10 reasons Google is successful

To mark the 10th anniversary of Google's amazing journey, the following the Top 10 things Google has done to change the way the world does business.

1. In a perpetual state of Beta, Google is constantly evolving and growing to not only adapt to change but to cause change.

2. Ignore the competition. By not specifically trying to go head to head with the likes of Microsoft, there has been little backlash or issues that other companies like Netscape have encountered.

3. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. Google hasn't been scared to sign advertising agreements with other information sources and this has produced some fantastic partnerships that are genuine win-win scenarios.

4. Privacy is over-rated. Google thrives on information, and while stating they don't share private information with other companies, they are constantly walking the tightrope given the amount of information their employees have access to.

5. Don't pander to others demands. Despite the constant advice to go public and how and when they should do it, Google did it all in their own time and in their own way. If you know you have something worth buying, don't comprimise for anyone.

6. Relevancy is king. Penry Price, VP of Advertising at Google said he had a light bulb moment when he realised this. We all used search engines before Google, but the power of relevant data being returned nearly every time is worth millions, literally!

7. Don't be afraid of dominating. Google hasn't shyed away from being called the best search engine or the default engine for everyone. They embrace this attitude and see it as a constant set of goals worth achieving.

8. Making Kings out of paupers. Google has made a lot of friends over the years by giving great exposure to small and medium business who then grew into giant successes. By rewarding companies for making relevant and popular web sites, Google created the perfect business model as it was in the companies best interests to help Google make them popular.

9. Things happen for a reason. The Google founders tried to sell their technology to the original search engines such as Altavista and Yahoo for a meagre $1M. Fate dictated that these companies lacked the money or vision or both. Today it's worth over $140 Billion.

10. Quantity is King on the Internet. By backing their technology and ideas, charging pennies for advertising paid off as the volume of clients continues to grow. Google didn't take the high ground, their philosophy was to reach as many people as possible and this drove their pricing model. Advertising pricing was changed forever.