Google plans to hold a number of events across the U.S. this morning where the company will highlight its economic impact on local economies. Ahead of these events, Google just releaseddetailed data about how much economic activity the company generated for local businesses, website publishers and non-profits in the U.S. in 2009. Nationwide, Google estimates that it generated about $54 billion in economic activity last year.
According to Google, the company estimates its economic impact in each state based on “the economic value generated by Google Search and AdWords, Google AdSense and Google Grants in 2009.” You can find a detailed description of the company’s methodology here. Google did not try to estimate its impact on local consumers.
With $14.1 billion, California leads the pack among U.S. states, while Wyoming came in last with $24 million. You can download the full report with detailed numbers for every state here (PDF).
Given that these numbers were generated by Google itself, it’s worth taking this data with a grain of salt, though Google’s impact on the U.S. economy – and small businesses in particular – is undeniable, no matter how closely the real numbers line up with Google’s estimates.
Why Release This Data Now?
We can obviously only speculate, but as the search giant is coming under closer scrutiny from antitrust agencies, it makes sense for Google to present itself as a good neighbor and a driving force behind many local economies.
We will attend the local Google event in Oregon later this morning and update this post once we get more information.
