10 Awesome Google Sites You May Have Missed

We all know and love google plus, maps, docs, analytics and adwords. But a few of Google’s products and sites may have slipped past your radar. Here’s a cheat sheet to some of Google’s sites & services you may have missed.

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1. Google Cultural Institute

Nothing beats a globe-trotting summer vacation. But if you’re strapped for cash or time, Google can help you escape. With hundreds of curated and user-generated galleries to choose from it’s possible to enjoy Kyoto’s Ryoan-ji Temple, the Palace of Versailles in Paris, and Bogota Street Art in Columbia in a day. Passport not required.

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2. Google Classroom

School’s out for summer, but starting this Fall, Google Classroom will kick down the door. As the latest addition to the Google Apps for Education suite, Classroom promises to help “teachers create and organize assignments quickly, provide feedback efficiently, and communicate with their classes with ease”. The service combines Google Docs, Drive and Gmail to give teachers a leg up on paperless productivity and manage classes and assignments with ease. Best of all it’s an ad-free and free-to-use service for students and teachers alike. Class dismissed!

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3. Google HelpOuts

Next time you need a little expert help and YouTube isn’t cutting it, head over to HelpOuts and get what you need. HelpOut appointments are expert consultations, booked in advance. You get 1-to-1 custom service delivered via Hangout. Some experts offer their services for free, others charge a per min or per hour fee. Webcam and Hangout plugin required.

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4. Google Consumer Surveys

Aimed at market researchers and website owners, Google Surveys delivers fast and accurate intel from existing or potential customers or target markets. With data-driven results you can super charge your decision making power and apply it to everything from product development to market trends, to satisfaction and brand tracking. And by fast, they mean fast with initial results in 24 hours. Woot! Woot!

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5. Google for Nonprofits

Nonprofits are given the red carpet treatment with Google for Nonprofits. The program provides eligible US organizations with grants for AdWords, a premium YouTube channel, a free Apps for Business suite, Google Earth Pro licensing, and access to One Today, a mobile fundraising program. That’s a whole lot of free service goodness.

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6. Google Grants

An extension of the Google for Nonprofits goodness, the Ad Grants program is the non-profit arm of AdWords. It offers eligible orgs $329/day or 10k per month in AdWords to promote their mission on google search engine result pages. And with a few more criteria in place you may even bump it up a notch with the super charged Grantspro program that offers 40k a month for eligible grantees.

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7. Google Fusion Tables

Whether you’re a novice or a pro, Google Fusion Tables allow anyone to experiment with open data and make a visualization to highlight information and tell stories. Popular with journalists, the power of Fusion Tables lies in combining one data set with another and mapping it for unique results. Check out the Fusion gallery for inspiration and start imagining the possibilities. It’s endless!

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8. 9. & 10.  Google Mars, Google Moon, Google Sky

‍At Skyrocket, we like to stare into space and imagine the possibilities. But now we have the added bonus of magnifying the view of alien surfaces and surroundings with Google Mars, Moon or Sky. If it’s been awhile since you’ve tried it out, you may want to enhance your galactic journey with the latest version of Google Earth. Just locate the planet icon on the top of the toolbar and toggle on over. Happy exploring!