🕰️ History of SEO

SEO has been around since the 1990s and has evolved massively over the years. Here's a brief look at how it all started and where it's heading.

📜 SEO Timeline (ASCII Edition)

SEO HISTORY TIMELINE
──────────────────────────────────────────────
1991    | 🌐 The first website goes online
        |
1997    | 🔎 First search engines (AltaVista, Ask Jeeves)
        | People start tweaking keywords manually
        |
2000    | 📈 Google launches AdWords & PageRank
        | SEO becomes a real strategy
        |
2003    | 🕷️ Spammy tactics (keyword stuffing, link farms) explode
        |
2011    | 🐼 Google Panda update
        | Focus on quality content
        |
2012    | 🐧 Google Penguin update
        | Penalties for bad backlinks
        |
2015    | 📱 Mobile-first becomes key
        | Google RankBrain (AI-based ranking)
        |
2018    | 🔐 HTTPS, speed, UX now ranking factors
        |
2023+   | 🤖 AI-generated content, voice search, semantic SEO
        |
Future  | 🧠 User intent, experience, and real authority rule
──────────────────────────────────────────────

🧠 Key Milestones Explained

1990s: SEO was mostly about stuffing keywords and meta tags.
2000s: Google introduced PageRank, making backlinks critical.
2010s: Major algorithm updates like Panda & Penguin cracked down on spam.
Now: Content quality, page speed, mobile UX, and E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authority, Trust) matter most.

📍 Conclusion

SEO has matured from keyword games to a sophisticated practice focused on delivering value to users. Staying ahead means understanding the past�and preparing for what's next.