SEO Trends and How They Have Evolved

Many people believe that humans evolved from apes. Our “species” was once in monkey-like form, then Neanderthal or caveman form and then later, human form, with other variations in between. Whether this theory is actually true or not, it’s difficult to say, but one thing is clear. The concept of evolution is a true experience, and when it comes to SEO, the trends have evolved quite a bit over the past 25 years, especially in Utah.

In 1991, the world’s first live website was launched by Tim Berners-Lee. This also meant that the road for SEO was starting to be paved. One of the first search engine platforms, Excite, made search engine optimization possible. Keyword stuffing, tagged words and phrases, linking and backlinking were all starting to be used—and maybe even overused. This was the “ape era,” so to speak. 

Soon after, heavy-hitters like Google and Yahoo! came into the picture to make the process easier and much more effective. Google especially did a great job of taking over. The search engine giant made sure that online search rankings would become more accurate and fair for everyone in the game, whether in Utah or elsewhere.

Keyword stuffing, over-tagging and over-linking would be found and snuffed out pretty quick if detected. This was the “caveman era”. SEO tactics and processes were evolving for businesses in Utah and all over the country.

From there, things were growing and progressing over a span of eleven years. Google was doing amazing things with its own search engine. Tightening up the screws and fine-tuning the inter-workings were the company’s main focuses.

Finally, in 2008 Google unleashed one of its most famous and efficient weapons, Google Suggest. This tool made using the search engine much easier for consumers. When typing in a search term, the search bar made it possible for suggestions to drop down below the bar to help refine the search process. 

It also makes online searches faster and simpler. Rather than typing in the entire term, if the right suggestion comes up, you can select the one you were about to type. 

The final era of the evolution of SEO is the “human era”. More tools and methods were introduced into the search engine game. According to Search Engine Land, Google’s Knowledge Graph, AdWords and Alerts all made SEO even easier. These tools brought the world into a more advanced stage of technology and business.

SEO companies in Utah and elsewhere have a lot to be grateful for when it comes to content and traffic. All of the advancements to the industry have made things more automated and even more fun to use.

Rhett Ahlander writes for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. He writes for many other clients as well.