Google Stock on Nasdaq: What to Know About Alphabet (GOOGL/GOOG)

You probably used a Google product within the last hour. Whether you searched for a recipe, checked a location on Maps, or watched a video on YouTube, its services are woven into our daily lives. But have you ever considered owning a piece of the massive company behind it all?

When people talk about “Google stock,” they’re actually referring to its parent company, Alphabet Inc. Think of Alphabet as the giant holding company and Google as its most famous brand. It’s Alphabet’s stock that is bought and sold on the market, giving you a stake in everything from search to self-driving cars. Investing in the company is more accessible than you might think, even if you’re only buying a small slice of a single share.

What Is a Stock and a Ticker Symbol?

Think of a company as a giant pizza. Buying one stock (also called a share) is like getting a tiny slice. It means you legally own a small piece of the entire company. As the company succeeds, the value of your slice has the potential to grow.

With thousands of companies on the stock market, every company gets a unique code called a ticker symbol for quick identification. It’s like an airport code (think JFK). To invest in Google’s parent company, Alphabet, the most common ticker symbol you’ll use is GOOGL. This is the official code you use to find and buy your ownership slice on the stock market.

Why Are There Two Google Stocks? GOOGL vs. GOOG

When you look up Google’s stock, you will notice two different tickers: GOOGL and GOOG. The main difference between them comes down to voting rights.

• GOOGL represents “Class A” shares, which come with one vote per share. This gives owners a tiny voice in big company decisions, like electing the board of directors.
• GOOG represents “Class C” shares, which have no voting rights at all. They still represent ownership, but without a say in governance.

For most everyday investors, this distinction isn’t a major factor, as the two stock prices are nearly identical and almost always move together. This guide focuses on GOOGL, the most commonly discussed class of shares.

The Nasdaq: Where Tech Stocks Like GOOGL Trade

Stocks don’t just float around online; they trade on a specific stock exchange. Think of an exchange as a huge, organized marketplace for buying and selling tiny pieces of companies. For Alphabet, its home is a famous exchange called the Nasdaq.

The Nasdaq is known for being the primary marketplace for technology companies. As one of the world’s first fully electronic stock markets, it became a natural home for innovative businesses like Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), and, of course, Alphabet (GOOGL).

To shop in this marketplace, you don’t connect to the Nasdaq directly. Instead, you open a brokerage account, which acts as your personal gateway. This tool allows you to access the exchange and buy or sell shares right from your computer or phone.

Problem: A Full Share Is Expensive. Solution: Fractional Shares

The price of a single GOOGL share can often be hundreds of dollars, a common hurdle that makes many people feel priced out. For years, if you didn’t have enough for one full share, you simply couldn’t invest.

Fortunately, that has changed with fractional shares. You no longer have to buy a whole share to get started. You can simply decide how much money you want to invest—whether it’s $50, $20, or even just $5—and your brokerage will give you the corresponding fraction of a GOOGL share. Even though your ownership piece is smaller, its value will still grow or fall at the same percentage rate as a full share, making investing accessible to everyone.

How to Buy Your First Piece of Google Stock in 3 Steps

To purchase stock, you need a brokerage account. Think of it as a shopping cart for the stock market where you buy, hold, and sell investments. Opening one with a modern online broker is a simple process you can usually complete in minutes.

Once your account is ready, buying GOOGL shares takes three straightforward steps:

1. Choose and Open a Brokerage Account: This is your personal gateway to the stock market.
2. Fund Your Account: Securely connect your regular bank account to transfer the money you want to invest.
3. Find GOOGL and Place Your Order: Use the cash in your brokerage to purchase your slice of the company.

After funding your account, search for Google’s ticker symbol, GOOGL. When you’re ready, you’ll place a market order, which tells your brokerage to buy your desired dollar amount of GOOGL at the best available price. The system does the rest.

What Makes Google’s Stock Price Change?

The price of GOOGL stock is tied to the success of its parent company, Alphabet. Its value is powered by its main revenue streams—the ways it makes money. The biggest, by far, is advertising. When Google’s ad business is healthy and growing, it gives investors confidence, which tends to push the stock price higher.

Beyond advertising, a fast-growing piece of the puzzle is Google Cloud. This involves Alphabet renting out its powerful computers and software to other businesses. Strong growth in the cloud business signals that Alphabet is successfully diversifying, which is another positive sign for investors.

Finally, a stock’s price is also about what investors believe the company will be worth in the future. This is where the impact of AI on GOOGL’s price comes into play. When Alphabet announces breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, investors see the potential for new products, which can increase demand for the stock long before those products ever launch.

Is Google a Good Long-Term Investment?

Long-term investing means buying a stock with the plan to hold it for years, riding out daily ups and downs. Historically, GOOGL has rewarded this strategy with substantial growth. However, no investment is a sure thing. The fundamental investment risk when buying any stock is that its value can decrease, and you could end up with less money than you started with.

One of the biggest risks in technology is that the landscape can change rapidly. Alphabet’s main competitors include Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) in the booming cloud computing business. This intense competition means Alphabet must constantly innovate. Deciding if Google stock is a good long-term investment means balancing its impressive track record against the real risks of market volatility and competition.

Your Next Step in Stock Investing

“GOOGL” is no longer just a symbol on a news ticker; it’s a slice of ownership in Alphabet, the powerhouse behind the products you use daily. You now understand the story behind the stock price and the factors that influence its value.

This knowledge provides a clear path forward. Your first action isn’t about buying anything yet—it’s about researching a few online brokerage accounts to find one that feels right for you. Once you’re comfortable, the process of funding an account and purchasing a share, or even a fraction of one, becomes straightforward. Embracing a long-term mindset is key to building a foundation for your financial future, one step at a time.