Dear Google: How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways

It’s a good time to be Google. They are the closest anyone’s been to ruling the world since the Romans, and they don’t show any signs of slowing down.

There’s a lot to love about Google, a company that has almost single-handedly changed the way people think about the web. These are just a few of the things people love about Google:

1. Search is easier, more intuitive, and fun. Google may not have been the first to use some of their best features (many were used in other search engines first) but they have put them all to the best use, especially in combination with all of the other features.
2. Chrome. Google’s web browser is fast, efficient, and has some great features. For those of us who live off all things Google already, it was a nice addition to the line up.
3. Gmail. Remember all of the craziness when Gmail was first released? People were trading cars for invites (no, really). Gmail is still one of the best email services on the web, and they’re constantly adding in new features.
4. Google’s SEO, Analytics and Webmaster tools. When you’re trying to get your website up to the best SEO standards, Google can be your best friend. Although their algorithms are top secret, their tools and participation in the SEO community (blog posts, conference participation, and similar) keep search professionals feeling completely left in the dark
5. Google Documents. With almost all of the features of Microsoft Office, with none of the price, Google Documents are one of the best things about Google. You can create documents, forms, spreadsheets, drawings, and more, and Google regularly rolls out new updates and features. There’s also the added benefit of being able to collaborate on work, access it from any computer with internet access, and download your work into many of the most popular formats.
6. Android. Android revolutionized the mobile world, and gave us real option outside of Apple. It’s going to be running on several of this year’s new tablets, and it operates many of the best mobile phones.

Google is one of, if not the, biggest force on the internet, and while the cross-compatibility with everything is fantastic, it’s also causing some problems. When you want to be involved in everything, the quality eventually begins to diminish. Even Google can only keep so many balls in the air at any time, as shown by the GoogleWave flop and the challenges they’re having in perfecting GoogleTV. Hey, Google? Even the best companies need to define their purpose, and it’s starting to look like yours is “controlling the internet”. Maybe it’s time to let a couple of the other companies have a go, too, and concentrate on staying the very best at what you already do.

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1. Exploring the New Google Analytics
2. Google Plus: Facebook’s New Competitor?
3. What Do You Love?
4. Connecting Google+ and SEO
5. Introducing Google +1