Google's Q1 ad sales surge 32%, Alphabet profit doubles

Google’s digital advertising network has shifted back into high gear after an unprecedented reversal during the early stages of the pandemic

SAN RAMON, Calif. -- Google’s digital advertising network has shifted back into high gear, with its corporate parent reporting profit that more than doubled after an unprecedented reversal during the early stages of the pandemic. The robust first-quarter advertising growth announced Tuesday provides the latest sign that advertisers are expecting the economy to roar back to life as more people get vaccinated against COVID-19 and burst out of their pandemic cocoons. That is particularly true in the travel industry, a key part of the ad market that drastically curtailed its spending last year after governments around the world imposed lockdowns to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Google vast digital ad empire is now benefiting from that recovery.