Google operates the search engine that drives much of Alphabet’s market value.
Google began as a search project created by Larry Page and Sergey Brin at Stanford University. Its ranking system helped users find relevant web pages, and the company later built a powerful advertising business around search queries and online display advertising.
Google is Alphabet’s best-known subsidiary, alongside businesses and products such as YouTube, Android, Chrome, and Google Cloud. Alphabet’s market capitalization therefore reflects more than the search engine alone, although advertising connected to Google remains its central economic engine.
Google and Alphabet are related but not identical names. Google is the operating company and brand behind many consumer products; Alphabet is the publicly traded parent corporation established in 2015. This distinction matters when comparing market-cap rankings among large companies.