as soon as the internet evolved and developed, people starting feeling a need for some kind of search engine to use the internet for their benefit. The web site developers also wanted a platform from where their sites could be accessed after searching. The first class of Search Engines (SE) came to light in the mid 1990s.
Their algorithm was very much simple. The websites used to submit the 'page' or the URL to the Search Engine. The search engine used to do all the indexing and saved it for future reference.
Obviously the people used to access the sites which appeared at first or second in the list. It was then the site owner used to realize the importance of getting their sites ranked above the other.
In those days the site developers themselves used to chose Meta tags for their site. This way they could use the Search Engine for their own benefit. Hence the early algorithm proved to be inefficient.
Late 1990s
In the late 90s the SE developers realized the importance of efficient algorithms and came up with many 'mathematical' ideas. Google was founded in 1998. It was liked by the developers and masses alike and became immensely popular in no time.
Now there are many search engines. The top ranked are the Google, yahoo and Microsoft. They 3 have employed very efficient algorithms for the search. These algorithms are not disclosed to prevent abuse and fraud.
Many people are now studying SEO in detail and have come up with their efficient and unique ideas. Many papers are also published on the subject.
It is highly fortunate that the SEO techniques are being developed and getting better everyday. I wish you all the best with your search.
