“Just Google it.”
Every September 15, National Google.com Day recognizes the influence of Google and the role its search engine has played in changing how we access information. The date has a specific connection to Google’s history: google.com was registered on September 15, 1997.
But the story of Google began a little earlier.
It Started with a Question
In 1995, Larry Page arrived at Stanford University, where he met Sergey Brin. By the following year, the two were working together on a research project exploring a better way to organize information on the growing World Wide Web.
Their early search engine was called BackRub.
Rather than looking only at the words appearing on a webpage, the system explored relationships between websites and links to help determine the importance and relevance of pages. This work eventually inspired PageRank, which became a core part of Google’s early search technology.
BackRub was later renamed Google, a name inspired by the mathematical term “googol,” representing the number 1 followed by 100 zeros. The name reflected the ambition behind the project: to organize an enormous amount of information and make it useful.
Then came the milestone that National Google.com Day recognizes.
On September 15, 1997, google.com was registered.
A year later, in 1998, Google Inc. was officially established. What began in university dorm rooms eventually moved into a garage in Menlo Park and grew into one of the world’s most influential technology companies.
From Finding Information to Finding Better Answers
The impact of search goes far beyond typing a question into a search bar.
Today, we search for solutions to technical problems, research new ideas, compare products, learn new skills, investigate business opportunities, and find answers to questions we may never have asked before.
Information has become incredibly accessible.
But accessibility is only the beginning.
The real challenge is knowing which information is relevant, whether it is reliable, and how to turn it into something useful.
For businesses, this distinction matters.
Technology has evolved from simply helping us find information to helping us analyze it, connect it, and act on it. Data analytics, cloud technology, automation, and artificial intelligence are creating new ways for organizations to understand information and solve problems.
And Now, the Question Is Changing Again
With AI becoming part of the way we work, we are moving beyond the traditional search experience.
The question is no longer only:
“Where can I find the answer?”
Increasingly, it is:
“What does this information mean, and what should we do with it?”
That shift reminds us that technology is not valuable simply because it can process more information or produce faster answers.
Its value comes from how well it helps people solve real problems and make better decisions.
Curiosity Still Matters
Looking back at Google’s beginnings, one thing stands out: it started with curiosity and a desire to solve a difficult problem differently.
That idea still matters today.
Every useful technology solution begins with a question:
Can we do this better?
Can we solve this differently?
What if there is another way?
At ALTA, we believe technology creates the most value when it connects to real business needs, turning questions into practical solutions and possibilities into meaningful results.
So, on National Google.com Day, we are not simply celebrating a domain name registered nearly three decades ago.
We are reflecting on how one question can lead to a new idea, how an idea can change the way we work, and how technology continues to shape what is possible.
Because sometimes, better solutions begin with simply asking a better question.
References:
1. Google – Our Story
https://about.google/company-info/our-story/
2. Google Books – History of Google Books
https://books.google.com/googlebooks/about/history.html?utm_source
3. National Today — National Google.com Day
https://nationaltoday.com/national-google-com-day
4. WHOIS — google.com Domain Information