According to Danny Sullivan, founder and editor of
SearchEngineWatch.com, published by INT Media Group Inc. in Darien,
Connecticut, Google's success will ultimately come down to how
well its relevancy technology can compete with that of newcomers
like Teoma.com. Success will also depend on the company's
ability to maintain its sparkling reputation.
Right now, it seems that everyone is singing Google's
praises, from diehard Linux enthusiasts to advertisers like Eddie
Bauer and Acura. The companies embrace Google's highly targeted
advertising programs because its text-only format produces a much
higher click-through rate than banner ads and are targeted based on
users' searches. What became popular among Stanford students
and a largely techie audience has snowballed, as Sullivan puts it,
into a slew of fans from every walk of Internet life.
Noting there will be some worthy technological competition to
come from the likes of Teoma, whose relevancy technology rivals
that of Google, Sullivan says that a waning reputation can often
hurt a company. "People always want to know what the hottest
thing is, and what they don't want to know is that the hottest
thing is the same it was yesterday," he says. In
Sullivan's opinion, the company's dedication to Internet
search is what makes it stand out from the rest. Says Sullivan:
"Google has been good in rolling out new features. Even if the
press doesn't want to keep writing about Google, it's not
necessarily writing about Google when it writes about the Google
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"I don't think they [do it] just because they know they
need to keep press attention. I think they come up with it because
they care about search. That's what's going to carry them
through more than anything else."
It's hard to argue with that. With everything from
Google's PageRank system, which ranks an individual page's
value, to availability on WAP-ready phones and Palm Pilots,
it's obvious Brin and Page care about what they're doing.
"We have a long-term goal of creating the ultimate search
engine--one that would understand exactly what users mean and give
back exactly what users want," says Page.
In the meantime, they work toward their goal in a pleasant,
kick-back work environment. Google's Mountain View headquarters
houses an arcade machine with games built by a Google engineer, a
piano in the lobby, lava lamps, a gym with locker rooms, and
PlayStation 2 and Dreamcast diversions. And to top it off, there
are three full-time chefs who cook lunch and dinner. A sample menu
includes creamy tomato basil soup with grilled free range chicken
followed by a pumpkin cheesecake with walnut crust for dessert.
Sound like the glory days that sent most dotcoms into a downward
spiral? "These things aren't that expensive, and they make
me happy, which is important," jokes Brin. More seriously,
though, he says,"We try to provide an environment where people
are going to be happy. I think that's a much better use of
money than, say, hundred-million-dollar marketing campaigns or
outrageously inflated salaries."
Apart from the opportunities, it was the air of good times that
made Ray Sidney join the team back when there were only four people
at the company. Sidney admits the intimate feel has changed a bit
now that the company has 270-plus employees. Certain protocols are
now more necessary than they once were, and the company's
structure is more defined. But it sure makes for a more exciting
hockey game in the parking lot.
Despite its rapid growth, Google is still a place where CEO Eric
Schmidt always leaves his door open, and where the co-founders hit
the puck alongside engineers. Because its good name has prompted
major portals like Yahoo! and international corporate sites like
MarthaStewart.com and Cisco Systems to choose Google services. And
because targeted advertising pulls in Google revenue, the company
has never had to cut back on hiring. In fact, it's hiring
"the best"--be it university faculty for the research
division to engineers with doctrates in computer science--that has
helped Google advance so quickly. Says Brin, "We look for
diversity and talent--both implementation talent, idea talent and
more science vs. engineering talent."
Somehow you can just look at the Google logo and know it's
run by passionate and fun-loving folk, and that the heart of the
company is true. It's the way Sergey Brin and Larry Page
decided things were going to be from the beginning. "There are
situations now as an executive-hiring people, firing people,
ethical quandaries and things you run into where you have to define
yourself as a person," says Brin. "I found it's
important to set a high standard early and follow it, which we did.
That's how you develop trust with your colleagues and companies
you work with--and that's how you maintain a really good
reputation."
Michelle Prather is a freelance writer in Grand Terrace,
California.
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