In 2006 both the Oxford English and Merriam-Webster dictionaries added the verb “google” to their pages. Though Google itself resists the public’s broad use of the term to dissuade them from genericizing its trademark, it’s difficult to believe the company didn’t feel just a touch of pride. After all, it achieved this landmark less than a decade after Google.com was first registered as a domain.

Co-founded by Sergey Brin and Larry Page in September 1997, Google began as an outgrowth of the same Stanford servers that had hosted the duo’s first search engine, BackRub, in 1995.

History of Google

The company’s history is well-documented. It became one of the fastest-growing and most successful companies in recent times, vaulting the Dotcom boom and bust of the turn of the century to reach national and then international prominence. Google expanded beyond its initial search utility to encompass globe-spanning satellites, online video and, most recently, driverless cars.

Begun as an infamous typo in Susan Wojcicki’s garage, Google today is available in over 150 languages, includes over 50,000 news sources (Google News sends publishers 6 billion clicks per month). It hosts more than 425 million email addresses and has four times been listed as Fortune’s “#1 Best Company to Work For.” The company is a powerhouse, literally a household name, and dominates the current online marketing industry. No SEO firm can compete without a thorough understanding of what it takes to get on Google’s good side.

With that in mind, BSG will delve into the heart of this internet titan and detail the history of Google’s search equation.