We all know that Google is the 900 lb gorilla when it comes to web search, but there is a lot more to this behemoth than may be readily apparent. There is a wealth of applications, tools, and services that can not only enhance your business, but increase your personal productivity many times over. Webmasters have a sort of love/hate relationship with Google, but there is no denying it’s usefulness and utility. It’s true you may be able to find comparable and even better services and apps elsewhere (except web search) but you’ll not find them all in one place like Google. Let’s take a look at just some of the things that are cool there.

Alerts -Google Alerts are email notices of anything Google comes across that is of interest to you. You set keywords and they deliver topical info. A great way to keep up on the news of your market or your competitors.

Chrome -Google’s browser. Very fast.

Toolbar -Google’s toolbar is a useful tool for webmasters. Some balk at installing this on their computer as it does mine your computer for data, especially on your habits, preferences, etc. Up to you to determine if it’s a privacy intrusion or not.

Trends – Keep up with the latest trends in your market or niche. You can see hot searches and topics, as well as historical data.

Labs – See what’s next in the Google pipeline before it makes it into the mainstream. Many of these are available to use while in labs.

Blogger – Google’s self-serve blogging platform. Very easy to use, you can set up your own blog and be online in minutes. Don’t make the mistake of putting your business blog here: if Google doesn’t like it, they’ll take it down and you’re out of business just like that, no recourse, no appeal!

Calendar – A very useful app for scheduling your day, week month and year. Easy to use and integrate with other apps.

Google Docs - A suite of productivity tools similar to Word that can not only help you you do simple tasks, but also to work in collaboration with anyone you choose. Very useful, but again, decide for yourself how much of this you want in Google’s purview.

Gmail – A very popular and effective email program, Gmail is becoming ubiquitous on the Web. Nearly everyone has one these days, and they have a business application as well. Lots of storage and features.

Google Reader – This is one of my favorites, as you can find and compile all your favorite feeds here in one place and read them conveniently. Very simple to use.

This is just the tip of the iceberg! There is much more, but there are of particular interest to marketers. See what works for you and put Google to work!