Google’s 25-Year Adventure: Some Fun and Fascinating Facts

Google, the tech giant which has become synonymous with internet search, is celebrating its 25 years this month! Over the past quarter-century, many feel Google has transformed the way we access information, connect with people, and explore the world. To honour this milestone, let’s take a trip down memory lane and explore some fascinating fun facts about Google’s journey so far.

Humble Google Beginnings

Google was born in a Stanford University dorm room when Larry Page and Sergey Brin collaborated on a search engine called “Backrub” – don’t ask! The two founders had a vision to organise the vast amount of information on the internet, and they worked tirelessly to turn their dream into reality.

A Play on Words

Ever wondered why it’s called Google? Well, it’s a play on “googol,” which is 1 followed by 100 zeros. They wanted to tell us they could organize a mind-boggling amount of internet stuff. Mission accomplished!

Google Doodles

Google’s famous doodles started back in 1998. The first one was a simple stick figure visiting the Burning Man festival. Larry and Sergey were basically saying, “We’re out of the office, but hey, we’re still here in spirit!”

What’s to.com for?

Google’s homepage is celebrated for its elegant and minimalist design. However, the company also owns the domain “to.com,” a purchase made in 2016, with the purpose shrouded in mystery. Speculation has it that this domain might have relevance to Google Stadia, the company’s cloud gaming platform, although that’s dead now, so who knows?

A Global Google Reach

Google speaks the language of the world, with its services available in over 150 languages. They’ve set up shop all over the globe, making sure everyone can join in on the Google fun.

Google Giving

Google isn’t just about profits; they’re big on giving back. Google.org is their philanthropic arm, and it’s donated tons of cash to all kinds of good causes, from disaster relief to education.

Dreaming Big

Google doesn’t stop at search. They’ve dipped their toes into self-driving cars (hello, Waymo!) and delved into mind-blowing AI research with DeepMind. Big dreams, big impact.

Daring to take risks

Google’s first ever tweet was “I’m feeling lucky” written in binary code. It was based on their “I’m Feeling Lucky” button on search which took users to the first search result website directly instead of presenting the list.

How many more years will Google be here for?

So, here’s to Google, the tech superstar that started as a crazy idea in a dorm room and became a global phenomenon. From making sense of the internet to exploring new frontiers in tech, Google’s journey has been nothing short of incredible. Cheers to another 25 years of Google magic, fun doodles, and, of course, the occasional mystery of “to.com”. Happy 25th, Google! 🎉



Google Ranking HTTPS Websites Higher in Search

You may have heard on the news over the last year plenty of articles about cyber security and keeping your details safe online. Well Google has been pushing for years that it wants all websites to become secure using encryption regardless of whether they take payment details or not, in a bid to keep web visitors safe. Google has also admitted that HTTPS (the secure version of HTTP) is now a ranking factor in it’s own search algorithm, so it’s not something you should ignore. This is a big change and one of the biggest since Google’s algorithm change to rank responsive websites higher in search for mobile visitors.

Aside from the search ranking effects for HTTPS, Google will soon display a ‘site not secure’ message or similar if it deems your website needs an SSL certificate (the service that encrypts this data) but doesn’t have one in place. This could put off potential visitors, affect your brand and harm sales.

So, how can you get ahead in Google’s new secure website search update? Well, first you need to consider costs. Dedicated SSL certificates are usually more expensive than domains, need renewing every year and without technical knowledge, can be difficult to setup with your domain and hosting if you’re not familiar with the process.

Let’s look at the benefits of a dedicated SSL certificate first. Having a secure website gives your users:

  • Peace of mind when browsing your website that they’re connection is safe.
  • Payments or personal details will be encrypted between their computer and your server using 2048-bit key encryption.
  • Browsers will display a ‘padlock’ symbol and sometimes a ‘Secure’ message with a green highlight in the address bar, giving extra peace of mind.
  • As the website owner, you will also get varying levels of insurance covering you for interception by the SSL certificate provider. Usually this starts with a minimum of $10,000 and of course the higher the payout the more you pay each year.

On the flip side, there are some important points to note about SSL certificates:

  • Having an SSL certificate on your website doesn’t necessarily secure it from hackers. Don’t forget to update your website frequently and adhere to all security protocols when handling sensitive data.
  • Your website will load ever so slightly slower. Encryption usually takes longer to process and therefore page speeds will be slightly longer. The added security will help improve peace of mind for users though.
  • You will need to change all URLs on your website to use the new HTTPS URL, otherwise you will get browser ‘mixed content’ warnings and your browser and possibly search engines won’t give an improved ranking.
  • Renew the SSL certificate every year or risk losing your secure website status. Forgetting to do so could also mean your website may not load correctly. Each certificate is uniquely generated and therefore needs to be reinstalled on renewal.

If setting up an SSL certificate on your website all sounds too complex, we can help you set it up and provide hosting as well as domain registration. We provide dedicated SSL security certificates and will ensure they’re fully configured with you website. We’ll even check for old URLs so you don’t get ‘mixed content’ errors in the browser. Contact us today if you need an SSL certificate or would like some general web design advice.



Website Surgery Event: Understanding Google My Business

website surgery monthly website talks in Bath

Google My Business: Managing your page and promoting yourself through Google +
FREE EVENT 12pm – 1pm, Thursday 14th January 2016 @ The Guild, Bath, BA1 5EB

 

Design for Digital are proud to present their latest talk for small to medium sized businesses in Bath. This months topic is “Google My Business: Managing your page and promoting yourself through Google +” where we’ll explain how to create, verify, manage and engage with your Google My Business audience, as well as explaining the benefits and pitfalls most companies make when listing themselves with Google My Business.  Continue reading “Website Surgery Event: Understanding Google My Business”