Understanding Google can be difficult because it enters and exits new markets all the time. These forays into buying and controlling disparate businesses are paid for primarily by the revenue generated by Google’s advertising networks. Out of all the activities that Google engages in as a business, we will only be looking at Google Search.
Google Search is a search engine that allows you to enter keywords and search terms, and returns a list of webpages and information relevant to your search terms. It was Google’s first product and is by far its largest. It was initially released in 1997 and is still dominant to this day: Google Search maintains a 90% market share. To understand what Google is, we have to understand how Google Search works.