Have you ever wondered why Google is the default search engine for most systems and browsers, and why it is so popular? Let me explain this briefly.
When Google was founded in 1996, there were other popular search engines, including Ask Jeeves, Hotbot, and Dogpile. However, these search engines typically sorted search results based on how often the search term appeared on a page. This led to a lot of keyword stuffing.
Google approached the problem differently, which set it apart and attracted users. Instead of merely sorting pages by the frequency of search terms, Google ranked web pages based on how many other pages linked back to them—an approach known as “backlinks.” This ranking technique highlighted the importance of a particular web page, resulting in search outcomes that were much closer to what users were looking for.
Additionally, Google’s entry into the market came at the perfect time. The late 1990s saw a massive boom in internet usage, making Google’s innovative approach to search even more impactful.