Alphabet is the company that owns Google and is identified by the stock-market name Alphabet.
Google reorganized under a new parent company, Alphabet Inc., in 2015. The restructuring separated Google’s core internet businesses from other ventures, allowing units such as research projects, health initiatives, and investment operations to be managed within a broader corporate structure. Google remained Alphabet’s largest and most important operating company.
Alphabet’s principal businesses include Google Search, YouTube, Android, Google Maps, Google Cloud, and advertising technology. Advertising has historically supplied most of the group’s revenue, while cloud services and other businesses have become increasingly important. Alphabet also invests in artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles through Waymo, and life-science projects through companies associated with its “Other Bets” segment.
The company trades publicly under the ticker symbols GOOGL and GOOG, which represent different share classes. Alphabet’s market capitalization reflects the combined value of its businesses rather than Google Search alone. This distinction is a common source of confusion when people describe Alphabet as simply Google.