches for businesses and services. In response, Google Local was launched, augmenting business listings with maps, directions, and reviews. The addition of click-to-call functionality on mobile devices in 2011 further enhanced the user experience, resulting in more than 6.5 billion connections for businesses each month.
Now We Can Talk
In 2006, Google embarked on a mission to break down language barriers online. Four years of research culminated in the launch of Google Translate, which facilitated text translations between Arabic and English. The service has since expanded to support over 100 languages, with 24 new languages added in the past year.
Google Trends Launches in 2006
Google Trends, introduced to the world in 2006, became an invaluable tool for understanding search trends and patterns. This free dataset empowers journalists, researchers, scholars, and brands to explore how searches evolve over time.
The year 2007 saw the inception of Universal Search, a transformative shift in Google’s search algorithms. This innovation aimed to deliver more comprehensive and relevant search results by including various content formats, such as links, images, videos, and local results.
Google’s First Mobile App on iPhone
With the advent of the Apple App Store in 2008, Google responded by launching its first mobile app on the iPhone. This app introduced features like Autocomplete and “My Location,” streamlining the search experience on smaller screens.
Voice Search made its debut in 2008, initially on the Google Mobile App and later expanding to the desktop in 2011. This feature allowed users to perform searches by simply speaking, a convenience that gained immense popularity in India.
Response to a Mothers Suggestion
In 2009, Google responded to a mother’s suggestion by introducing emergency hotlines at the top of search results. This addition played a critical role in providing timely access to poison control information and other essential services during moments of crisis.
The year 2011 witnessed the introduction of Search by Image, a novel feature that enabled users to upload images and discover related content. This innovation paved the way for the development of Google Lens.
Knowledge Graph
In 2012, Google introduced the Knowledge Graph, an extensive repository of information about people, places, and objects, along with their relationships. This addition aimed to enhance the speed and accuracy of search results, especially when users sought information about celebrities, cities, or sports teams.
Popular Times Feature
The year 2015 marked the launch of the Popular Times feature in Google Search and Maps, helping users identify peak hours at places like restaurants, stores, and museums.
Google’s commitment to personalized experiences led to the introduction of Discover in 2016. This feature offered users a tailored feed of content within the Google app, eliminating the need for manual searches.
Harnessing the Power of Visual Search
Google Lens, unveiled in 2017, harnessed the power of visual search. By analyzing objects in images and comparing them to other pictures, Google Lens allowed users to search for information based on what they saw in photos.
In 2018, Google leveraged AI to predict and warn about impending floods, starting in India and expanding to 80 countries. This initiative aimed to enhance preparedness for catastrophic events.
BERT – Game-Changer in Language Understanding
BERT, short for Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers, emerged in 2019 as a game-changer in language understanding. This neural network-based technique open-sourced by Google revolutionized language comprehension in Search, considering the full context of words. BERT was rigorously tested in 2019 and subsequently applied to over 70 languages.
AI-Powered Dataset Containing 35 Billion Product Listings
In 2020, Google made online shopping more accessible by allowing any retailer or brand to showcase their products on the platform for free. Additionally, the company introduced the Shopping Graph, an AI-powered dataset containing 35 billion product listings, including information on products, sellers, brands, reviews, and local inventory.
Hum a Song and Google Will Find It
The same year saw the launch of Hum to Search in the Google app. This innovative feature identified potential song matches when users hummed, whistled, or sang a melody, providing information about the song and artist.
In 2021, Google introduced “About this result” to help users make more informed decisions about search results. This feature offered insights into why a result was displayed and provided additional context about the content and its source.
Debut of Multisearch
2022 marked the debut of Multisearch, an entirely new search approach that allowed users to explore results with text and images simultaneously. This feature enabled users to snap a photo and add a text query to find matching results. Initially launched in the U.S., Multisearch expanded globally to mobile devices and was made available in multiple languages and countries.
As of 2023, Google continues to innovate with Search Labs and the Search Generative Experience (SGE).
These initiatives involve conducting hundreds of thousands of experiments annually to enhance Google’s utility. Search Labs allows users to engage with early