Google Has Other Uses

“Tidbits of Rockford” Internet Helper Article #3

Google has quickly become the #1 trusted search engine in the universe.  America Online actually combined their email system with the search through Google.  If you visit America Online (aol.com), you will see that their search is “Enhanced by Google.”  Microsoft was losing its audience at msn.com, so they brought out Bing as a new concept to try and revamp its audience.

Why is Google so much better?  Google’s search is actually geared much more towards the person who is searching, and less towards the websites available.  In other words, a website must have decent content and verbage in order for Google to send them any visitors searching for that content.

For example, if a person is searching for information about how to make apple butter, Google will be choosing the sites to display as results by combing through the various sites that are available and showing only those with the most relevant content for “apple butter.”  It might seem like Yahoo and Bing do the same exact concept, but they are slightly different.

There are many other reasons why Google has dominated as the #1 search engine.  One of my personal favorites is that they offer so many free tools.  Did you know that Google offers to its users an online spreadsheet system that is free!  It is called “Google Documents.” The first thing that you would need is a free Gmail account from Google.  After signing up for a Gmail account, then you click on the “Documents” link on the top part of the screen while logged into Gmail.  You will then be given the option to associate your Gmail account with Google Documents.  You can create, save, and print spreadsheets very similar to Microsoft Excel right from Google.

What makes Google Documents even better is that you can share the online document with other Google users that might need to see the document.  For example, if you have a coworker that would also benefit from the document who has a Gmail account, then you can choose to share your Google Document spreadsheet with them, and you can both view and make changes to the content.

Have you ever seen those ads online that state “Google Pays You!”?  In my next “Internet Helper,” I will be talking about how Google can pay someone.  Stay tuned!