(Column) - I’ve nothing against Google, but for quite some time, the company appears to have lost its direction and core competency. Google claims itself to be a search engine that will always remain committed to improving its search listings, but from its recent acquisitions and foolish mistakes, Google doesn’t seem to have a handle on what it wants to do next.

The search component is still top notch, and with a jump to 42.3 percent market share (February) in the U.S., it’s no surprise why Google tops the list. However, Google is turning into a content portal than a mere search engine with a few services here and there. In other words, Google is the next Yahoo. This isn’t necessarily a negative thing per say, especially for investors, but do we really need another Yahoo now that Yahoo is improving by leaps and bounds, or least trying to?

Yahoo, too, started out as an exceptional search engine, but as years went by, it lost its edge and is now considered a content portal more than a search engine, though I’m certain Yahoo would argue otherwise.

It was fine until Google was embedding Easter Eggs in its search functionality (read: calculator, currency converter and shipment tracking), adding images, groups and other supplementary features to add value to the core search service it offers. But with GMail, Google Maps, Earth, Mars, Finance and a slew of other services, where is Google drawing the line? Or is it simply birthing services for the heck of it?

Maybe I’m being too critical. Then again, Google’s vow to decimate Microsoft with an online office suite is farfetched at best. Upstartle’s online word processor, which, by the way, is turning out to be an everyday idea with new entrants, has no chance against tangible word processors from Microsoft, Sun Microsystems and a few other developers. For Google’s sake, I certainly hope Google isn’t considering releasing an online operating system.

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