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Google Search: FAQs

This guide discusses basic and advanced Google search features.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is a 'Google?'
    “Google” is derived from the mathematical term “googol,” meaning a 1 followed by 100 zeros.
     
  2. What is a vertical search engine?
    Google's mission is "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful."  By contrast, a vertical search engine provides access to limited subsets of information, often with greater accuracy and depth of coverage. Example includes:
     
    • Scirus - a search engine specifically for the scientific community.
    • Wolfram Alpha - a computational engine that attempts to answer factual queries.
       
  3. What about other search engines like Bing, Yahoo and Cuil?
    As of September 2023, search queries conducted at Google represent 88.46% of all searches conducted in North America, followed by Microsoft Bing (6.37%) and then Yahoo! (2.69%). Of interest, YouTube receives a greater number of searches than Microsoft Bing, making it number two on the list.
     
  4. Where do I locate the most recent Google Search news?
    For the latest news, tips and updates:
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