Google updated its AI content guidance
Google called manual fact-checking of AI-generated content “critical” before publishing. It also named fake author profiles a form of deception and a low-quality signal.
Google Search Central →The Republic of Türkiye turns 103. We publish this page on October 29, 2026, in memory of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades-in-arms, who founded it.
Stradiji · Search history · 1991 to 2026
35 years of SEO evolution
From the first website to AI answers: how what we type into the search box changed, and how sites earn visibility.
1998
Play the time machine
🃏 Get your evolution card
Jump to the timeline
Take the quiz
Which era is your site in?
First published June 30, 2015
Updated Oct. 29, 2026
Written by Emre Ercan · Updated by Mert Erkal
Updated monthly · Next update November 2026
Live strip · October 2026
What happened in search this month?
ChatGPT traffic “vanished” for a week
In-text links dropped their UTM tag, so visits showed up as Direct in GA4. A fix started rolling out Oct. 15. Don’t read that week’s dip as a trend.
Source: Search Engine Journal, Oct. 15, 2026Copilot citations, now by topic
Bing Webmaster Tools added Topics Portfolio (beta) to its AI Performance report. It groups AI citations into themes. Free.
Source: Microsoft Bing blog, Oct. 13, 2026Links get more room in AI Mode
Google moved in-text links in AI Mode and AI Overviews answers to a more visible spot. Mark Oct. 15 in your click trends.
Source: Google, Oct. 15, 2026AI visitors buy more
In our GA4 analysis of 35 sites, AI traffic was a median 1.29% of Google organic. But it converted 1.64x better.
Read the study →This strip refreshes at the end of every month. Older cards move down into the timeline.
In short
35 years in three sentences
First, being found was enoughIn the 1990s, search engines counted words on a page. Repeat the keyword, get listed in directories, and you were visible.
Then you had to earn trustIn 1998, Google started counting links as votes. From 2011, Panda and Penguin rewarded quality and natural links.
Today you have to be the sourceSince 2024, AI answers sit at the top of the results page. The goal is no longer just the click. It is being cited in the answer. The foundation is still SEO.
The results page, year by year · 1990-2026
Where did the blue links go?
Thirteen frames, the search results page from 1990 to today. Read left to right: first a list, then ads, images, boxes and finally a single conversation. The mockups are illustrative; each one sums up the layout of its era.
Archie · No web yet. Search lists file names on FTP servers.
See the original: Archie screenshot (Wikipedia) ↗
The directory era · Categories built by hand by editors. Browsing, not searching.
See the original: Yahoo! homepage through the years (Gigazine) ↗
Ten blue links · A plain list. The winners: links and relevance.
See the original: What Google looked like in 1998 (Entrepreneur) ↗
Ads arrive · AdWords opened ad slots at the top and on the right.
See the original: Google’s 2000 AdWords announcement ↗
Universal search · Images, video and news on the same page.
See the original: Universal Search screenshots (Search Engine Land) ↗
Instant results · Google Instant: results change as you type.
See the original: Google Instant guide (Search Engine Land) ↗
Knowledge Panel · An entity box on the right: Google recognizes the “thing,” not just the word.
See the original: Google’s 2012 Knowledge Graph announcement ↗
Featured snippet · The answer sits in a box above the links.
See the original: Google explains featured snippets (2018) ↗
Local 3-pack · A map and three businesses. Mobile search takes the lead.
See the original: From 7-pack to 3-pack (Search Engine Land) ↗
Four ads on top · Right-rail ads disappeared, and ads moved to the top.
See the original: Right-side ads removed (WordStream) ↗
A page full of boxes · Snippets, related questions and videos fill the first screen.
See the original: “People also ask” surges (SE Roundtable) ↗
AI Overviews · The answer sits on top. Blue links slid down.
See the original: Google’s 2024 AI Overviews announcement ↗
AI Mode · Conversational search lives in its own tab. Blue links are still on the classic page, below the AI Overview.
See the original: Google’s AI Mode announcement ↗
Interactive · Results page time machine
Run the same search in 7 different years
Drag the slider or tap a year. The boxes on the side show what users saw, what SEOs did and what won in that era.
1994
The directory era
What users saw
Categories built by hand by editors. You browsed, you didn’t search.
What SEOs did
Filled out directory submission forms and tried to land in the right category.
What won
Editor approval and alphabetical order. Names starting with A got lucky.
Era simulator: 1994
Technology · Internet · Mobile · Experience · AI
Technology
Desktop PC, CRT monitor, floppy disks.
Internet
Dial-up, 14.4 kbit/s modem. The phone line is busy.
Mobile
Cellphones are a luxury. No internet.
User experience
Browse category by category and wait patiently after every click.
AI
None. Editors and alphabetical order.
How long would a light 500 KB version of this page take to load in 1994?
4 min 38 s
Assumes a typical home connection: 14.4 kbit/s modem · the bar plays sped up
Three AI specialists (skills) we work with every day comment on each era:
SEO ANALYST
Title tags? In this era, a directory editor reads your title, not an algorithm. Fill out the form completely, pick the right category and wait patiently.
GEO-MASTER
Too early for me. But take note: 30 years from now, the key question will be the same. Which category did they put you in?
GEOGENIE
There is no AI to measure, and no me. But I’m already writing my prompt list: “What’s the best coffee shop in Istanbul?” They’ll ask it 32 years from now.
Interactive · Results page time machine
Run the same search in 7 different years
Drag the slider or tap a year. The boxes on the side show what users saw, what SEOs did and what won in that era.
1998
Ten blue links
What users saw
A plain list. The page that repeated the keyword most was often on top.
What SEOs did
Stuffed meta keywords, calculated keyword density, hid white text on white backgrounds.
What won
Keyword repetition first. Then, with Google, link counts and PageRank.
Era simulator: 1998
Technology · Internet · Mobile · Experience · AI
Technology
Windows 98, 15-inch CRT, the first CD burners.
Internet
56 kbit/s dial-up, billed by the minute.
Mobile
Keypad phones and SMS. Mobile internet barely exists.
User experience
Ten blue links: open, look, go back, try again.
AI
None. But PageRank counts links as votes.
How long would a light 500 KB version of this page take to load in 1998?
1 min 11 s
Assumes a typical home connection: 56 kbit/s dial-up · the bar plays sped up
Three AI specialists (skills) we work with every day comment on each era:
SEO ANALYST
Keyword density of 15%. Today it would glow bright red in my report. Back then, it ranked first. Enjoy it while it lasts.
GEO-MASTER
PageRank is a voting system. Today I call it consensus: you don’t describe yourself, other people describe you.
GEOGENIE
One engine, one list. Measuring visibility was easy: you were in the top 10 or you weren’t. I wish it were that simple today.
Interactive · Results page time machine
Run the same search in 7 different years
Drag the slider or tap a year. The boxes on the side show what users saw, what SEOs did and what won in that era.
2007
Universal search
What users saw
Images, videos and news on the same page. Blue links were no longer alone.
What SEOs did
Alt text for images, descriptions for videos, fresh content for news sites.
What won
Being present across content types at once.
Era simulator: 2007
Technology · Internet · Mobile · Experience · AI
Technology
Laptops go mainstream, flat screens arrive.
Internet
A few Mbit/s over ADSL, unlimited plans.
Mobile
The first touchscreen smartphones, WAP sites.
User experience
Images, video and news on one page.
AI
Barely any. Rules and signals.
How long would a light 500 KB version of this page take to load in 2007?
2.0 seconds
Assumes a typical home connection: 2 Mbit/s ADSL · the bar plays sped up
Three AI specialists (skills) we work with every day comment on each era:
SEO ANALYST
Empty alt text on your images? Then you’re missing from universal search. Believe me, I still see plenty of sites that leave it blank.
GEO-MASTER
A brand that covers a topic in images, video and text leaves tracks in many places. Those are exactly the tracks AI collects today.
GEOGENIE
The results page multiplied: images, video, news. We live the same thing across engines today: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, AI Overviews. Each one is its own shop window.
Interactive · Results page time machine
Run the same search in 7 different years
Drag the slider or tap a year. The boxes on the side show what users saw, what SEOs did and what won in that era.
2012
Entities and the Knowledge Panel
What users saw
An info box on the right. The search engine now recognized things, not just words.
What SEOs did
Cleaned up after Panda and Penguin, added schema.org markup, strengthened the brand entity.
What won
Quality content, natural links and being a well-defined entity.
Era simulator: 2012
Technology · Internet · Mobile · Experience · AI
Technology
The smartphone and tablet boom.
Internet
VDSL at home, 3G on the go.
Mobile
App stores, fast-growing mobile web.
User experience
Info boxes and results that appear as you type.
AI
Early days: the Knowledge Graph recognizes things.
How long would a light 500 KB version of this page take to load in 2012?
500 milliseconds
Assumes a typical home connection: 8 Mbit/s ADSL/VDSL · the bar plays sped up
Three AI specialists (skills) we work with every day comment on each era:
SEO ANALYST
Panda hit thin content, Penguin hit bought links. One H1, a clean heading order, at least 3 internal links to related pages. Boring, but it works.
GEO-MASTER
Organization schema, the sameAs chain, Wikidata. If you aren’t a defined entity, AI puts you in the wrong bucket. I’ve seen a model mistake Stradiji for Stradivarius.
GEOGENIE
The Knowledge Graph recognized the brand as a “thing.” Today I ask the engines the same question: in which category, and next to which competitors, do they mention you?
Interactive · Results page time machine
Run the same search in 7 different years
Drag the slider or tap a year. The boxes on the side show what users saw, what SEOs did and what won in that era.
2016
Mobile and one answer
What users saw
On the phone: a featured snippet, related questions and a map of nearby businesses.
What SEOs did
Mobile-friendly design, speed, Q&A-style content, Google Business Profile.
What won
The passage that answered most clearly, plus local trust signals.
Era simulator: 2016
Technology · Internet · Mobile · Experience · AI
Technology
In 2015, Google said mobile searches passed desktop in 10 countries.
Internet
4.5G launched in Türkiye on April 1, 2016.
Mobile
Mobile first: after Mobilegeddon, everyone moved to responsive design.
User experience
Scroll, tap, read the answer in the snippet.
AI
RankBrain: machine learning enters ranking.
How long would a light 500 KB version of this page take to load in 2016?
200 milliseconds
Assumes a typical home connection: 20 Mbit/s 4.5G · the bar plays sped up
Three AI specialists (skills) we work with every day comment on each era:
SEO ANALYST
If it doesn’t load on a phone, you don’t exist. Keep LCP under 2.5 seconds and CLS under 0.1. Put the answer in the first paragraph and grab the snippet.
GEO-MASTER
The snippet was a rehearsal for AI answers. A 40- to 60-word answer paragraph that stands on its own is still the passage that gets cited.
GEOGENIE
The snippet picked one winner. An AI answer picks several sources. I count how often you appear in that source list.
Interactive · Results page time machine
Run the same search in 7 different years
Drag the slider or tap a year. The boxes on the side show what users saw, what SEOs did and what won in that era.
2024
AI Overviews
What users saw
An AI Overview with source badges at the top of the page. Links slid down.
What SEOs did
Quotable paragraphs, E-E-A-T signals, first-hand experience.
What won
Being one of the Overview’s sources. Fewer clicks, but visitors with stronger intent.
Era simulator: 2024
Technology · Internet · Mobile · Experience · AI
Technology
Phones, voice assistants and AI chat apps.
Internet
Fiber and 4.5G are widespread.
Mobile
Google has all but stopped desktop crawling. The index is mobile now.
User experience
Read the overview, maybe click.
AI
Large language models sit on top of the results page.
How long would a light 500 KB version of this page take to load in 2024?
80 milliseconds
Assumes a typical home connection: 50 Mbit/s fiber · the bar plays sped up
Three AI specialists (skills) we work with every day comment on each era:
SEO ANALYST
If your click-through rate dropped, don’t panic. But if your classic rankings are weak, AI won’t even put you in its source pool. The foundation is still SEO.
GEO-MASTER
We talk about citations now, not positions. Look at the source list under the answer: is it you, or people writing about you?
GEOGENIE
Step one is a prompt set: questions your customers really ask, with no brand name in them. Then we track visibility, share of voice and citation rate. We watch the trend, not a single run.
Interactive · Results page time machine
Run the same search in 7 different years
Drag the slider or tap a year. The boxes on the side show what users saw, what SEOs did and what won in that era.
2026
Conversational search
What users saw
In the AI Mode tab, a long, personal question and an answer in chat form. The classic results page is still there: an AI Overview on top, blue links below.
What SEOs did
Tracked visibility percentage and citations, kept brand facts consistent off-site.
What won
Being an entity AI trusts, one that tells the same story everywhere.
Era simulator: 2026
Technology · Internet · Mobile · Experience · AI
Technology
Conversational search on the phone, questions by camera and voice, agents.
Internet
Fiber and mobile broadband.
Mobile
Search is a conversation in your pocket.
User experience
Ask, follow up, decide.
AI
Conversational search: AI Mode, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity.
How long would a light 500 KB version of this page take to load in 2026?
40 milliseconds
Assumes a typical home connection: 100 Mbit/s fiber · the bar plays sped up
Three AI specialists (skills) we work with every day comment on each era:
SEO ANALYST
Crawling, indexing, canonicals, hreflang. If bots can’t read your page, you’re in neither Google nor ChatGPT. Technical hygiene is still the front door.
GEO-MASTER
There is no fixed spot to win in AI answers. Results are personalized. Measure your visibility percentage, publish first-party data and tell the same story on every platform.
GEOGENIE
We measure ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and AI Overviews regularly for the US and Türkiye. If you show up but don’t get cited, the problem isn’t recognition. It’s your content’s structure and freshness.
Interactive · SERP simulator
Send your own search back in time
Type a query from your industry. See how the results page for that search changed from 1998 to 2026. The results are illustrative: no real search runs, and your query goes nowhere.
1998
Ten blue links
Blue links above the fold in the mockup5
To reach the answer
Open a few pages and compare them one by one.
Your site’s goal
Be the page that repeats the keyword most. It did not last.
Interactive · SERP simulator
Send your own search back in time
Type a query from your industry. See how the results page for that search changed from 1998 to 2026. The results are illustrative: no real search runs, and your query goes nowhere.
2007
Universal search
Blue links above the fold in the mockup3
To reach the answer
One or two clicks.
Your site’s goal
Show up in text, images and video at the same time.
Interactive · SERP simulator
Send your own search back in time
Type a query from your industry. See how the results page for that search changed from 1998 to 2026. The results are illustrative: no real search runs, and your query goes nowhere.
2016
One answer
Blue links above the fold in the mockup2
To reach the answer
Often zero: the answer is in the snippet.
Your site’s goal
Be the passage that answers the question most clearly.
Interactive · SERP simulator
Send your own search back in time
Type a query from your industry. See how the results page for that search changed from 1998 to 2026. The results are illustrative: no real search runs, and your query goes nowhere.
2026
The AI Mode tab
Blue links above the fold in the mockup0
To reach the answer
Source links inside the answer. Classic results are still on the “All” tab.
Your site’s goal
Get cited among the answer’s sources and be recognized in the right category.
From the original version of this page
“Our work has evolved from Search Engine Optimization to Search Experience Optimization.”
Emre wrote that sentence on this page in 2015. Eleven years later, AI answers have taken over part of that search experience. We call it GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). Without a solid SEO foundation, there is no GEO.
Timeline · 1990-2026
The search world and Stradiji, side by side
On the left, milestones from the search world and Türkiye. On the right, what happened at Stradiji in the same years. When the right side is empty, a mockup of that year’s results page appears, so you watch the page change as you scroll. Use the filters to focus on one category.
Discovery 1990-1997
Interface1990
Archie: the first search tool
Archie, built by Alan Emtage at McGill University, searched file names on FTP servers. The web didn’t exist yet.
Source: Wikipedia →1990
Results page of the era
Archie · No web yet. Search lists file names on FTP servers.
See the original: Archie screenshot (Wikipedia) ↗
Interface1991
The first website goes live
Tim Berners-Lee put the first web page online at CERN. It was served from a NeXT computer in his office.
See the first site →1991
Results page still: Archie
Türkiye1993
Türkiye connects to the internet
On April 12, 1993, Türkiye joined the internet through a connection set up at Middle East Technical University (METU). The first pages came from universities.
TÜBİTAK Bilim Genç (Turkish) →1993
Results page still: Archie
Interface1993
Mosaic makes the web visual
NCSA Mosaic became the first widely used browser to show text and images on the same page. The web began moving from campuses into homes.
Source: NCSA →1993
Results page still: Archie
Interface1994
The Yahoo! directory and WebCrawler
Yahoo! sorted sites into categories by hand. WebCrawler became one of the first engines to make the full text of pages searchable.
Source: Wikipedia →1994
Results page of the era
The directory era · Categories built by hand by editors. Browsing, not searching.
See the original: Yahoo! homepage through the years (Gigazine) ↗
Algorithm1995
AltaVista brings speed
Launched in December 1995, AltaVista searched millions of pages in seconds. The first optimization tactics, built on keyword repetition, grew up here.
Source: Tom’s Hardware →1995
Results page still: The directory era
Türkiye1996
TURNET: Türkiye’s internet backbone
The TURNET contract was signed on March 1, 1996. By late summer, 20 to 30 providers had connected. The first 15 hours of dial-up access cost $15.
METU archive (Turkish) →1996
Stradiji1996
Graduation from ITU
Mert Erkal graduated from the Faculty of Naval Architecture at Istanbul Technical University.
Mert Erkal on LinkedIn →Algorithm1997
The term “search engine optimization” is born
The first documented use of the term dates to February 1997 and John Audette’s Multimedia Marketing Group.
Source →1997
Results page still: The directory era
The link era 1998-2006
Algorithm1998
Google and PageRank
Google incorporated in September 1998. PageRank, which counted links as votes, began to end the reign of keyword repetition.
Source: Wikipedia →1998
Results page of the era
Ten blue links · A plain list. The winners: links and relevance.
See the original: What Google looked like in 1998 (Entrepreneur) ↗
Interface1998
“I’m Feeling Lucky”
On Google’s homepage from the early days, this button skipped the results page and took you straight to the first result. It was the first version of the “one right answer” promise behind today’s AI answers.
Source: How-To Geek →1998
Türkiye1999
Ekşi Sözlük launches
Launched on Feb. 15, 1999, Ekşi Sözlük became the symbol of Turkish user-generated content. It is the local ancestor of the forums and wikis that feed AI answers today.
Source →1999
Results page still: Ten blue links
Interface2000
AdWords and dial-up
AdWords launched in October 2000. In Türkiye, most users still went online with a 56k modem and its screeching handshake.
Google announcement →2000
Results page of the era
Ads arrive · AdWords opened ad slots at the top and on the right.
See the original: Google’s 2000 AdWords announcement ↗
Türkiye2001
ADSL comes home
Broadband started with cable internet in 1998 and spread to homes with ADSL in 2001. Internet that didn’t tie up the phone line had arrived.
Source →2001
Results page still: Ads arrive
Interface2001
Wikipedia launches
Launched on Jan. 15, 2001, Wikipedia soon sat near the top of countless searches. In 2012 it fed the Knowledge Graph, and today it is one of the most important sources for language models. The shared memory of entities.
Source: Wikipedia →2001
Interface2001
The Wayback Machine opens to the public
The Internet Archive began archiving the web in 1996 and opened that archive to everyone with the Wayback Machine in October 2001. Many of the “See the original” links on this page come from there.
Source: Wikipedia →2001
Algorithm2003
The Florida update
In November 2003, right before the holiday shopping season, many over-optimized sites vanished overnight. SEO’s first big trauma.
Source: SEJ →2003
Results page still: Ads arrive
Algorithm2005
nofollow, personalization and Analytics
In January 2005, Google, Yahoo! and MSN jointly announced the nofollow attribute. Personalized search followed in June, and Google Analytics in November.
Google announcement →2005
Results page still: Ads arrive
Enrichment and cleanup 2007-2012
Interface2005
YouTube launches
Founded in February 2005, YouTube got its first video that April. Google bought it in October 2006 for $1.65 billion, and video search became its own front door.
Google announcement →2005
Interface2007
Universal search and the internet in your pocket
On May 16, 2007, image, video, news and map results came together on one page. The same year, smartphones started putting search in people’s pockets.
Google announcement →2007
Results page of the era
Universal search · Images, video and news on the same page.
See the original: Universal Search screenshots (Search Engine Land) ↗
Results page still: Universal search
2008
Stradiji2008
From shipping to digital
After a decade at Maersk Line Türkiye (1998-2008), Mert Erkal changed course to digital marketing.
Mert Erkal on LinkedIn →Interface2008
Google Chrome launches
Released in beta on September 2, 2008, Chrome merged the address bar and the search box into a single omnibox. Search moved into the browser itself.
Google announcement →2008
Türkiye2009
3G arrives in Türkiye
3G service started in July 2009. Mobile internet reached truly usable speeds for the first time.
Teknoblog (Turkish) →2009
Results page still: Universal search
Interface2009
Bing is born
Microsoft’s Live Search became Bing in June 2009. It matters again today as one of the indexes AI search tools like ChatGPT draw on.
Microsoft announcement →2009
Stradiji2009
Mert Erkal starts doing SEO
After studying naval architecture and a decade in shipping logistics, Mert Erkal started doing SEO.
About Mert Erkal →Algorithm2010
Caffeine and Google Instant
In June 2010, Caffeine made the index much fresher. In September, Google Instant started showing results as you typed.
Google announcement →2010
Stradiji2010
Stradiji is founded in Istanbul
Stradiji was founded in Istanbul to provide SEO and conversion optimization consulting.
About us →Algorithm2011
Panda: the first big hit for quality
Announced on Feb. 24, 2011, Panda affected 11.8% of queries in the US. Duplicate and shallow content fell. In June the same year, schema.org was founded.
2011
Results page of the era
Instant results · Google Instant: results change as you type.
See the original: Google Instant guide (Search Engine Land) ↗
Türkiye2011
Yandex enters Türkiye
On Sept. 20, 2011, Yandex entered Türkiye with yandex.com.tr and an Istanbul office to compete with Google.
Webrazzi (Turkish) →2011
Results page still: Instant results
Algorithm2012
Penguin and the Knowledge Graph
In April 2012, Penguin targeted manipulative links. In May, with the Knowledge Graph, Google started recognizing things.
Google announcement →2012
Stradiji2012
DOST: Conversion-Focused SEO Techniques
On Jan. 18, 2012, right after the Panda update, we introduced DOST, a framework that scores bounce rate, search click-through rate, speed, content quality, usability and site architecture together. Our message then is the same as now: a site optimized only for search engines loses, and a site that satisfies its users wins. Sabah’s Teknokulis covered it the same day.
The DOST article (in Turkish) →Meaning and mobile 2013-2021
Algorithm2013
Hummingbird: search that reads meaning
Announced in September 2013, Hummingbird focused on the meaning of the whole query rather than individual words.
Source: Wikipedia →2013
Stradiji2013
Emre Ercan joins the team
After working in telecom at Vodafone and in media, Emre Ercan joined Stradiji as an SEO and digital marketing specialist.
Emre Ercan on LinkedIn →Algorithm2014
HTTPS becomes a ranking signal
In August 2014, Google announced secure connections as a lightweight ranking signal. Pigeon arrived for local search the same year.
Google announcement →2014
Results page of the era
Featured snippet · The answer sits in a box above the links.
See the original: Google explains featured snippets (2018) ↗
Algorithm2014
Google starts running JavaScript
On May 23, 2014, Google announced it had started executing JavaScript to see pages more like a modern browser does. Content built with JavaScript could now make it into the index.
Google announcement →2014
Interface2014
HTML5 becomes a standard
On October 28, 2014, the W3C published HTML5 as an official Recommendation. Video, audio and semantic tags became part of the web’s common language.
Source: W3C →2014
Algorithm2015
Mobile-friendliness and RankBrain
The mobile-friendly update (Mobilegeddon) rolled out on April 21, 2015. In October, Google announced RankBrain, built on machine learning.
Google announcement →2015
Stradiji2015
This page goes live
The first version of this page went live on June 30, 2015, in Turkish, and put the idea of Search Experience Optimization front and center.
See the 2015 version in the archive →Results page of the era
Local 3-pack · A map and three businesses. Mobile search takes the lead.
See the original: From 7-pack to 3-pack (Search Engine Land) ↗
2015
Stradiji2015
Our YouTube channel launches
The Stradiji YouTube channel launched in 2015. Today it runs under the name “Mert Erkal” at @stradiji, with more than 400 videos, mostly in Turkish.
Visit the channel →Algorithm2015
Google publishes its rater guidelines
In November 2015, Google published the full version of its search quality rater guidelines for the first time. The YMYL (“Your Money or Your Life”) and E-A-T (expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness) ideas they describe soon became everyday SEO vocabulary.
Google announcement →2015
Türkiye2016
The 4.5G era begins
4.5G service started in Türkiye on April 1, 2016. Video, maps and voice search on the phone became part of daily life.
Source: BloombergHT (in Turkish) →2016
Results page of the era
Four ads on top · Right-rail ads disappeared, and ads moved to the top.
See the original: Right-side ads removed (WordStream) ↗
Algorithm2018
Mobile-first indexing and Medic
The move to mobile-first indexing began in March 2018. Google now judged a site by its mobile version. The August core update shook health and finance sites and started the expertise debate.
Google announcement →2018
Stradiji2018
Search Engine Summit
We took part in the 2018 Search Engine Summit (Arama Motoru Zirvesi) in Türkiye and received a plaque of thanks for our contribution.
Event page (in Turkish) →AI2019
BERT: a language model enters search
In October 2019, Google started using the BERT language model to understand queries. In December, it expanded to more than 70 languages.
Google announcement →2019
Results page of the era
A page full of boxes · Snippets, related questions and videos fill the first screen.
See the original: “People also ask” surges (SE Roundtable) ↗
Results page still: A page full of boxes
2020
Stradiji2020
A live show every Friday during the pandemic
In April 2020, we started the “Geleceği Yaratıyorum” (Creating the Future) live shows with Deniz Yörük of Netvent. We hosted guests like Metehan Yeşilyurt and reviewed viewers’ sites live with Emirhan Yasdiman.
Watch the episode with Metehan (Turkish) →Results page still: A page full of boxes
2020
Stradiji2020
Dijital Pazarlama Notları launches
The first issue of our Turkish newsletter came out on April 24, 2020. We have written it every week since.
Read the newsletter (Turkish) →Algorithm2021
Page experience and Core Web Vitals
Between June and August 2021, speed, interactivity and visual stability metrics entered Google’s ranking systems.
Google announcement →2021
Results page still: A page full of boxes
Algorithm2021
Product reviews updates
The product reviews updates began in April 2021, and a second round in December rewarded reviews with first-hand testing. A preview of today’s focus on “experience.”
Mert’s note: We discussed it live that week (Dec. 9, 2021, in Turkish)2021
Stradiji2021
Live site audits are back
In November and December 2021, we reviewed viewers’ sites live again with Emirhan Yasdiman.
Watch the show (Turkish) →The answer era 2022-2026
AI2022
Helpful Content, ChatGPT and E-E-A-T
The Helpful Content system arrived in August 2022. ChatGPT launched on Nov. 30. In December, Google added Experience to E-A-T.
Mert’s note: We covered AI content 7 months before ChatGPT (May 8, 2022, in Turkish)2022
Stradiji2022
The SEOs Diners Club launches
On March 5, 2022, Mert Erkal’s weekly English newsletter, The SEOs Diners Club, sent its first issue. The Turkish newsletter, Dijital Pazarlama Notları, had started two years earlier.
Subscribe →AI2023
SGE: the first test
In May 2023, Google started testing generative AI answers in Labs under the name Search Generative Experience.
Mert’s note: We covered it the week it was announced (May 28, 2023, in Turkish)2023
Results page still: A page full of boxes
Algorithm2023
The September 2023 helpful content update
The September 2023 helpful content update hit independent publishers especially hard. The debate over “content written for people” hasn’t stopped since.
Update history →2023
Results page still: A page full of boxes
Algorithm2024
The March 2024 core update
Rolling out from March 5 to April 19, 2024, this update folded the Helpful Content system into core ranking. Google said low-quality, unoriginal content in results dropped 45%.
Marie Haynes’ analysis →2024
Results page of the era
AI Overviews · The answer sits on top. Blue links slid down.
See the original: Google’s 2024 AI Overviews announcement ↗
AI2024
AI Overviews and the API leak
In May 2024, AI Overviews rolled out to everyone in the US. The same month, leaked Google API documents reignited the ranking signals debate.
2024
Stradiji2024
We said “From SEO to GEO”
On June 9, 2024, our newsletter covered GEO under the headline “From SEO to GEO: A New Era in Search Engine Optimization.” We were one of the first voices in Türkiye to use the term.
Watch that issue (Turkish) →Algorithm2024
Mobile-first indexing is complete
The move that began in March 2018 ended on July 5, 2024: Google now crawls sites only with mobile Googlebot. Content that doesn’t load on mobile can’t get indexed.
PPC Land →2024
Results page still: AI Overviews
Türkiye2024
Internet use hits 88.8%
According to TurkStat, 88.8% of people aged 16 to 74 in Türkiye used the internet in 2024.
Source →2024
Results page still: AI Overviews
Türkiye2024
Search Central Live Türkiye
In October 2024, Google’s search team came to Türkiye for a Search Central Live event.
Mert’s note: Our notes from the event (Oct. 20, 2024, in Turkish)2024
Results page still: AI Overviews
AI2024
ChatGPT gets search
On Oct. 31, 2024, OpenAI added live web search to ChatGPT. For the first time, an AI chatbot positioned itself as a real alternative to Google search.
News →2024
Stradiji2024
Antalya: “I don’t use Google anymore”
In October 2024, at an event in Antalya, we talked on stage about search shifting to AI answers.
Photo from the event →Watch the panel →AI2024
Google and Reddit, up close
In 2023, Google’s hidden gems update and Perspectives pushed real experiences from forums up in Search. On Feb. 22, 2024, it announced a deal for access to Reddit content for AI and Search, and Reddit’s visibility soared. Then it got complicated: Google referrals turned choppy in 2025 and 2026, and Reddit began pulling users toward its own app and Reddit Answers.
Google announcement →Perspectives →2024
Türkiye2025
AI Overviews tested in Türkiye
On May 10, 2025, Google started testing AI Overviews on desktop in Türkiye.
DonanımHaber (Turkish) → Mert’s note: We covered it in the newsletter the next day (May 11, 2025, in Turkish)2025
Results page still: AI Overviews
AI2025
AI Mode in the US
On May 20, 2025, Google opened AI Mode, its conversational search, to all users in the US.
News → Mert’s note: A survival guide for AI Mode (May 25, 2025, in Turkish)2025
Results page still: AI Overviews
Algorithm2025
Three core updates and a spam update
In 2025, core updates rolled out March 13-27, June 30-July 17 and Dec. 11-29. A spam update ran from Aug. 26 to Sept. 21.
Update history →2025
Results page still: AI Overviews
Interface2025
num=100 goes away, Search Console shifts
In mid-September 2025, Google stopped supporting the parameter that showed 100 results per page. Desktop impressions dropped and average position “improved.” Rankings didn’t change; the measurement did, because some of those numbers came from bots.
Analysis →2025
Results page still: AI Overviews
AI2025
ChatGPT Atlas and Gemini 3
On Oct. 21, 2025, OpenAI released its own browser, ChatGPT Atlas. Gemini 3 arrived on Nov. 18, 2025, inside AI Mode from day one.
Gemini 3 news →2025
Stradiji2025
On stage and on the mic
An AI and SEO workshop at Search ’n Stuff Istanbul, moderating at WhitePress Istanbul (April 16) and a talk at an e-commerce expo (May 15). In February, we launched the podcast “Dijitalin Yeni Yüzü: İnsan ve Yapay Zekâ” (The New Face of Digital: Humans and AI) with a Metehan Yeşilyurt interview. In March, we were in the audience at İçerik Pazarlaması ve SEO Sohbetleri (Content Marketing and SEO Talks).
Event highlights (in Turkish) →Results page still: AI Overviews
2025
Stradiji2025
Search ’n Stuff Antalya
In October 2025, we spoke on a panel and ran the English workshop “Beyond the Blue Links.” We have attended Search ’n Stuff for years, once as a sponsor.
Event page →See the slides →Türkiye2026
AI Overviews and AI Mode in Türkiye
On Feb. 18, 2026, AI Overviews and AI Mode began rolling out to Turkish-language users. Türkiye met AI-answer search about two years after the US.
2026
Results page of the era
AI Mode · Conversational search lives in its own tab. Blue links are still on the classic page, below the AI Overview.
See the original: Google’s AI Mode announcement ↗
Algorithm2026
The March 2026 core update
Google started its first core update of the year on March 27, 2026.
News →2026
Results page still: AI Mode
AI2026
Google I/O 2026: the search box is reborn
On May 19, 2026, Google said it had redesigned its 25-year-old search box and added agents that work in the background. Gemini 3.5 Flash became AI Mode’s default model.
Our newsletter take →2026
Results page still: AI Mode
AI2026
ChatGPT builds its own search index
In September 2026, ChatGPT was seen using its own search index. The era of “if I’m on Bing, I’m in ChatGPT” is over.
Our newsletter take →2026
Stradiji2026
We measured the impact in Türkiye
In July 2026, we compared 1,035 live queries across 17 industries with Search Console data from the sites we track. Rankings mostly held, clicks on informational queries fell by about a third, and in finance and insurance, click-through rates dropped as much as 60%.
Read the analysis →Results page still: AI Mode
2026
Stradiji2026
Award jury
In 2026, we served on the jury of the Search ’n Stuff Awards 2026.
The awards and jury →Results page still: AI Mode
2026
Stradiji2026
AI visibility with GeoGenie
We use GeoGenie to regularly measure how our clients and our own brand show up in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and AI Overviews, for the US and Türkiye.
GEO consulting →Results page still: AI Mode
2026
Stradiji2026
The GEO Score Card and GEO Roadmap
In October 2026, Stradiji published the free GEO Score Card, which measures AI visibility, and the 12-stage GEO Roadmap.
Try the score card →Results page still: AI Mode
2026
Stradiji2026
Our research in USA Today
In October 2026, our research showing how websites close their doors to AI bots ran in USA Today’s press release section. PR by Ömer Evrey, Pacamara Progress.
Read the release →
Search graveyard
Gone but not forgotten: retired search features
Each one ruled an SEO’s to-do list for a while. Now they rest in peace. A moment of silence, please.
R.I.P.
Meta keywords
† Sept. 2009“Everyone filled me in. Nobody read me.”
Google said it does not use them for ranking.
R.I.P.
Authorship
† Aug. 2014“Your face used to show up in the results.”
Results with author photos were retired.
R.I.P.
Google Instant
† July 2017“I knew before you finished typing.”
Retired as mobile search took over.
R.I.P.
Google+
† April 2019“Your +1s live on in our hearts.”
The consumer version shut down April 2, 2019.
R.I.P.
How-to results
† Sept. 2023“I left step by step.”
How-to rich results were removed.
R.I.P.
Cache link
† 2024“I was there when your site went down.”
The cache link and the cache: operator were removed.
R.I.P.
Continuous scroll
† June 2024“I made you forget page 2.”
Google went back to pagination.
R.I.P.
Sitelinks search box
† Nov. 2024“Seek and you would find me.”
The sitelinks search box went away Nov. 21.
R.I.P.
FAQ rich result
† May 2026“I asked the question and answered it, too.”
The display is gone. FAQ markup still helps with AI.
What 35 years didn’t change
The tools changed. These three never did
Intent
The user’s real question
Whether you typed “turkish coffee” in 1998 or ask AI a long question in 2026, you want the same thing: an answer that helps. The page that best meets the intent has won in every era.
Trust
Proof and reputation
First links, then E-E-A-T, now citations. They all ask the same question: can this source be trusted? Other people talking about you has mattered in every era.
Access
A crawlable, understandable site
If a bot can’t read your page, you won’t show up in Google or in ChatGPT. Technical SEO is the front door to AI visibility, too.
Keyword repetition→Links→Quality→Entity→Experience→Citation
First-party data · Stradiji research
What does AI traffic bring in 2026?
We analyzed GA4 data from 35 sites between Oct. 1, 2025, and Sept. 30, 2026. Short answer: not much of it arrives, but what arrives buys more.
1.29%
AI sessions as a share of Google organic sessions (35 sites, median)
1.64x
AI visitors’ conversion rate compared with Google organic (10 sites, median)
57x
Conversion volume from Google organic compared with AI (excluding the largest site)
AI is less a traffic channel than a pre-persuasion channel. The sample is small and not random. Conversion definitions differ, so we compared each site only with itself. Read the full study →
The SEOs Diners Club · Weekly since 2022
From the newsletter: what did we write that week?
While search kept changing, we kept taking notes every week. Sometimes we covered an update the week it landed. Sometimes we talked about AI content months before ChatGPT. Two early landmarks below come from our Turkish newsletter.
March 5, 2022 · First issue
The SEOs Diners Club starts
We began writing our weekly notes for readers outside Türkiye.
May 8, 2022 · 7 months before ChatGPTCreating Google-friendly content with AI (in Turkish)
Even then, we said AI content needs a human check.
June 9, 2024From SEO to GEO: a new era (in Turkish)
We were among the first in Türkiye to talk about GEO.
Nov. 3, 2025 · #193AI Search Visibility: The Age of Retrievability, Not Ranking
Why being retrievable matters more than a position.
Dec. 15, 2025 · #199SEO Isn’t Dead, It Just Evolved
The new rules for winning in the age of answer engines.
Jan. 12, 2026 · #203How ChatGPT Works as a Search Engine (Deep Dive)
A look under the hood of ChatGPT search.
Feb. 23, 2026 · #209The Google AI Overviews Preparedness and Strategy Guide
How to get ready for AI Overviews.
May 25, 2026 · #222Google I/O 2026: The Search Box Was Reborn After 25 Years
And SEO’s new name is “selectability.”
July 6, 2026 · #228We Measured What Google’s AI Overviews Did to Search in Türkiye
Then we built a public, monthly dashboard.
Aug. 17, 2026 · #234ChatGPT Decides Who It’ll Recommend Before It Searches
“Known” beats “findable.”
Sept. 7, 2026 · #237ChatGPT Built Its Own Search Index
And not just one. Twelve.
Oct. 19, 2026 · #243The Free GEO Funnel Nobody Is Using
We combined Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
Free self-assessment · 10 questions
Which era does your website live in?
Answer each question with an honest yes or no. Your first “no” shows the era your site is stuck in. Your answers go nowhere.
- 1. Does every page have its own unique title tag and a single H1? 1998
- 2. Do you measure your traffic with GA4 and Search Console? 2005
- 3. Is your company information marked up with Organization schema? 2012
- 4. Does your site load over HTTPS? 2014
- 5. Is your site easy to read and use on a phone? 2015
- 6. Do your key pages open with a short paragraph that answers the question directly? 2016
- 7. Do your pages load in under 2.5 seconds on mobile? 2021
- 8. Does your content show a real author name and an author page? 2022
- 9. Is your robots.txt open to GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, ClaudeBot and PerplexityBot? 2024
- 10. Do you measure how often AI answers cite you as a source? 2026
0 / 10 answered
?
Your result appears here as you answer
Your first “no” shows the era your site is stuck in.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers about how SEO evolved
When did SEO start?
The first documented use of the term “search engine optimization” dates to February 1997. The practice itself began in the mid-1990s, in the AltaVista and Yahoo! era.
Did AI answers kill SEO?
No. When AI engines write an answer, they mostly pick sources from crawlable pages that already rank well. Solid SEO is still the foundation of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).
How should I measure visibility in 2026?
AI results are personalized, so there is no fixed position. Track how often you are cited for your target queries, your visibility percentage and your AI impressions in Search Console, together.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 1 / 5
What was the internet’s first search tool?
It’s 2026
Where is your site on this timeline?
Use the GEO Score Card to measure how ready your site is to be cited in AI answers. 38 checks, free.
Sources and image licenses
- CERN: The first website (1991)
- Search Engine Journal: The history of SEO and the term’s first documented use in 1997
- Official Google Blog: Panda announcement, Feb. 24, 2011 (archived)
- Timeline of Google Search (with Google blog sources)
- MacRumors: AI Mode launches in the US, May 20, 2025
- Stradiji: Google AI Mode opened in Türkiye on Feb. 18, 2026
- Images: The results page mockups are illustrative; for real screenshots, follow the “See the original” link under each mockup. AI-generated illustrations carry the note “Made with Higgsfield.”
- Search Engine Journal: History of Google algorithm updates (2023-2026)
- TÜBİTAK Bilim Genç: The internet in Türkiye turns 25 (April 12, 1993) (Turkish)
- MediaPost: Google drops the sitelinks search box (November 2024)
- PPC Land: Google removes the cache feature (2024)
- Sabah Teknokulis: the DOST launch, Jan. 18, 2012 (in Turkish)
- USA Today press release (October 2026). PR by Ömer Evrey, Pacamara Progress
- Stradiji: What AI Overviews did to search in Türkiye (including the July 2026 measurement)
- Stradiji: AI traffic and conversion study across 35 sites (Oct. 26, 2026)
Changelog
- Oct. 30, 2026: Added the Evolution Card, Citation Network, AI Mirror, 2027 poll and 56k modem sound. Seven new cards joined the timeline, and cards now link to their sources.
- Oct. 29, 2026: Relaunched as 35 years of SEO on the 103rd anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye, with an English edition. Added the time machine, SERP simulator, year-by-year results page strip, Türkiye and Stradiji lanes, search graveyard, era test and quiz, and fixed three date errors in the 2015 text. After reader feedback the same evening, added eight milestones from 2023 to 2026.
- June 30, 2015: First published (Emre Ercan, in Turkish).
First published: June 30, 2015Updated: October 30, 2026Written by Emre ErcanUpdated by Mert ErkalThis page is updated monthly. Next update: November 2026
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 1 / 5
What was the internet’s first search tool?
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 1 / 5
What was the internet’s first search tool?
Correct. Built at McGill University in 1990, Archie searched FTP file names before the web even existed.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 1 / 5
What was the internet’s first search tool?
Close. Built at McGill University in 1990, Archie searched FTP file names before the web even existed.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 1 / 5
What was the internet’s first search tool?
Close. Built at McGill University in 1990, Archie searched FTP file names before the web even existed.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 1 / 5
What was the internet’s first search tool?
Close. Built at McGill University in 1990, Archie searched FTP file names before the web even existed.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 2 / 5
In what year did Panda, the first big hit for quality, arrive?
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 2 / 5
In what year did Panda, the first big hit for quality, arrive?
Close. Panda was announced on Feb. 24, 2011, and affected 11.8% of queries in the US.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 2 / 5
In what year did Panda, the first big hit for quality, arrive?
Correct. Panda was announced on Feb. 24, 2011, and affected 11.8% of queries in the US.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 2 / 5
In what year did Panda, the first big hit for quality, arrive?
Close. Panda was announced on Feb. 24, 2011, and affected 11.8% of queries in the US.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 2 / 5
In what year did Panda, the first big hit for quality, arrive?
Close. Panda was announced on Feb. 24, 2011, and affected 11.8% of queries in the US.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 3 / 5
Which change brought images, video and news onto the same results page?
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 3 / 5
Which change brought images, video and news onto the same results page?
Close. Universal Search arrived on May 16, 2007, and ended the “10 blue links” era.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 3 / 5
Which change brought images, video and news onto the same results page?
Close. Universal Search arrived on May 16, 2007, and ended the “10 blue links” era.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 3 / 5
Which change brought images, video and news onto the same results page?
Correct. Universal Search arrived on May 16, 2007, and ended the “10 blue links” era.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 3 / 5
Which change brought images, video and news onto the same results page?
Close. Universal Search arrived on May 16, 2007, and ended the “10 blue links” era.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 4 / 5
What did the SEO world nickname the April 21, 2015, mobile-friendly update?
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 4 / 5
What did the SEO world nickname the April 21, 2015, mobile-friendly update?
Correct. Mobilegeddon. The impact was calmer than expected, but it put mobile-friendliness on everyone’s agenda.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 4 / 5
What did the SEO world nickname the April 21, 2015, mobile-friendly update?
Close. Mobilegeddon. The impact was calmer than expected, but it put mobile-friendliness on everyone’s agenda.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 4 / 5
What did the SEO world nickname the April 21, 2015, mobile-friendly update?
Close. Mobilegeddon. The impact was calmer than expected, but it put mobile-friendliness on everyone’s agenda.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 4 / 5
What did the SEO world nickname the April 21, 2015, mobile-friendly update?
Close. Mobilegeddon. The impact was calmer than expected, but it put mobile-friendliness on everyone’s agenda.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 5 / 5
When did Google AI Mode open in Türkiye?
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 5 / 5
When did Google AI Mode open in Türkiye?
Close. AI Overviews and AI Mode began rolling out to Turkish-language users on Feb. 18, 2026.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 5 / 5
When did Google AI Mode open in Türkiye?
Close. AI Overviews and AI Mode began rolling out to Turkish-language users on Feb. 18, 2026.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 5 / 5
When did Google AI Mode open in Türkiye?
Correct. AI Overviews and AI Mode began rolling out to Turkish-language users on Feb. 18, 2026.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Question 5 / 5
When did Google AI Mode open in Türkiye?
Close. AI Overviews and AI Mode began rolling out to Turkish-language users on Feb. 18, 2026.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Result
0 / 5: Directory Era Romantic
No worries. Take a spin in the time machine above, and you’ll see the difference on your second try.
35 years of SEO · My quiz result
Directory Era Romantic
0 / 5 · stradiji.com
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Result
1 / 5: Florida Veteran
An old hand, but the recent years got past you. Take a look at the timeline.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Result
2 / 5: Florida Veteran
An old hand, but the recent years got past you. Take a look at the timeline.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Result
3 / 5: Panda Survivor
A good score. You seem like someone who made it through the 2011 trauma.
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Result
4 / 5: Knowledge Panel Master
Nearly flawless. You lived through the entity era well.
35 years of SEO · My quiz result
Knowledge Panel Master
4 / 5 · stradiji.com
Mini quiz · 5 questions
Which SEO era are you from?
Five questions to see how much search history you remember. You get an era title at the end.
Result
5 / 5: AI Mode Explorer
You know search history by heart. Next step: measure where your site shows up in AI answers.
Free self-assessment · 10 questions
Which era does your website live in?
Answer each question with an honest yes or no. Your first “no” shows the era your site is stuck in. Your answers go nowhere.
- 1. Does every page have its own unique title tag and a single H1? 1998
- 2. Do you measure your traffic with GA4 and Search Console? 2005
- 3. Is your company information marked up with Organization schema? 2012
- 4. Does your site load over HTTPS? 2014
- 5. Is your site easy to read and use on a phone? 2015
- 6. Do your key pages open with a short paragraph that answers the question directly? 2016
- 7. Do your pages load in under 2.5 seconds on mobile? 2021
- 8. Does your content show a real author name and an author page? 2022
- 9. Is your robots.txt open to GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, ClaudeBot and PerplexityBot? 2024
- 10. Do you measure how often AI answers cite you as a source? 2026
10 / 10 answered
1998
Your site is stuck before 1998
First missing step: Review your titles and H1s page by page. Until this step is done, the gains from later eras won’t fully work.
To do
- Review your titles and H1s page by page.
- Finish setting up GA4 and Search Console.
- Add Organization schema and a sameAs chain.
- Install an SSL certificate and redirect to HTTPS.
- Move to a mobile-friendly design.
- Add a 40- to 60-word answer paragraph to your key pages.
- Improve your Core Web Vitals.
- Add bylines, author pages and Person schema.
- Open access to AI bots on purpose.
- Track your visibility percentage and citations regularly.