You could say the internet search giant Google is an easy target for bad news. Certainly in the UK if the general public was asked their opinion of Google, the first answer would more likely be that they are tax cheats rather than the provider of an incredibly useful search engine. It is interesting to note that even with this general view, Google not only provides the most popular search engine in the UK but has entered the english language as well. When asked a question where the answer is not known, we will all resort to the inevitable response “let’s google it.”
Google, recognising they have grown to a size where they will take a ‘bashing’ on most things (as is the case with all the most successful companies in the world), are sensibly trying to communicate the positive impacts the company has on the countries where it does business. They have commissioned Deloitte to look at where Google has generated success in the United Kingdom. Google UK and Ireland MD Eileen Naughton recently said ‘Google is a growth engine for British businesses large and small, helping them to unlock their digital potential. Our technology helps companies be discovered by new customers, boosts productivity by helping teams collaborate better, and helps content creators get paid for their creativity.’
Although not definitively accurate, the report from Deloitte suggest that the UK economy has grown by between £11bn and over £28bn through businesses using Google products and they are responsible for the growth of between 216,000 and 542,000 British jobs. Even at the low end of the calculations, these are very large numbers. The inaccuracy is due to the figures being attributable not directly to Google, but the businesses that use google products.
So what would be the impact of not having Google? Almost certainly the other search engines, specifically Yahoo and Bing would have stepped in to fill the void. This report however, does remind us that in ‘creating’ Internet search, Google has provided and still provides a means to get to goods and services in ways that were never thought of even 10 years ago. The UK is better off with Google.
