how to use WifiWebClient Sketch with Google IP address?

Incidentally, further down the script the domain "google.com" comes up once again:

if (client.connect(server, 80)) {
Serial.println("connected to server");
// Make a HTTP request:
client.println("GET /search?q=arduino HTTP/1.1");
client.println("Host: www.google.com");
client.println("Connection: close");
client.println();
}

What is the role of the following line? Is it optional?

client.println("Host: www.google.com");