The statistics don't lie! Google Chrome is currently the most popular web browser in the world. We're talking about both personal computers and mobile traffic – it accounts for 65,38% of global users (as of April 2022), and Poland's online population entrusts Google with a 58,04% share of the local market.
What's worth knowing about Google Chrome? What else can you find in this browser beyond its basic features? Which browser add-ons can be useful in a marketer's daily work?
>> The History of Google – How Did the Global Giant Get Started? <<
Google Chrome – history and statistics
Let's start with a brief historical overview. Google Chrome's journey to becoming the most popular browser wasn't lightning fast, though the pace at which it gained users on the internet is certainly impressive. Let's take a look at the statistics and data regarding this browser and the choices of the average internet user. Nearly 3,5 years passed from Google Chrome's official debut in 2008 to its status as the world's most popular browser, when in June 2012, Chrome overtook the previous leader – Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
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Let's briefly recall the operating system and web browser market at the time of the first version of Google Chrome. Windows 7 had just been announced, intended to replace the poorly received Windows Vista operating system.
Internet Explorer version 7 reigned supreme at the time (with 65% of the market) (and in many Polish schools and offices, version 6, which didn't even support opening tabs). Mozilla Firefox was runner-up with 28% of the market. Further down the list, with marginal shares, were Apple's Safari (for Macs, Windows PCs, and the then-infant iOS), Opera, technologically advanced for the time, and a host of internet "plankton" like SeaMonkey and Maxthon.
Google Chrome – characteristics
Chrome itself is essentially a frontend for Chromium, an open-source browser also originally developed by Google. Due to its free license, many browsers use the same engine as Chrome – for example, Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, and today's Opera are also based on the same platform. However, this doesn't mean that Microsoft and Google browsers are identical or operate identically – although their hearts theoretically pump the same digital blood, updates, add-on selection, and other elements can be significantly different.
Google Chrome is the most compatible with HTML5 standards, currently the leading standard for websites, among its competitors. It scores 528 out of 555 points in the test , outperforming other web browsers (for example, Firefox boasts a score of 497). However, it's important to remember that this is just one indicator, and choosing a browser should depend not only on the number and quality of supported technologies, but also on compatibility with our digital habits, ease of use, included features, and many other aspects. It's undeniable, however, that compliance with website requirements is why most users choose Chrome as their default browser.
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Google Chrome – the issue of browser extensions for marketers and others
Due to its heritage, Google Chrome works well with many services offered by Google Accounts – Google Docs, YouTube, Google Drive, etc. Of course, it also comes with all the basic features available in most such programs – incognito mode (an option that doesn't save browsing history), creating user profiles and personalizing your account, synchronizing it, storing saved passwords, and much more.
Thanks to the universality of the engine, the functionality offered by Chrome can be significantly expanded by installing plug-ins available in the Chrome Web Store.
Extensions are available for free and can serve a variety of purposes – some change interface elements, others improve the browser's appearance, still others measure usage time, and even allow you to add simple, relaxing games to your browser.
Below, we've collected a few browser extensions that can help you in your online marketing work. You can find them all in the Chrome Web Store, a platform for Chrome plugins. You can manage them by entering the following address in the tab bar: chrome://extensions/
Note – the plugins presented below are very useful, but since they are not official Google products, neither the Mountain View company nor Verseo can be responsible for their security after installation on the computer.
NoFollow
Once installed on your computer, this Chrome plugin highlights links that have been assigned the nofollow parameter. This is a very convenient solution for SEO users – after all, the rel=”dofollow” and rel=”nofollow” link attributes are one of the foundations of SEO.
WhatFont
How to identify a specific font on a page? Simply use a plugin that will display all the necessary data about the selected text fragment – the font name and family from which it comes, size, HTML color, and a few other details.
Facebook Pixel Helper
This plugin, when installed in the Chrome browser, will show you whether a website has a Facebook pixel in its code, along with its ID, location, and some parameters.
Full Page Screen Capture
FPSC allows you to save an entire page or a fragment of it in a single image file. This is a much more convenient solution than manually saving and then editing larger websites. Another Google Chrome extension, Lightshot, can perform a similar role.
Wappalyzer
Wappalyzer displays the technologies used by a given website—from the most basic, such as the chosen CMS (WordPress, Joomla, etc.), through analytical modules (e.g., Google Analytics), to payment processors and JavaScript libraries. This software is highly useful for webmasters, marketers, and more technical SEO specialists.
>> Search engines other than Google <<
How to download and install Chrome?
The application is available for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android. You can download the latest desktop version of Google Chrome for home users (the stable channel) from the program's official website – you'll also find versions of Chrome designed for businesses and web developers.
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
- How Chrome Was Created: A Quick Overview
- What makes Chrome one of the best browsers?
- Chrome Extensions: How to Personalize Your Browser?
- Where to find and how to download the latest version of Chrome?
