THE HISTORY OF SEO – Keywords to AI in 30 years
A Journey Through SEO´s Time Machine
In this section we will look at the history of SEO and how it has evolved as well as where we are in 2025, the rapid advances in search engine capabilities which in 2025 and beyond will see things that most cannot even contemplate. We will also look at how we can help you build a holistic SEO strategy thats build on our knowledge of the past to ensure resilience for the future.
The dot.com era & The millennium Bug
This was the period when the very first search engines came about and their capabilities were very basic. The whole internet was still in the days of dial up connections and access was, to many a luxury.
Search engines would index sites based on keywords only and although at the time search engines were considered a revolutionary change, looking back they were nothing more than glorified directories.
Succesful SEO was nothing more than seeing who could repeat their target keywords the most and users had to be ery specific in their search terms to find anyting close to what they were looking for!
Semantic Search & Link Farms
By the early 2010´s, search engines were advancing in their capabilities. The number of search engines that were “popular” had refined to certain big names and they were learning to understand more about what was behind the search query although still very basic.
The big focus in the industry was link building and mass link building farms were often used. Search engines began to spot this and penalise sites that were using so called “black hat” tactics to trick the algorythm
User Intent
By 2020, search engines were focusing on user intent – learning to understand their users and the intentions behind their searches. Although there was a lot of mixed messages in the industry about the best approach to take to SEO, it was generally the case that strong keywords with “long-tail” adaptations for broader more “loose” queries was the way to go.
This, coupled with a carefully planned backlink building campaign and mobile optimisation as the shift moved rapidly from desktop usage to portable devices.
AI is now a reality - Predictive Search, Contextual Understanding and intelligence drive search engnies.
Now, the way search engines index and use websites is changing at a faster than ever pace. LLM AI, contextual understanding of whole sites not just phrases and words, user preferences and intentions and even reasoning power are the driving forces behind Search, Search GPT, conversational search (voice) and so much more.
Whilst some of the foundation blocks remain as always, we cannot just rely on link building and keywords now, we need to take a fully holistic approach to our online presence to cater for the users in a far greater way and to also cater for the human like search robots that are constantly evolving and learning and only using sources that they can trust to provide answers to their user queries, questions and conversations.
Welcome to the era of Holistic SEO!
We understand the future because we have lived the past history of SEO.
To understand the concept of Holistic SEO, it´s important to take a trip back in time and look at the evolution and history of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) over the last 20 to 30 years. Remember the Wild West days of the internet? Historically, SEO meant stuffing as many keywords as humanly possible into a webpage, sometimes even hiding them in the background with white text on a white background? Or those glorious link farms, where quantity trumped quality by a mile? We do. Our founder has been navigating the ever-shifting sands of search engine optimization for almost 30 years throughout the entire history of SEO, witnessing first-hand the evolution from those rudimentary tactics to the sophisticated, AI-driven landscape we inhabit today and understanding in depth along with our expert team the direction and SEO best practices to ensure your ranking success in 2025 and beyond.
From Keyword Chaos to Contextual Clarity: How SEO Evolved
Back in the dot-com boom, SEO was a blunt instrument. Keyword density was king, and if you could cram enough instances of your target phrase into your content (and hide a few more for good measure), you were golden.
Then came the algorithm updates – Panda, Penguin, Hummingbird – each one a seismic shift that forced SEOs to adapt or become extinct. Suddenly, quality content, user experience, and technical SEO became paramount. The focus shifted from manipulating search engines to satisfying users. This evolution wasn’t just a change in tactics; it was a fundamental shift in philosophy, and many agencies and even SEO platforms are still playing catch up.
The AI Revolution: Search in the Age of Conversation
Today, we’re witnessing another revolution, but this time far more significant and rapidly evolving than anything before: the rise of AI-powered search. Users aren’t just typing in keywords anymore; they’re asking complex questions using natural language. “What’s the best Italian restaurant near me with outdoor seating that’s dog-friendly?” is a typical query.
AI is now tasked with understanding the nuances of human language, deciphering intent, and providing comprehensive answers. This means that simply targeting keywords like “Italian restaurant” is no longer enough. You need content that directly addresses the user’s entire question. This is where E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) comes in. Search engines are increasingly prioritizing websites that demonstrate these qualities, ensuring users receive accurate and reliable information. If you found this interesting and want to know more about the History of SEO you can read this article.
History of SEO
See how over the last 3 decades that we have been working in SEO, the sector has evolved.
TECHNICAL SEO
Optimize site speed, structure, and accessibility for superior performance.
CONTENT PLAN
Creating valuable, engaging, and authoritative content tailored to your audience.
USER EXPERIENCE
Deliver intuitive, enjoyable experiences across all devices and connection types.
E-E-A-T PRINCIPLES
Build trust with expertise, authority, and transparency in every aspect of your website.
Our SEO Specialties
- Content that Answers Questions (and Anticipates Them): We create content that directly addresses user queries in a natural, conversational way. Think about related questions your target audience might have and incorporate those answers as well. This is what separates good content from truly exceptional content.
- Optimizing for Voice Search: With the rise of voice assistants, optimizing for long-tail keywords and natural language phrases is crucial. Think about how people actually speak when asking a question.
- Building E-E-A-T: The Cornerstone of Future SEO: Demonstrate your expertise by creating high-quality, well-researched content. Build authority through backlinks from reputable sources and showcase your experience through testimonials and case studies.
- The Power of Schema Markup and Structured Data: Help search engines understand your content by using schema markup. This structured data provides context and can improve your visibility in search results, especially for rich snippets.
- Mobile-First Indexing and Core Web Vitals: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and performs well in terms of speed and usability. These factors are crucial for both user experience and search rankings.
- Deep Understanding of User Intent: Ensure that your website is not only developed to give the message you want to portray but to serve based on the intention of the users who are searching and in particular, the type of user that you want to visit your website.
We have been involved in SEO since before it was a thing and our team have worked with companies and organisations all around the world, from the smallest start-ups to global corporate organisations as the history of SEO has been one of constant evolution and change but never like now. Thankfully out holistic approach is now being recognised by the leaders of the field of SEO and so whatever size of business you own, we have the solutions as a full service comprehensive SEO optimisation partner that you can trust
Online SEO marketing is in our veins and we would love to share our 3 decades of experience with you and help your business achieve success online in 2025 and beyond through our honest, transparent and truly holistic approach.