History of SEO (From 1945…)

So, where and when did the history of SEO start?

The history of search engine optimization is challenging to dissect as it does not have a particular emergence, as its birth is very vague. But, there is a consensus that search engine optimization started in the early to mid-90s. Over the years, search engine optimization has evolved to create valuable and relevant relationships through engaging content. As the Internet grew, developers inspired greater insight into organizing and finding data and developing ways to search for information.

The History of SEO dates back to 1945

The original idea for all of the world’s data to be put into a shared archive was created in 1945. In July of that year, Dr. Vannevar Bush, who was at the time the director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, had published a proposal for “the collection of data and observations, the extraction of material… and the final insertion of new material into a common area.” This excerpt is almost relative to Google’s mission.

In early 1997 SEO was a new concept. But around 1998, most companies started using this search engine optimization concept. There is a search engine behind almost every online destination, whether a website, blog, social network, or app. Search engines have become the means of connecting readers to the “appropriate” information. As a local Seattle SEO company, we have had our share of adapting and changing our practices based on historical search engine updates. Following is a timeline of what we recall:

Backrub

Another two Stanford University students built and tested Backrub, a new search engine that ranked sites based on inbound link relevancy and popularity. Backrub would ultimately become Google. At this time, HotBot, powered by Inktomi, also launched.

Yahoo’s BIG Mistake

The new millennium had come, and we learned a lot, like a web design and SEO company! Yahoo pulled off the worst strategic move in search history and partnered with Google to power their organic results instead of Inktomi. Before that, Google was a little-known search engine. But after that, every Yahoo search result said, “Powered by Google,” and they ended up introducing their most significant competitor to the world, and Google became a household name. Of course, later, in 2009, Yahoo partnered with Bing.

Local Searches

The history of SEO changed big time for local businesses. Google and other top search engines started improving results for queries that had a geographic intent. For example, local searches based on services like a restaurant or plumbers. Also, Google rolled out a Maps Plus Box, a powerful and flexible tool for managing and editing our data.

Live Search rebranded as Bing.

Microsoft Live Search became Bing. Then, in an attempt to challenge Google’s nearly 70 percent grip of the U.S. search market, Yahoo and Microsoft joined forces to partner on a 10-year search deal though it ended up being reworked five years later. While it made Bing the precise Number 2 search engine, either failed to break Google’s massive grip on Search in the U.S. and globally.

Another phenomenon was emerging, which was social media. Google made its big bet on YouTube (although it would try again with Google+). But other networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn emerged as significant players. Also, many more to come and go in the following years, like Instagram, Telegram, etc.

With the rise of social media came speculation that social signals could impact search rankings. And no doubt, social media can help SEO, but indirectly just as other forms of marketing, it can help drive more traffic to your website and increase brand awareness.

Severe Scrutiny

Google found its search results facing severe scrutiny because so-called “content farms” (websites that produced high volumes of low-quality content) dominated the search results. Google SERPs were also cluttered with websites featuring unoriginal and auto-generated content, and even, in some instances, scraper sites were outranking content originators. As a result, these sites were making tons of advertising revenue.

Google’s Hummingbird

Google launched the next generation of searches in Hummingbird, a new algorithm designed to address natural language queries and conversational inquiries better. With the rise of mobile and voice search, Google needed to completely rebuild its algorithm to meet the needs of modern searchers. Hummingbird was considered the most significant change to Google’s core algorithm since 2001. Google wanted to deliver faster and more relevant results, especially for mobile users.

Panda Release

2014 paved the path for the Panda release and HTTPS/SSL update. This would give a clear pathway and preference to secure websites. Also came Page Layout #3, which penalized websites with too many ads at the top of the pages. Over the years, as a Seattle SEO company service provider, we have converted many websites to HTTPS/SSL.

RankBrain

Google’s way of making search engines more intelligent and utilizing AI and machine learning. SEO history changed for the better in 2015. Rank Brain was introduced and was a significant shift for online marketers. Also, Mobilegeddon was introduced this year, where mobile ranking would differ for mobile-friendly websites. The Quality Update algorithm was also released, and as the name suggests, the ranking was based on the quality of the content.

Google Penguin Release

Google released Penguin, which devalued terrible links rather than penalizing a website. Wrong links would reduce the web page or website ranking rather than eliminate it from searches. We’ve undoubtedly had our share of work, and as a Seattle SEO service provider, we have cleaned up numerous websites that fell to this practice. 

Faster is better

Mobile Speed Update ensured that pages loaded faster and had a better website ranking factor on mobile searches. Also, SERPS showed more video carousels; Hence, as Seattle SEO specialists, we encourage every business to have some form of a video channel. SEO history will no doubt change as quickly as searching will. For example, searches will only become more instantaneous, especially as technologies such as  5G are introduced. 

A few words about SEO…

2019 may have had many website trends. Googling “Google Algorithm Change History” would give you a more in-depth summary of search engine updates than previously. Undoubtedly, search engines still had a fair bit to go and would be reflected through advanced algorithms and better technologies.

As a Seattle SEO company, we’ve seen SEO history show us that it has only become more natural for search engines to collect and index information. One reason why our SEO practices, and technologies, continue to adapt. Besides keeping track of SEO history and learning from it, our strategies and guidelines are always based on search engine providers. Thus ensuring that our customer’s online presence and websites stay ahead of their competition.

What to expect…

SEO history has shown many changes, and 2020 will be no different. Google will switch to mobile-first indexing. However, Google has had two different results based on the device used. Desktop-first indexing is strictly for searches on desktops, and mobile-first indexing is for smaller devices. The decision seems valid as the prominent usage of mobile devices has exceeded the old “clunky” desktops.

So what should be done as a business owner or online marketer? Google’s latest guidance on mobile indexing, you’d probably not have to do much, especially if your website is responsive or otherwise identical in its desktop and mobile versions.

We are not done with the History of SEO… Fast Forward to VOICE or no “VOICE” >>>

The History of SEO has shown many changes. Search engines and SEO professionals will continue to adapt and morph based on what searchers like and want. More importantly, SEO trends and web designing approaches will continue to change as long as search algorithms and website visitors expect them. With that said, key areas to set yourself ahead of the competition will be to continue with great content, steer more towards responsive devices, and recognize that voice is here to stay.

Finally, there may eventually be a day when no voice exists, and we think about what we want. MIT’s Media Lab has developed a technology that connects the human brain to the internet!