Google is one of the most powerful and influential companies on the Internet. It offers a wide variety of services, from email to online document creation to software for mobile devices. It also specializes in ad-targeting technology.
The most popular of these services is search, which is used by billions of people around the world every day. Google’s business model is based on acquiring users’ data and selling that information to advertisers.
In order to provide users with the best possible search results, Google employs a number of different algorithms to determine which pages are most relevant to their searches. These include the PageRank algorithm, which uses links from Web sites to measure how valuable they are.
Another important Google service is real-time bidding (RTB), which is a system that lets websites and apps bid on ad space in the hopes of getting the most targeted ads. It is a complex, opaque process that involves many different parts, including third-party demand side platforms (DSPs) and Google’s own Ad Exchange.
It is a form of pay-per-click advertising, in which Google pays website owners when their ads are clicked on. It is a controversial method that has been accused of click fraud, where people click on ads without necessarily being interested in them.
Nevertheless, RTB is a vital part of the business, and its success has helped make Google one of the world’s most successful companies. In the past few years, it has expanded its reach with a growing portfolio of other products and services.
The company also operates a series of smart speakers called Nest, which are voice-activated virtual digital assistants that answer questions, play music, and control third-party home appliances. It also offers a range of cloud-based applications and storage services for its users.
There are also a host of free Google services that are useful to everyday users, such as Chrome, which is a web browser for computers and mobile devices; Gmail, which is a free, cloud-based email service; Maps, which is a mapping application; and YouTube, which is a video streaming platform.
If you’re concerned about how Google uses your personal data, you can opt out of having it collected and used by selecting “No” in the “Use of Personal Data” settings on most Google apps. You can also use the “Delete My Account” feature on most Google web services to remove your account from their database.
This allows you to stop Google from collecting and using data about you, but it does not prevent it from showing you ads based on your past activities or interests. Regardless of your decision, however, you will still be able to use some Google products, like Chrome and the Google Play Store, as long as you keep them updated.
Google’s other services include Gmail, which is a free email service; YouTube, a video streaming platform; Maps, which is a mapping tool; and Docs, which is a word processing program. It also offers a series of apps for mobile devices, including Android and Google Play.
