Google Around the Globe

Google CEO Eric Schmidt told shareholders in Google's first annual meeting that the company would focus on developing overseas markets, where growth is outstripping the U.S.

Approximately 66% of Google revenues are generated from U.S.-based advertisers. Currently, most of its international revenues come from Europe and Japan. (Google recently got formal approval to begin operating in China.)

The somewhat surprising fact is that Google by and large has greater market share vis-a-vis its competitors in European markets than in this country. There are exceptions (see Charles Laughlin's post from EADP). But through international expansion and development, the Mountain View, CA, company could conceivably sustain its impressive triple-digital growth for the next several years.

Because of the iPod, Apple displaced Google as the top global brand in 2004 (Google had held that position since 2002). But one could argue that Google is the new Coca-Cola in terms of its emergence as a powerful global U.S. brand overseas.