The city's small businesses are pulling their weight online, bolstering their Web presences to attract sales and ad revenue, a recent Google report found.

The city was recognized as New York's strongest online business community with a Google eCity award. The winner is calculated by analyzing online advertising through Google's Adwords service and tabulating individual businesses' web marketing.

For example, businesses earned points if they allowed purchases online and kept social media presences and blogs. Business scores were aggregated to create a total score for a city. Other city winners include Boston, Memphis, Atlanta and Anchorage. The mayor's office launched a citywide broadband study over the summer to understand Albany's Internet needs. A consultant for the study will be paid $38,000.

One of the study's goals, Mayor Kathy Sheehan said, is to assess the extent of the "digital divide," or which residents and businesses are and aren't receiving high-speed access.

"What are those gaps, and what do we potentially have to change?" she said.

After identifying existing gaps, the city will seek recommendations, funding prospects and an action plan, she said. Various models exist for implementing these types of programs, she said.

In its report, Google highlighted Albany's geographic position in Tech Valley as well as the innovations developed at SUNY Polytechnic Institute's nanotech college.