History of Online Search: From Paid to Paying Search Engines

The evolution of the search engine is almost as varied as the evolution of the computer.  Over the past 20 years or so the search engine has evolved from one search engine with limited possibilities to hundreds of search engines with almost limitless search capabilities. Almost anything you need to know; any date, any name, at any time right at your fingertips.  Search engines evolved from just one site, to businesses paying to be one of the first listed on different search engines, to actually paying the user for their time.

Surf/Search The Web

Search engines can get the user to just about anything they need to know, from recipes to weekly lotto results and winners. Many people today don't even use libraries, or any other type of written information. There is no need to, when the digital media that is the computer is not only in almost every home in America, the information you get is up to date and, for the most part, the most accurate you will find.

• 1990 - December of 1990 brought us the WWW prototype search engine. Once people got the workings of the computer down, the need to use it for all types of information made it necessary to find a way to get to the information.
• 1991 - Of course, necessity being the mother of invention saw the WWW prototype become a viable search engine. We now had a way to harness the world of information known as cyber space. That same year Gopher was introduced and thus the competition begins.
• 1993 - Jump to 1993 and seven out of the twelve months that year saw new search engines popping up. The need for more and more ways to search for information suddenly made the world of the search engine competitive and profitable.
• 1998 - As the demand rises, so does the technology. Businesses wishing to advertise on the Internet were now paying to be placed high on the search list. When a single search can show millions of hits, no business wants to be on the last page. What are the chances your advertisement will be seen?
• 2000 - The turn of the century brought us search engines powered by other search engines, making them more available to the user. The capabilities were growing, and more and more information was becoming available at the click of a mouse.
• 2005 - In 2005 almost every month of the year introduced a search engine. Search engines were needed and everyone who could create one was throwing their hat into the ring.
• 2012 - Fast forward to today, and search engines are actually paying people to use them. Search and get paid. Get your friends and family to search and get paid more. There is so much competition out there, and the big companies have to find ways of making you want to use their search engine over another.

Choosing Your Favorite

Whether it is shopping on-line or just checking past sweepstakes results, choose your search engine wisely.  Make sure to use one that works for you.

Who doesn't want to make money for doing what you have to or want to, anyway? Using a search engine that pays you to use them, will help you save more money and stretch those dollars just a little further, something everyone can use once in awhile.