Part 3: Search Engine History from 2003-2007 and Google’s Dominance
The history of search engines is a rich and fascinating one, dating back to the early 1990s with the launch of Archie, the first search engine. However, the period between 2003 and 2007 was particularly noteworthy, as it saw the introduction of new algorithms, updates, and features that greatly improved the relevance and personalization of search results.
AdSense
In 2003, after acquiring Blogger.com, Google launched AdSense, which serves contextually targeted Google ads on publisher sites. The mix of AdSense and Blogger.com led to a surge in simple, monetized online publishing – and a blogging revolution. While Google probably didn’t realize it at the time, they were creating problems they would have to fix down the road. AdSense gave rise to spammy tactics and made-for-AdSense sites filled with thin/poor/stolen content that existed solely to rank well, get clicks, and make money.
Local SEO & Personalization
Around 2004, Google and other top search engines started improving results for queries that had a geographic intent (e.g., a restaurant, plumber, or some other type of business or service provider in your city or town).
It was also around 2004 that Google and search engines began making greater use of end-user data, such as search history and interests, to personalize search results.
This meant that the results you saw could be different than what someone sitting next to you when they did a search for the same query. Also in 2005, nofollow tags were created to combat spam. SEO pros began using this tag as a way of PageRank sculpting.
Google also unleashed a couple of noteworthy updates:
- Jagger, which helped to diminish the level of unsolicited link exchanges that were flying around, as well as heralding the decline in the importance of anchor text as a factor due to its corruptibility.
- Big Daddy (coined by Jeff Manson of RealGeeks), which improved the architecture of Google to allow for an improved understanding of the worth and relationship of links between sites.
In 2006, the Google Maps Plus Box launched and was a simpler version of the feature that we know today. It appeared on the right-hand side of a Google search results page when a user searched for a specific location or business. The Plus Box provided basic information about the location such as the address and phone number, as well as a map of the location. Users could also get directions to the location by clicking on the map. This feature was designed to make it easier for users to find the information they needed and decide about visiting the location or business. However, it lacked the additional features such as reviews, photos, and the option to save or share the location that were later added in later versions.
YouTube, Google Analytics & Webmaster Tools
In October 2006, Google acquired user-generated video sharing network YouTube for $1.65 billion, which ultimately became the second most used search property in the world.
Today, YouTube has 2 billion users! Due to its soaring popularity, video SEO become crucial for brands, businesses, and individuals that wanted to be found.
Google also launched two incredibly important tools in 2006:
- Google Analytics. This free, web-based tool was so popular at launch that webmasters experienced downtime and maintenance warnings.
- Google Webmaster Tools. Now known as the Search Console, Google Webmaster Tools let webmasters view crawling errors, see what searches your site showed up for, and request re-inclusion.
Also in 2006, XML sitemaps gained universal support from the search engines. XML sitemaps allow webmasters to display to the search engines, every URL on their website that is available for crawling. An XML sitemap contains not only a list of URLs but a range of further information, which helped search engines to crawl more intelligently.
Universal Search
We really began to see search starting to evolve in new and exciting ways starting in 2007.
All of these updates were aimed at improving the search experience for users.
Let’s start with Google’s Universal Search. Until this point, the search results had consisted of 10 blue links. Then Google began blending traditional organic search results with other types of vertical results like news, video, and images. This was easily the biggest change to Google search – and SEO – since the Florida update.
In 2003, Google introduced several new features to its search engine to improve the relevance and personalization of search results. One of the most significant changes was the introduction of the “Google Suggest” feature, which provided users with a list of suggested search queries as they typed in their search terms. This feature helped users to find the information they needed more quickly and easily, and it was later adopted by other search engines such as Yahoo and Microsoft. \
Also in 2003 after acquiring Blogger.com, Google launched AdSense, which serves contextually targeted Google ads on publisher sites. The mix of AdSense and Blogger.com led to a surge in simple, monetized online publishing – and a blogging revolution. While Google probably didn’t realize it at the time, they were creating problems they would have to fix down the road. AdSense gave rise to spammy tactics and made-for-AdSense sites filled with thin/poor/stolen content that existed solely to rank well, get clicks, and make money.
In 2004, Google introduced the “Google Personalized Search” feature, which provided users with a more personalized search experience based on their browsing and search history. This feature helped to improve the relevance of search results for users and was seen as a direct competitor to Yahoo’s “MyWeb” feature, which was launched the same year.
In 2005, Google introduced the “Google Local” feature, which provided users with a map and business listings for a specific location. This feature helped users to find local businesses and services more easily and was later adopted by other search engines such as Yahoo and Microsoft. Also in 2005, nofollow tags were created to combat spam. SEO pros began using this tag as a way of PageRank sculpting.
Google also unleashed a couple of noteworthy updates:
- Jagger, which helped to diminish the level of unsolicited link exchanges that were flying around, as well as heralding the decline in the importance of anchor text as a factor due to its corruptibility.
- Big Daddy (coined by Jeff Manson of RealGeeks), which improved the architecture of Google to allow for an improved understanding of the worth and relationship of links between sites.
In October 2006, Google acquired user-generated video sharing network YouTube for $1.65 billion, which ultimately became the second most used search property in the world.
Today, YouTube has 2 billion users. Due to its soaring popularity, video SEO become crucial for brands, businesses, and individuals that wanted to be found.
Google also launched two incredibly important tools in 2006:
- Google Analytics. This free, web-based tool was so popular at launch that webmasters experienced downtime and maintenance warnings.
- Google Webmaster Tools. Now known as the Search Console, Google Webmaster Tools let webmasters view crawling errors, see what searches your site showed up for, and request re-inclusion.
Also in 2006, XML sitemaps gained universal support from the search engines. XML sitemaps allow webmasters to display to the search engines, every URL on their website that is available for crawling. An XML sitemap contains not only a list of URLs but a range of further information, which helped search engines to crawl more intelligently.
In 2006, the Google Maps Plus Box launched and was a simpler version of the feature that we know today. It appeared on the right-hand side of a Google search results page when a user searched for a specific location or business. The Plus Box provided basic information about the location such as the address and phone number, as well as a map of the location. Users could also get directions to the location by clicking on the map. This feature was designed to make it easier for users to find the information they needed and decide about visiting the location or business. However, it lacked the additional features such as reviews, photos, and the option to save or share the location that were later added in later versions.
In 2007, Google introduced the “Google Universal Search” feature, which integrated different types of search results such as images, videos, news and books into the standard search results. This feature helped to improve the relevance of search results for users and was seen as a direct competitor to Bing’s “Search Builder” feature. The launch of Universial Search was arguably Googles biggest change since the “Florida” update. Also launched was “Google Street View” feature, which provided users with a street-level view of locations around the world. This feature helped users to get a better sense of a location and was later adopted by other search engines such as Bing.
Overall, the period between 2003 and 2007 saw significant developments in the history of Google Search. Google introduced several new features such as “Google Suggest”, “Google Personalized Search”, “Google Local” and “Google Street View” to help improve the relevance and personalization of search results and make the search experience more user-friendly. Google’s search engine continued to dominate the search market during this period, with a market share of over 60%. Google’s search algorithm continued to improve, which helped to make the search results more relevant and useful for users. Google’s search advertising program, AdWords, also continued to grow during this period, generating billions of dollars in revenue for the company.
Yahoooo
In 2003, Yahoo! Search was based on the Inktomi engine and was launched as an alternative to Google and other search engines at the time. It aimed to provide more relevant and personalized results to users based on their browsing and search history. This new search engine helped to increase competition in the market and improve the search experience for users.
In 2004, Yahoo! Search introduced a new feature called “MyWeb”, which allowed users to save and share their search results and browsing history. This feature helped to make the search experience more personalized for users and was seen as a direct competitor to Google’s “My Search History” feature, which was launched the same year.
In 2005, Yahoo! Search introduced a new feature called “Search Assist” which helped users to refine their search results and find what they were looking for more quickly. This feature was designed to help users who were not familiar with Boolean operators to refine their search results.
In 2006, Yahoo! Search introduced a new feature called “Search Pad” which allowed users to save and organize their search results. This feature was designed to help users to keep track of their research and make it easier for them to find what they were looking for later on.
In 2007, Yahoo! Search introduced a new feature called “Yahoo! Answers” which allowed users to ask and answer questions on a wide range of topics. This feature helped to improve the search experience for users by providing them with a more interactive and community-driven way of finding information.
Microsoft
In 2003, Microsoft launched MSN Search as an alternative to Google and other search engines at the time. The search engine was based on the Inktomi engine and provided users with a simple interface for searching the web. MSN Search also included a directory of web sites and a searchable index of web pages, allowing users to find the information they needed more easily.
In 2005, MSN Search introduced a new feature called “Search Builder” which allowed users to refine their search results and find what they were looking for more quickly. This feature was designed to help users who were not familiar with Boolean operators to refine their search results.
In 2006, MSN Search introduced a new feature called “Search History” which allowed users to save and view their recent search queries. This feature helped users to keep track of their research and make it easier for them to find what they were looking for later on.
In 2007, MSN Search introduced a new feature called “Search Suggestions” which provided users with a list of suggested search queries as they typed in their search terms. This feature helped users to find the information they needed more quickly and easily.
