Google - The Evolution of Search in Six Minutes

02 December 2011

Google recently released a short informational video highlighting some of the key developments in the evolution of the search engine over the last decade. With the pace of technological change moving at breakneck speed it's easy to forget what the search landscape looked like just a couple of years ago. This video serves as a reminder of how much has changed in such a short period of time.

As part of making the video Google also created a timeline of search features some of which are outlined below.

1997 - Google.com is registered.
2000 - Google AdWords. Google's paid advertising platform is introduced.
2001 - Google Images. Image search was was one of the first specialised search services introduced by Google.
2002 - Google News. News results were introduced not long after 9/11 when it became clear that searchers wanted relevant, up-to-the minute news about world events.
2003 - Google Products. Now better known as Google Shopping, this service provides retailers with an outlet for promoting and selling their products.
2004 - Google Local. Local results are given prominence in the search results anytime a searcher uses a geographical search modifier - (e.g. Locksmith Coventry)
2005 - Google Video. The year when video took off in a big way Google introduced it's video search facility.
2006 - Google Blogs. A specialised search service for blogs.
2007 - Universal Search. Universal Search brought many of the previously distinct specialised searches to the forefront, mixing results like images, videos, and news, in addition to normal webpages within the main search results.
2008 - Google Street View. An extension of Google Earth and Google Maps, Street View lets searchers explore places around the world through 360-degree street-level imagery.
2009 - Google Real Time.
2010 - Google Instant. When users type a search in Google the search engine guesses what the searcher wants to see and provides an instant preview before the search is even complete.