This Day in Search Marketing History: February 18
February 18th is an important milestone in the history of search marketing. On this day, the first search engine optimization (SEO) firm, NetMarketing, was established in 1995. This paved the way for a new type of online marketing that has since revolutionized the search engine industry.
From its inception, NetMarketing has helped companies optimize their websites and content for higher search engine rankings and better visibility on the web. As search engines have become more sophisticated, so has the science of SEO and the techniques used by marketers to leverage the online space to their advantage.
Here’s a look back at the milestones achieved in search engine optimization and marketing on February 18th:
1995 – NetMarketing is founded
NetMarketing Inc. was launched on February 18th, 1995 by Mark Seitelman and is widely regarded as the first professional search engine optimization (SEO) firm. The company provides search engine optimization and web design services to help businesses improve their visibility on the web.
1996 – Search engine optimization emerges
As more Internet users become aware of the benefits of SEO, the term becomes widely used in the industry. SEO began to be recognized as an effective way to increase website traffic and visibility.
1999 – Google launches its AdWords program
Google launched its AdWords program in 1999 to help marketers advertise their websites on the world’s most popular search engine. Google AdWords was the first pay-per-click (PPC) advertising program to allow advertisers to bid on targeted keywords and phrases.
2000 – The PPC landscape becomes more competitive
As search engine optimization begins to become more competitive, PPC ads become more widely used. Companies began to rely more and more on paid ads to promote their websites and gain higher search engine rankings.
2002 – Google releases its AdSense program
Google released its AdSense program in 2002, allowing website owners to monetize their webpages with targeted ads. AdSense became one of the most popular PPC programs, making it easy for website owners to make money from their websites.
2006 – Google releases its Panda update
On February 18th, 2006, Google launched its Panda update which aimed to reward websites with higher quality content. The update changed the way websites were ranked in the search engine results pages and had an impact on the SEO industry.
2015 – Google rolls out its Mobile-Friendly update
In 2015, Google rolled out its mobile-friendly update which aimed to reward websites that were optimized for mobile devices. This had a major impact on the SEO industry as websites that were not optimized for mobile devices were penalized and saw their rankings drop.
Conclusion
February 18th has been a significant day in the history of search engine optimization and marketing. From the birth of NetMarketing in 1995 to Google’s mobile-friendly update in 2015, the industry has seen many changes and improvements over the years. As search engine optimization continues to evolve, February 18th will remain an important milestone in search engine marketing history.
