Five ways Google has made our lives easier

It’s been 20 years since Lary Page and Sergey Brin, Ph.D students at Stanford University, first conceived the idea of Google. Page and Brin registered the domain google.com on Sep. 15, 1997 and formally started their journey on Sep. 4, 1998.

They coined the name “Google” from “googol", a mathematical term representing the numerical value one followed by 100 zeros. It seems to be the most appropriate name for the search engine, which organises an immeasurable amount of information on the Web.

Since its inception, Google has penetrated into several aspects of our lives and always reigned as a facilitator. Let’s now round up five ways how the search engine has made our lives easier.

Google Docs/Sheet

Google Docs is the best alternative to Microsoft Office. Google Docs is a cloud based software suite that helps users work from multiple platforms. Users can seamlessly use it for their personal and professional purposes. It runs on any device running on any operating system, provided there is an internet connection.

Users can choose and select any file format from document (Microsoft Word), presentation (Microsoft PowerPoint), spreadsheet and form (Microsoft Excel), PDF, and many more. From Google Docs, users can even translate the content into any of the 27 languages Google Translate supports.

It’s not advisable to store some personal information like financial records in the cloud. Otherwise, Google Docs can be a life saver when content is used and edited by multiple people.

Google Translate

This app helps users translate foreign languages. It comes with two columns: 'translate from' and 'translate to'. The Google Translate app has become an indispensable tool for international travelers. It delivers text translations in 27 languages, including English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

Furthermore, its “Word Lens” feature instantly translates via a phone camera. Initially, Google integrated the “Word Lens” Google Translate mobile app with support for only seven languages. Now, it supports 27 languages, reports Forbes.

Credit – YouTube (Google Translate Vs La Bamba)

Google Maps

Google Maps provides satellite imagery and street maps using traditional GPS navigation software. It’s an indispensible tool for navigation assistance and route planning. Google Maps provides the most accurate turn-by-turn directions via text and speech.

Moreover, Google’s ‘Street View’ has been immensely helpful for driving in unknown places. The app also informs a user about the estimated time to reach to destination, suggests alternative routes and displays real time traffic information. Google said it will extend the capability to download maps for offline use, enabling users to navigate without an internet connection, as reported by PC Advisor.

Furthermore, the popular “Explore Nearby” feature provides a list of restaurants, grocery shops, shopping centres surrounding the area. Google also expanded its global mapping service to map indoor locations. Major retailers like IKEA have huge collections of floor plans for indoor maps.

Google Analytics

Google has great apps for business users, as well. The search engine offers many tools for amateurs that want to set up personal business or their own website.

Google Analytics help users analyse, track and promote websites. The tool allows visitor tracking daily, weekly and monthly. It also provides data on the number of page views; average time spent on the website; compares traffic to the past records and even discloses traffic sources.

This is an excellent tool for carrying out SEO campaigns. Moreover, Google Places can be a beneficial way of making business recognised. It helps to get a listing on the main search page for all keywords the website aims to target.

Google AdWord Keyword and AdSense

Google’s AdWord Keyword tool helps select the best keywords for hitting specific target audiences. Users can pick and choose specific keywords and Google will come up with multiple variations of that.

Among the many blog monetisation networks available today, Google AdSense is the best. It’s easy, reliable and safe. Users can rest assured about the constant flow of quality advertisements on their websites or blogs.

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