Google Tools for Bloggers: Our Thank You List, Updated
In December 2010 I invited bloggers to thank Google for the free Google tools for bloggers that made blogging fun and profitable. Many of those tools have since been renamed or retired, so this updated list keeps our original thank-you and shows what each tool is called today and what to use now.
Quick answer: The core Google tools for bloggers today are AdSense for earning, Google Ads for promotion, Search Console for SEO health, Google Analytics for traffic, Blogger for free hosting and Google Workspace for domain email. Google Site Search and Google Related Links have been discontinued, and Webmaster Tools is now Search Console.
Table of Contents
Google tools for bloggers: then and now
Here are the seven tools I thanked Google for in 2010, with what has happened to each one.
1. Google AdSense
Google AdSense was the main income source for millions of blogs, including ours, and made blogging profitable even for new bloggers who struggled with traffic and CPM ads. If you got big enough, Google sometimes sent gifts too, like branded USB memory cards and digital photo frames. AdSense is still running and still a common first way to monetize a blog.
2. Google AdWords, now Google Ads
AdWords let bloggers reach readers with target keywords for a few dollars, and we used it many times to get visitors for a few cents. It was renamed Google Ads in 2018. Back then you could find AdWords promo codes, and big advertisers got gifts like Google mini fridges.
3. Google Site Search
We used Google Site Search as better, more targeted search than WordPress’s own, with AdSense for Search adding extra income. The paid Site Search product has been discontinued. Its free cousin, Programmable Search Engine, still lets you add a Google-powered search box to a site.
4. Google Apps, now Google Workspace
Google Apps gave your domain branded email: our name@quickonlinetips.com address was powered by Gmail. Google Apps is now Google Workspace, a paid service for new users.
5. Google Related Links
We were invited to try this Labs tool and found it the fastest, most accurate related-links widget, good enough to replace our WordPress related-posts plugins. It no longer exists; today most blogs use a related-posts plugin or the feature built into their theme.
6. Google Webmaster Tools, now Search Console
This was, and still is, the most important tool for any site owner, showing how Google sees your site, crawl errors and links. It became Google Search Console in 2015. See our list of free Google SEO tools for more.
7. Blogger
Blogger was a lifeline for bloggers. We started on blogspot before we moved from Blogger to WordPress. It is still free and still running.
More Google tools bloggers use today
- Google Analytics: see where readers come from and what they read.
- Google Trends: spot rising topics to write about.
- PageSpeed Insights: check how fast your pages load.
Thank you, Google
Google had just sent us New Year greetings, and it felt like our turn to say thanks. So many years later, these tools are still a big part of how blogs are built, found and paid for. How has Google changed your blogging life? Tell us in the comments.
FAQ
What are the best free Google tools for bloggers?
Search Console, Google Analytics, Google Trends, PageSpeed Insights and Blogger are all free. AdSense is free to join and pays you.
What happened to Google Webmaster Tools?
It was renamed Google Search Console in 2015 and is still free.
Is Google Apps still free?
Google Apps became Google Workspace, which is a paid subscription for new customers.
Is Blogger still available?
Yes. Blogger is still free to use at blogger.com.
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Currently everyone depends on google. it has been helping people since more than 15 years. A very thanks to google !!!
Yeah! google has changed the our online life totally, without google this world may be a little different, I thank google for whatever it has done for us.
Thank you very much !!!!
And have a great Newyear!
I don’t think any one other than spammers will hate google :D
Today is the time, when even when we have to check if the sentence is correct or wrong, we google it.
To check the correct spelling of someone’s name, we google it.
To check anything and everything, we google it.
And i feel sad for those who don’t know still that other than search engine, google is much more helpful to us.
I just love Google the way it is :)
I am always pleased to say thanks to Google who always helps me for helping me to create and keep my online presence.
Thanks Google for all of your services
free email, search engine etc, privacy. keep
up the great work.
How better life had been because of google! Google Chrome, Google AdWords, BLOGGER!!! Wow! I could have missed so much without you! Thanks G!
Thank you Google, especially AdWords because I’m a writer so it helped me a lot on my keyword research and article writing!
Happy new year!
Every tool provided by Google is amazing. Almost all bloggers are using one or another tools. I thank you for proving us a chance to Thanks Google.
Fhanks Google !!
Thanks a lot Google…!
I Love You Google. You are the great.
I am totally dependent on google and google is helping me in my business. Thanks a lot Google.
I use many of the Google Apps on a daily basis. It amazes me at the number of “free” services that make day to day business easier. I know someone out there is paying for it through ads, but still the average user has a number of free services to choose from.
THANKS GOOGLE….
I love google!
All the tools they provide us with are amazing, everything from gmail through to the webmaster tools and everything in between! I don’t think I would be where I am today without all of the Google tools I use on a daily basis!
Thank you Google
and thanks for this post ;)
Simon