| The internet itself has been around in one form or | | | | insane time to be entering the market. And a free |
| another since the late 70s. Originally it was designed | | | | search engine at that, with free submission for your |
| by the military as a primitive way of sending | | | | site! But once google started to increase in popularity, |
| encrypted messages intended only for their | | | | people saw the benefit of their superior algorithm |
| recipients. If you have ever used an electronic bulletin | | | | and search results, nice uncluttered home page, and |
| board, well this was similar, only networked. | | | | free submission, and hey, google just sounds so cool |
| Eventually, as most military applications do, the | | | | anyway! The term to "google it" is now commonly |
| internet made its way into mainstream civilian | | | | used in relation to doing a search, and it seems the |
| application. The concept of the Internet, or the Web | | | | public can't get enough. Google has been innovative in |
| as it was sometimes also referred to as, didn't really | | | | other areas of the industry also. They have several |
| take hold on the public psyche until the late 80s. That | | | | indexes based on different topics, and some news |
| incarnation of the internet was somewhat slow, | | | | archive services. Another innovation google |
| cumbersome and limited by both the number of sites | | | | implemented was picture search. Google did go on to |
| available, and the cost of registering a domain name | | | | implement paid inclusion via AdWords and AdSense, |
| and hosting a site. With the advent of cheaper | | | | but basic submission to the index has always been |
| hosting and the reduction of the cost of registering | | | | free. Google's spider also seems to be the most |
| domains, the popularity of the internet really started | | | | active, and often times linking to a new site from an |
| to take off in the early 90s. The media jumped on | | | | older site which is already indexed will often get the |
| the bandwagon, and so ensued what was something | | | | new site indexed more quickly than if you submitted |
| of a mini cultural revolution. | | | | the site manually to google. |
| Companies started registering domain names and | | | | Recent happenings in the world of search include |
| setting up what were mainly informational web sites, | | | | Microsoft's MSN search which has recently been |
| or sales jargon online if you like. The real problem is | | | | released after an extended BETA testing stage. On |
| that people only really knew about a website by | | | | initial testing of the service, it seems to be quite |
| reading the address from some offline source such | | | | robust and give good output. Microsoft's foray into |
| as a sales brochure, business card or advertisement. | | | | search was meant to cause great waves, and |
| When the consumer went to the site, they were | | | | rumours were that google were dreading the day it |
| presented with little more than they could get by | | | | was finally released. But in my opinion, unless they |
| reading the real world glossy paper brochure. | | | | come up with something more innovative, such as |
| Along came the search engines to solve the problem | | | | google has and continues to do, at this point they |
| of finding web sites amongst the vast majority of | | | | are not much of a threat. The only threat I foresee |
| sites which were popping up on the internet all | | | | in the future, is if Microsoft hard codes the search |
| around the world. The original search engines were | | | | page into Internet Explorer, but I don't see this |
| quite clunky, slow and easily manipulated. Various | | | | happening, as consumer groups and the government's |
| spamming methods were adopted by the less | | | | anti-competition lawyers would be down on them in a |
| scrupulous web site owners to modify the results | | | | flash. So in the search arena, I guess we'll just have |
| shown by the search engines. Tricks such as | | | | to wait and see, but in the meantime, it is wise to be |
| repeating the keyword name over and over again at | | | | tweaked and indexed for both google and MSN |
| the bottom of the html page, and then changing the | | | | search. |
| font to white were often adopted, as well as | | | | Google also recently shook up the free email market |
| copying the same page over and over again and | | | | with their first offering called Gmail. Gmail is a free |
| linking them all together to boost a sites ranking. | | | | internet based email service offering users a 1GB |
| Search engines soon cottoned on to these methods, | | | | account, and new search capabilities within the |
| and eventually the majority of them were filtered | | | | system itself. At the time of writing Gmail is still in |
| out. For the most part, databases were not very | | | | beta testing stage, but with google's initial |
| clean, and this combined with the suspect (but | | | | announcement, Microsoft and yahoo quickly |
| evolving) algorithms left the majority of the public | | | | countered and increased the limit of their previously |
| disenchanted, and genuine website marketers | | | | measly offerings. Once again, I guess we'll have to |
| scratching their heads at how to tweak their sites, | | | | watch this space. |
| and what to expect next. The searching public were | | | | At the time when search engines were first being |
| yet to see a search algorithm that they were more | | | | introduced to the internet, and the first primitive |
| than happy with. | | | | indexes, directories and listings compiled, a variety of |
| Various companies such as and dmoz.org tried to | | | | internet marketing gurus started to appear on the |
| circumvent the search conundrum by creating | | | | scene. At first, the majority of these marketing |
| indexes of categorised, human approved web sites. | | | | experts were simply marketing people who had |
| For a while these proved quite popular, but were | | | | made their way from the real paper-based world to |
| very difficult to get listed in, and required the | | | | the electronic world of bits and bytes that is the |
| directory companies to employ an army of | | | | internet. Marketing methods promoted often included |
| developers, moderators and approvers to keep the | | | | a heavy slant towards sales copy, colours and |
| directory running and clean. Of course, some of these | | | | formatting of your web site appearance, and then |
| were paid, but the majority were volunteers. So | | | | eventually submission to all the directories and search |
| considering the limited results that could be obtained | | | | engines which started to appear around the net. |
| from a directory, the searching public seemed to | | | | These gurus also promoted the use metadata, |
| employ a combination approach when conducting | | | | keywords and other elements within the html. |
| their searches, of both directories and search engines. | | | | Eventually we were subjected to the unsightly and |
| It was at this time, that search engine and directory | | | | annoying barrage of spam email which internet |
| companies started merging and acquiring competitors | | | | marketers promoted. Fortunately for the internet |
| via takeover, as the forecasters must have seen the | | | | marketing gurus, they also had the rights to distribute |
| benefit of having a combination of both search and | | | | the software required for their clients to send mass |
| directory (and less competitors!) It was also around | | | | email and make millions! (sic) |
| this time, that many engines and directories started | | | | Finally we made it to where we are today. |
| charging for guaranteed paid inclusion. The future | | | | But where are we? And where are we headed? Visit |
| looked dim. It was at this time that a newcomer to | | | | my website, and you'll find all my predictions for the |
| the scene decided to take their chances with a | | | | future, and the most absolute up to date, complete |
| newly created algorithm. Yes, google was here! To | | | | list of tools, tips and resources that I think you |
| the rest of the world, this must have seemed like an | | | | should be using right now, today, to be successful. |