In preparation for Google‘s 25th birthday later this month, Sundar Pichai wrote a blog.
Email: The Snail Mail of Yesteryears
Sundar kicks off by recalling the days when sending an email to his dad was an event worthy of a mini-documentary. Two days for an email to reach its destination? Ah, how times have changed—or have they? ?
Google Search: The Internet’s Wise Elder
Sundar waxes poetic about Google Search’s evolution, from answering mundane questions like “How to fix a dripping faucet?” to life-altering ones like “How to ace a Google interview?” It’s as if Google has transformed from that know-it-all kid in class to the wise elder who’s seen it all but still can’t predict lottery numbers.
Google: The Nosy Neighbor You Can’t Avoid
Google now boasts 15 products serving over half a billion people. It’s like Google’s that nosy neighbor who keeps popping up with new gossip, except this time they’re offering you 1GB of email storage or a platform to share your cat videos. How could you say no?
AI: Google’s New Toy in the Basement
Sundar is all-in on AI, calling it the biggest technological shift of our lifetimes. It’s as if Google has moved from being the nosy neighbor to the mad scientist in the basement, cooking up something that could either change the world or blow up the block. No pressure.
The Future: 25 More Years or 25 More Months?
Sundar ends by peering into the crystal ball, hinting at a future where Google’s AI might just solve all of humanity’s problems—or at least make teenagers shrug in indifference. So, what’s it going to be, Google? Another 25 years of world domination, or 25 months until TikTok renders you as relevant as a blackberry?
A Veteran’s Perspective: 20 Years in Google’s Labyrinth
As someone who’s been working in SEO for nearly 20 of Google’s 25 years, I’ve seen firsthand the seismic shifts this tech giant has brought to the digital landscape. Back in the day, the SEOs like us won a few battles against Google’s ever-changing algorithms. Clogging up the first page and a half of Google with 4 different versions of my client’s site was good shit! But to the benefit of anyone still using the Internet, Google ended up winning the war, and here we are, still trying to crack the code.. but in a good fun way.
It’s like being in a long-term relationship with a partner who keeps changing the rules of the game. Just when you think you’ve figured them out, they come home with a new haircut, or in Google’s case, a major algorithm update. But despite the challenges, navigating Google’s whims for nearly two decades has stayed interesting.
Wrapping It Up
So there you have it, Sundar Pichai’s nostalgic, forward-looking, and slightly self-congratulatory tour of Google’s past, present, and “who knows what” future. Here’s to Google: May your next 25 years be filled with as many shrugs, eye-rolls, and “OK, Google” moments as the last.