Google is 27 years old

A humble start in 1998

On September 27, 1998, Google was officially launched by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Their mission was simple but ambitious: “to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.” What started as a university project in a garage in Menlo Park grew into the world's largest search engine in less than three decades, and much more than that.

The growth from search engine to ecosystem

In the early years, Google was only about the search engine, but now Google is a complete ecosystem. Think about:

• Gmail (2004): now one of the most used email services in the world.
• Google Maps (2005): changed how we navigate and travel.
• Android (2007): grew into the most used mobile operating system.
• YouTube (2006, takeover): the largest video platform ever.
• Google Ads & Analytics: determines how online marketing works.

Today, Google is an integral part of our daily lives: from searches and ads to cloud solutions and AI.

Google's influence on SEO and online marketing

For SEO specialists, Google is more than just a tool; it's the hub around which the entire industry revolves. Every core update, every change in the SERP and each new product affects how companies are found online.

In recent years, Google has made it clear where the priority lies: EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) and helpful content. Websites that offer value to users, and not just try to outsmart the search engine, are the future.

AI and Google's Future

While in the 2000s, Google was primarily known for its search engine and later its advertising platform, today's focus is increasingly on artificial intelligence.

• With AI Overviews Google is experimenting with a new way of searching, where answers appear directly in search results.
• Via Gemini (formerly Bard) Google is betting heavily on conversational AI, which makes searches look more and more like conversations.
• AI integration into Google Workspace (Docs, Gmail, Slides) shows that Google wants to embed AI not just in Search, but in the entire ecosystem.

The future? There is a good chance that Google will continue to develop from “search engine” to “answering machine”. For SEO, this means that visibility into AI results, structured data and authoritative content becomes even more important.

27 years later: the balance sheet

In 27 years, Google has evolved from a simple search engine to an indispensable player in technology, information, and AI. The company is sometimes criticized for its power, but no one can deny that the Internet, and the way we work, would be unrecognisable without Google.

Conclusion

Congratulations to Google 🎂, 27 years young, and ready to reshape the future of AI and search experience.