Google staying focused on search

With all this talk today of Google straying into the large forest of unfound successes, this article over at the BBC news site states that some Google officials like Doug Merrill think that Google's search product still has a long way to go. In other words, Google seems to be staying focused on search, not matter what its launch early and often corporate mantra may say, or what launched products tell the marketplace upon launch and then as the public starts using them.

With 70% of Google's resources still being spent on improving the Internet search experience for Google customers, Google is most likely doing product launches to see what sticks and also to figure out the most appropriate method for monetizing the product once it has attracted a large enough and dedicated user base. If only 20% of launched Google products end up succeeding in the marketplace, that is still a formidable number.  I would agree with industry watchers in saying that Google Earth and Google News are two certifiable successes for Google.

I would also contend that Google Gmail is also a rousing success, even though it falls way behind worldwide leader Yahoo! Mail and Microsoft's Hotmail. The funny twist here is that Google Gmail is the only product of these three that includes targeted advertising. Google Earth, just recently with the newest beta release, now is available in a paid version with enhanced features as well. This is a good thing, and Google's experiment here on how to make Google Earth actually generate a profit will be closely watched. With Google staying focused on search, it will continue to sell ads well and generate profits. Customers won't slow down searching in the future most likely, but Google also needs more hands in customer's pockets as well.