Google has doubled its profits for the second quarter, taking analysts by surprise.

Says USA Today:

The search giant reported $2.5 billion in revenue, up 77% from the year-ago quarter. Net income was $721 million, or $2.33 per share, up from $342 million, or $1.19 per share, a year ago.

Analysts had expected Google to report per-share earnings of $2.22.