THE RISE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Another phenomenon was emerging late in the 2000s: social
networks.
Google made its big bet on YouTube (although it would try again
with the now-defunct Google+).
But other networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn all emerged
as major players (with many more to come and go in the following
years).
Along with the rise of social media came speculation that social
signals can impact search rankings.
20 YEARS OF SEO: A BRIEF HISTORY OF SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION