Another year is over and a new one is on its way, so in a moment of nostalgia it seems appropriate to look over what the past year has brought, what the present shows us and what the future holds in terms of web searches.

The beginning of the year saw the economy take a bit of a downward slide and many industries were battered and bruised by the GFC, however, behind the scene – on-line had never been better. 2009 has seen a new appreciation for the WWW when a lot of businesses were forced to re-strategise, allowing them to see the potential in the digital space. This in turn led to a new breed of SEO specialists and a diversification of skills. Organisations quickly poured spend into their SEO, finding that not only is it cheaper and more effective, but it also gives a wider exposure than most other mediums and, if used correctly, is a very powerful advertising tool.

At present the Web search engines have emerged as one of the central applications on the Internet. In fact, search has become one of the most important activities that people engage in on the Internet. Essentially it has become the number one source of information.

It is evident that people want a more interactive experience due to its accessibility, and new searching techniques are beginning to emerge to accommodate this phenomenon. Google and Yahoo among others are jumping on the band wagon by introducing a more personalised search experience, the ability to bookmark in a more appropriate and accessible way and more effective searches.

Searchmash is a Google site that has been developed to test the latest search technology. This interface allows you to see an image, blog, video and Wikipedia results on a single page, meaning the information is easier to view and more clearly formatted. Advancements in search technology have already been introduced to the IPhone and other mobile devices. SEO has certainly come a long way, and with increasingly efficient high speed internet connection the opportunities in 2010 are endless!