FUTURE OF SEO 
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Evolution of Search Engine

• In the past decade, search engines have improved a lot. Here are some key points:
• Google’s search traffic has increased 1,000 times since 1999.
• Google now has over 1,000 times more servers than it did back then.
• Search speeds have improved from over 1,000 milliseconds to under 200 milliseconds.
• Google now updates its index about 10,000 times faster.

The ‘Google’ Phenomenon

Google is very successful because it focuses on getting users to their information quickly. Google’s advertising tools, such as Ads and AdSense, are the biggest in the world. Even if search results are not always perfect, people tend to prefer Google. Competing with Google will require new strategies. Google is also working with NASA on technology for space and exploring renewable energy. They are also expanding into office tools with Google Docs and might become a more general-purpose search engine in the future.
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What’s Next for Search Engines?

​​Search engines are overcoming traditional limitations. They may soon run JavaScript to find hidden content or handle forms to access new types of information.
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New Content Sources

In 2004, Google began scanning books to add them to its Book Search engine. Other organizations are also digitizing historical documents. Google’s First Click Free program allows users to access subscription-based content. Search engines are working on getting the information online which are currently not available.
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Indexing Multimedia Content

​Search engines have trouble indexing images, audio, and video. Major search engines are working on solutions. For example, Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology is improving, and Google Image Labeler uses a game to label images. Sites like Recaptcha.net help digitize old books. Technologies like speech-to-text are being used to get more data from audio and video.
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Personalized Searches

​Search engines are making results more personal by using location data and search history. Google invests in personalizing search results to increase user satisfaction.​
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User Intent

​To be successful, search engines need to understand what a particular user is looking for. For example Bing.com helps users to make decisions based on their search sessions. Google’s Universal Search and personalization features try to match search results with users' needs by offering various types of content. Its not just about providing a result, the data should be arranged in such a way that it matches the searcher’s intent. 
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User Interactions

​The users interactions with search engines can improve a lot .As technology and RSS grow, users will expect search engines to gather and update news and content based on their preferences, turning them into a portal for personalized information.
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New Search Patterns

The focus in SEO has shifted from rankings, keywords, and optimization to understanding users intent and interests. Personalization will become crucial for keeping users hooked to sites. Being a trusted source in a user’s history will be more important than just ranking well. As information grows, capturing a user's attention will be harder, making SEO more complex. Future SEO will need to use new methods to connect with potential customers.​

(Courtesy the book The Art of SEO by Eric Enge, Stephan Spencer, et al)