Over the past decade, the name of Google has risen to the top of other internet entities, making it perhaps the most powerful and certainly the most used search interface in history. An entire culture revolves around the massive search engine, dependent on Google for research, location, and information. Throughout the years, Google has bought out literally hundreds of smaller companies – a habit that is exemplified in the interesting and controversial purchase of RSS management company Feedburner.

Feedburner, which was founded in 2003, has since then raised just over $10 million in capital; Google is buying the company for around an even $100 million dollars. This company is only one in a string of dramatic purchases over the years, which have included both controversial and obvious exchanges. Another huge purchase was the recent buying of YouTube, a large online video sharing site – for $165 billion. This purchase was by far the biggest yet for Google, passing the entire budget spent the past year buying 15 much smaller companies. The amount spent on these 15 companies amounted to about $135 million. Apparently, however, the search engine has plenty of faith in the video sharing site – and given Google’s track record, they’re not likely to go wrong.

An expert in the arena of closely guarded secrets, Google has kept its reasons to itself over the years – as well as its methods. To this day, nobody knows completely how exactly Google determines its results or ranking, or what method directs the feed. Nor does any one seem to know why Google invests in the companies it does; but as the most popular and successful search engine, the most used internet feature, and possibly the most powerful name on the internet, few are willing to question.

Although the details are known, clients and websites can of course increase their “hits� with Google through Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. Using system loopholes, adding links to and from other sites, and filling websites with keywords are all effective methods to raise rankings on the Google listing. Even this, however, is not always effective – or predictably effective – as Google and other top search engines constantly change their algorithms to avoid system manipulation.

More controversial than other purchases was Google’s acquisition of the huge SEO Company Performics. Because this purchase directly connects Google to SEO and keyword manipulation – something that an impartial search engine generally seeks to avoid – many people questioned Google’s motives, and feared that the most commonly used engine on the web would turn into a market dominated by sponsored advertising and paid-for results.

This purchase presents a major conflict of interests. The Google search engine algorithm is proprietary, meaning that it ranks websites based on popularity, links, and quality; the possibility of introducing SEO ranking means that this propriety may be compromised. This brings up the fear that Google results will now be dominated by paid-for rankings and websites; promotion based on funds rather than quality or “the people’s choice.� An extraordinary move for Google, this purchase place the search engine again in the public eye, and was perhaps insightful as to just how integral a part of the online community Google has become.

Another extraordinary recent Google buy-out was the purchase of online ad management firm Doubleclick. This union, according to both Google and Doubleclick representatives, will fuel superior ad targeting and specialization, better for consumers and customers to receive ads corresponding with their interests. The down side of this, of course, is the vague intimation of violating customer privacy for ad leads, an issue brushed aside by the companies. Google continues to function as the most popular search engine, however; and as long as results continue to flow, people will continue to flock to this massive internet entity.

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