Google Search

Google Search, often just called Google, is a very popular search engine run by the company Google. It helps people find information by typing words or phrases on a website page or in an app on their computer or phone. Google uses special rules, called algorithms, to look through millions of websites and decide which ones are most helpful for what you are looking for. It also uses clever computer programs to give answers directly.

Google Search is the most visited website in the world, and many people use it every day. You might see a section called "Sponsored result" which shows ads that companies pay for. There is also often a part called "AI Overviews" that gives a quick answer to your question.

Google Search was first created in 1996 by three people: Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Scott Hassan. It started in the garage of a house in Menlo Park. Over the years, Google added new features, like being able to search by speaking into a device and understanding the meaning behind words. Today, Google Search helps us learn about many things quickly and easily.

Search indexing

See also: Googlebot

Google indexes lots of information from web pages. It can also show users PDFs, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, some Flash multimedia content, and plain text files. There is a setting called "SafeSearch" that helps keep certain types of content out of search results.

Even though Google has a large index, it covers only a small part of the Internet. The rest is called the deep web and cannot be found using regular search tools.

In 2012, Google changed how it works to lower the ranking of sites linked to piracy. In 2016, Google announced it would create a special index just for mobile devices. This change happened because more people were using mobile devices, and it encouraged website makers to make mobile-friendly versions of their sites. The change started rolling out in December 2017.

"Caffeine" search architecture upgrade

In August 2009, Google asked web developers to test a new way of searching called "Caffeine". This new system worked faster and updated its index more often, but it looked the same to users. Google finished this update on June 8, 2010.

"Medic" search algorithm update

In August 2018, Google made a change to its search system. This change aimed to lower websites that gave confusing or misleading health information. Google has high standards for pages about health or money because mistakes can affect people. This update affected many health-related websites.

Search results

Google Search helps people find information by looking at websites. It uses special rules, called algorithms, to choose which results to show.

Google created an algorithm called PageRank to decide which web pages are important. This algorithm looks at links from other pages to choose the most helpful ones.

In 2013, Google updated its algorithm with something called "Hummingbird." This change helped Google understand the meaning of people's questions, making search results more helpful.

Google also works to keep search results useful and free from misleading content. In 2024, Google made updates to reduce unhelpful results.

AI responses

AI Overviews

Main article: AI Overviews

In May 2023, Google started a new way to answer questions called Search Generative Experience (SGE). This feature gives short, helpful answers. It was part of Google’s effort to use new technology. In May 2024, this feature was improved and named AI Overviews.

AI Overviews began in the United States in May 2024. At first, some answers were wrong, like saying to put glue on pizza. Google said these were rare and that most answers were helpful. They also made changes to avoid wrong health advice. Some people worried that this feature uses more energy.

By August 2024, AI Overviews were in several countries, including the UK, India, Japan, and Brazil. In October 2024, it came to 100 more countries, such as Australia and New Zealand.

AI Mode

Main article: AI Mode

In March 2025, Google added an experimental “AI Mode” to its Search. This lets users ask more detailed questions and get full answers. It uses Google’s Gemini 2.0 model and can understand text, images, and voice.

At first, only people who paid for Google One AI Premium in the United States could try AI Mode. Google used this time to learn from users and make improvements.

Interface

At the top of the Google search page, you can see how many results there are and how fast the search was done. You’ll see titles of web pages, their addresses, dates, and a short piece of text that shows what’s on the page. Sometimes you’ll also see pictures, news, and videos with the website results.

Google changed its search in 2007 to include many types of information together, like pictures, news, and videos, all on one page. In 2017, Google started showing job listings from job boards and company websites. In 2009, Google began adding extra details to search results, such as reviews for restaurants. In 2016, this idea was expanded to show more information at the top of mobile search results.

Google also has a Knowledge Graph, a special database that gives extra information about search topics in a box next to the results. This started in the United States in 2012 and later expanded worldwide. There is also a feature called Google Knowledge Panel that gives quick facts about people, places, or things you search for.

In 2017, Google added a “Personal” tab that lets you search through your own Google accounts, like your emails and photos. There is also Google Discover, a personalized feed of articles and videos that shows you things Google thinks you’ll be interested in, based on what you’ve done with Google before.

Google has updated its design several times, including changes to the homepage and new ways to show ads. Google also has mobile apps for Android and iOS devices that include special features like saving search results and showing popular search trends.

Performing a search

Google Search has many websites around the world, with google.com being the biggest and most visited one. It helps you find information by letting you type words or phrases. Google looks through many websites to give you the best matches for what you're searching for.

You can make your search better by using special words and symbols. For example, you can search for pages that have either one word or another, find pages without a certain word, or look inside a specific website. Google also can correct misspellings and suggest related things you might be looking for. It even tries to understand what you mean, even if you use the wrong word or leave out some words.

Operations

Search products

Main article: List of Google products

Google helps people find many kinds of information. You can search for words on web pages, pictures with Google Images, old messages in Usenet newsgroups, news stories, videos, maps, and things to buy online. Google also has a tool called Google Videos to find video clips on the World Wide Web.

Google offers other tools too, like Google News, Google Shopping, Google Maps, Google Earth, YouTube, and Google Translate. Some tools, like Gmail, let you search through your messages.

Energy consumption

In 2009, Google said that one search uses about as much energy as warming a small amount of water. This means each search creates a tiny amount of CO₂, a gas that can affect the environment.

Google Doodles

Main article: Google Doodle

Sometimes, the Google logo changes to a special picture, drawing, or game called a "Google Doodle." These Doodles celebrate special days, events, or important people. For example, there have been Doodles for holidays like Valentine's Day and for big anniversaries like the 50th anniversary of the interlocking Lego block. Some Doodles let you play games. Clicking on a Doodle shows search results about that special topic.

Criticism

Privacy

Main article: Privacy concerns regarding Google

In 2012, the US Federal Trade Commission found that Google did not keep promises about protecting users' privacy on Apple's Safari web browser. Because of this, Google was fined US$22.5 million.

Google has also been criticized for saving information about what people search for. This has led to some concerns about how private people's information is.

Complaints about indexing

In 2003, The New York Times said that Google was taking content from websites without permission. Courts later said Google could continue doing this.

Possible misuse of search results

In 2007, some researchers worried that people only used Google to find information, missing out on other sources.

In 2011, it was noted that Google’s search results can sometimes only show what a person usually sees, called a “filter bubble”. This can limit new ideas and perspectives.

In 2023, some believed that the quality of Google’s search results had gotten worse.

Payments to Apple

In 2023, it was revealed that Google pays Apple a large amount of money when people use Google through the Safari browser. This has raised questions about Google’s control over search engines.

Big data and human bias

Google’s search tools use special rules to guess what people might search for. Sometimes, these tools show biased results. Experts say this happens because the tools learn from data that includes human biases.

Monopoly ruling

In 2024, a court decided that Google has too much control over Internet search. Google plans to appeal this decision.

Trademark

Main article: Google (verb)

Many people say "googling" when they mean searching online. The company works to protect its name so it doesn't become a common word everyone uses for any search. This has sometimes led to legal actions. People have also used other phrases to talk about Google Search, like calling it a famous web search engine.

Discontinued features

Translate foreign pages

Until May 2013, Google Search let people translate search queries into other languages. A Google spokesperson told Search Engine Land that removing this feature was hard but needed because few people used it.

Instant search

Instant search started in September 2010. It showed suggested results as people typed their searches, saving time by showing results quickly. Marissa Mayer, a leader at Google, said this could save users seconds per search. Some people liked this feature, and Google shared news about it. Users could turn off Instant search in their settings if they wanted.

In July 2017, Google stopped Instant search because more people used mobile devices, where screens are smaller and searching works differently.

Instant previews

"Instant previews" let users see pictures of web pages from search results without opening them. By clicking on a magnifying glass next to a search result, users could see a snapshot of the page. Google said this helped people find information faster. This feature started in November 2010 for desktop users but was removed in April 2013 because not many people used it.

Dedicated encrypted search page

In May 2010, Google started an encrypted search page at encrypted.google.com. This used a special security method called Transport Layer Security (TLS) to keep searches private. However, because most browsers and Google products already used a secure connection by default, Google stopped using the special address encrypted.google.com after April 30, 2018.

Real-Time Search

Google Real-Time Search showed recent updates from places like Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and news sites. It started on December 7, 2009, and showed a flow of posts with popular posts on the side. Users could also search for hashtags. In July 2011, this feature stopped because Google could no longer get tweets from Twitter. Google had hoped to bring it back but decided not to continue.