Google Search Queries per Second: A Product Manager Interview Guide

This blog post will guide aspiring product managers through a typical technical estimation question encountered in FAANG interviews: “Calculate the number of queries answered by Google per second.” By applying the Fermi Estimation framework, we’ll demonstrate the analytical skills and clear thought process crucial for PM roles.

Choosing the Framework

For this estimation, we’ll utilize the Fermi Estimation framework, ideal for approximating large, complex problems. This method breaks down the question into smaller, manageable parts that can be estimated with limited information.

Framework Application Guide

Step 1: Identify Components

First, we outline the key components influencing our estimate:

• Global internet user population
• Average number of searches per user per day
• Number of seconds in a day

Step 2: Estimate Each Component

• Global Internet Population: As of 2023, there are roughly 5 billion internet users worldwide.
• Average Searches per User per Day: This figure is harder to pinpoint, but let’s estimate between 3-5 searches per user per day.
• Seconds in a Day: We know there are 86,400 seconds in a day.

Step 3: Combine Estimates

Let’s be conservative and use the lower boundary of 3 searches per user per day. Our equation now looks like this: