Who Are Google’s Competitors?

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Google is undoubtedly the most famous name in the tech industry. The multi-billion company has amassed over $100 billion through its various operations. 

It’s hard to imagine that a large company like Google could even have competitors. You’d be surprised there are a few companies that keep Google on its toes.

In this piece, we’ll look at Google’s competitors. 

What Makes Google so Big?

Most people know Google as the largest and most preferred search engine worldwide. Google, however, is more than just a search engine. Google is also a giant in the tech and mobile industry with its Android operating system and smart devices.

Google has also launched a cloud-based platform that is steadily gaining popularity. The company has also dabbled in the video gaming industry. Google Stadia is an upcoming cloud-based gaming service by the tech giant.

Since its advent in the 1990s, Google has shown steady and rapid growth. When the internet started gaining traction, there was a huge problem. The internet had too much content, making accessing particular information pretty difficult and time-consuming.

Google’s main goal was to create algorithms to sort through the mass of content on the web. Google began indexing web content based on specific criteria like review management. It also began scoring web content relative to these criteria.

Google’s page rank system made relevant information and sites easily available to internet users. The ease of use and access made Google the preferred search engine for most people. 

Later on, Google monetized its search engine with AdWords. AdWords is an automated monetizing system for generating revenue through internet ads.

Today Google is a multi-faceted company. Google has branched into technology and innovation and has made huge waves in the tech industry. 

Google’s Competitors: What They Do?

Most people would think Google’s competitors are likely to be other search engine companies. While this isn’t far from the truth, google has other somewhat indirect competitors.

It isn’t wrong to say Google has cemented its place as the king of the search engine arena. There are, however, some major players in the search engine game.  Bing and Yahoo are some companies that make Google work up a sweat.

Apart from these companies, Google also has some rather indirect competition. Facebook and Amazon are examples of notable indirect competitors of Google.

All in all, Google has both big and small rivalries. This piece will only highlight Google’s major competitors. It will also look at their stakes against the major tech company that is Google.

Breaking Down Google’s Main Competitors

Google faces stiff competition from other tech giants like Microsoft. Some companies also give them a run for their money in advertising like Facebook. Here are some of Google’s top competitors.

1. Facebook

Cleary Mark Zuckerberg has given Larry page a few sleepless nights. Zuckerberg is the CEO of the worlds’ largest social media company, Facebook.

Facebook has slowly made a name for itself in the advertising sector. Facebook boasts over two billion active users worldwide. The user numbers make Facebook an ideal choice for marketers looking for a worldwide audience.

Facebook has about 79.2% of all social ad spending as of 2018. In Digital ad spending, Google takes the lead over Facebook. While Google has 37.2% of digital ad spending, Facebook has 22.1%.

The two companies have many subsidiaries that also compete with each other. Google’s YouTube, for instance, is a huge Facebook rival.

Facebook took a huge hit with its data privacy scandal in 2018. The company has, however, overcome the predicament to become a digital ad giant.

You can look at the pros and cons of Google’s AdWords and Facebook Ads and which you should choose. There are also many other digital tools you can use for your business. DigitalSupermarket makes it easy for you o find all the business technology in one place,

2. Microsoft

Microsoft has been a threat to many companies, especially in their startup phases. 

Microsoft is a leading contender for the champion of the search engine. Microsoft’s search engine Bing is directly competing against Google.

It’s safe to say that the number of Bing’s users are nowhere close to Google’s. That said, the number of Bing users has constantly been on the rise.

This steady rise is because of the constant improvements Microsoft makes on Bing. Microsoft has also struck beneficial deals with a couple of websites. Collectively these features make Microsoft a threat to Google’s search engine standing. 

Microsoft’s cloud platform is also a huge competitor with Google’s cloud infrastructure. With constant improvement and a clear lead in the gaming sector, Microsoft seems to be going for the kill.

3. Yahoo

If you have counted yahoo out of the race, then think again. Yahoo currently ranks as the fifth most popular website.

Yahoo mainly competes with Google in its search function. Apart from being a search engine, Yahoo is also an email host and a news media. 

Just like Google, Yahoo has also made a few company acquisitions. Flickr and Tumblr are a few Yahoo subsidiaries. These companies have amassed a huge web following.

4. Amazon

Amazon is a massive Google competitor. So huge is Amazon that its CEO declared it as Google’s biggest competitor.

Amazon is an incredible search engine. A confusing statement but think of it this way. Any product you search for Amazon gives you what you need.

Amazon is also a great contender in the cloud industry. The company has also shown steady revenue growth to date.

Google aside, Amazon is a company to reckon with and a threat to Google’s dominance.

Other Google’s Competitors You Should Know

Hopefully, you have an idea of some rivals to Google’s market dominance. There are a few other lesser-known Google’s competitors. These rivals include:

• Verizon, the telecommunication giant with a revenue turnover of about $130 billion.
• Alibaba, which is a Chinese e-commerce giant making huge waves worldwide.
• AOL, which are among the pioneers of internet search engines. 

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