On Thursday, October 26th, Alphabet (GOOGL) will release its third quarter earnings results after the bell. The company is a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), and have a Value, Growth, and Momentum score of B.Dave will look at Google’s past earnings, take a look at what is currently going on with the company, and give us his thoughts on their upcoming earnings announcement.Furthermore, Dave will uncover some potential options trades for investors looking to make a play on Google ahead of earnings.Google in FocusAlphabet Inc. is engaged in technology business. The Company provides web-based search, advertisements, maps, software applications, mobile operating systems, consumer content, enterprise solutions, commerce and hardware products through its subsidiaries. Alphabet Inc., formerly known as Google Inc., is headquartered in Mountain View, California.Google is expected to report earnings at $8.43 per share according to the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Last quarter they beat earnings expectations by 14.12%. They reported earnings at $5.01per share, beating their estimate of $0.62. They have an average earnings surprise of 5.06% over the last 4 quarters.Alphabet Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Alphabet Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Alphabet Inc. QuoteBottom LineHow should investors play Google ahead of their earnings report? For insights on the best options trades, then tune in at 1:00pm CST today to see David’s thoughts.Zacks' Hidden TradesWhile we share many recommendations and ideas with the public, certain moves are hidden from everyone but selected members of our portfolio services. Would you like to peek behind the curtain today and view them?Starting now, for the next month, I invite you to follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time from value to momentum...from stocks under $10 to ETF to option movers...from insider trades to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises (we've called them with 80%+ accuracy). You can even look inside portfolios so exclusive that they are normally closed to new investors.Click here for Zacks' secret trade>>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research