Google: Checkout This

And while Google remains highly judicious about using its home page to promote the roughly 85 products it's developing so as not to degrade the user experience, the company does have an enviably visible platform for when it decides to really get behind one of them. In December, Google's home page passed Yahoo! as the second-most-visited on the Web, trailing only Microsoft(MSFT Quote).

The last three Google products given the privilege to grace the company's homepage -- Desktop, Toolbar, and Pack -- have all seen widespread adoption. Like Checkout, all three also give Google an important toehold that can allow the company to increase its presence in new ways.

Still, the Checkout push also reveals Google's obstacles in pushing one of its products too aggressively. With its unique position as the unbiased navigator of users on the Web, Google is supposed to usher surfers to the destinations that most suit their needs, regardless of who stands to benefit from the direction. With its unparalleled emphasis on placing the experience of its users ahead of all else, Google receives scorn when observers feel it is being too heavy-handed in pushing one of its own products.

Earlier this month, Google quickly removed a "tips" feature under its search results that had advised users to select the company's offerings over that of rivals. A wave of angry blog postings by users felt the company was violating its mission when, for example, it plugged its own calendar feature to users over results generated by its search algorithm.