When did SEO Start?

If we told you SEO (Search Engine Optimization) was scientific, would you believe us? Appreciating the full scope of search engine optimization is impossible without understanding its history. So, let's turn back the clock and go back to the very beginning.

In the early 90s, search engines were not as we know them today. These were virtual libraries that indexed web content with very little or no ability to search. Yahoo launched the first popular web directory, Web for All, followed by the first crawler, AltaVista, which indexed entire pages. Then came Lycos, the first truly user-friendly search engine.

However, SEO as we know it today didn't have a name. In 1995, Dave Naylor, along with other pioneers like Matt Cutts, congregated on forums like Webmaster World. This was the Wild West era of search, where black hat techniques sprung up in forums.

But then, something big happened. In 1997, Google's predecessor, Backrub, launched, considering links as a vote, revolutionizing the industry. In 1998, Google officially launched, offering better search results thanks to PageRank. Webmasters began to rely on Google, and other search engines paled in comparison.

However, this era also saw the rise of black hat techniques like keyword spamming, directories, and article syndication. Google fought back with updates like Florida, tackling spam and penalizing low-quality content. The no-follow attribute was launched in 2005 to tackle comment spam.

Then, in 2010, the Caffeine update allowed Google to index content according to freshness. This was followed by devastating updates like Panda 1.0 and Penguin in 2012, targeting low-quality and manipulative content and links.

But SEO wasn't stagnant. Updates like Hummingbird and Pigeon brought technological advancements, helping Google understand user intent behind search queries. Real-time ranking updates became the norm, and Google began filtering out non-mobile-friendly sites.

In 2017, updates like Fred targeted sites with aggressive monetization tactics, focusing on user experience. The E-A-T update rewarded sites with expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.

Now, with the rise of voice search, the future of SEO is even more intriguing. As of 2020, 50% of all searches are predicted to be made via voice search. And on March 1st, new no-follow attributions will change again, hinting at further evolution.

What does the future hold for SEO? Only time will tell. But one thing's for sure: from its Wild West beginnings to its current precision-driven state, SEO has come a long way, and its journey is far from over.