2009 is marked by more than just a flailing economy. It is marked by changes in search engine optimisation by Google. As 2008 drew to a close web developers began to realise that SEO, PPC advertising, and search engine marketing would not be taken down by the economy. Instead they would rally perhaps as the leading industry of 2009. The basis for this confidence came from the inexpensive methods of using the internet to promote a business. Other means of advertising are expensive, especially TV commercials and billboard ads.

Companies looking to survive had to begin looking towards the future that is technology. In this way companies have begun to rely more on the internet marketing options. Google was already looking to make changes. Google has done very well in the economy because they are always looking for ways to improve the internet. In fact that is why the search engine came to fruition in the first place.

They wanted to make a search engine that would appeal to a wide consumer base with a database of all websites. The database design had to have a way to ensure relevant web sites would be shown in the search results. The database was therefore built on a mathematical process encouraging the use of keywords.

Keywords tell the consumer what is on the page. When keywords first began as an important aspect of SEO web content writers were told the more you have one keyword in an article the better your rankings. Soon the internet exploded with articles to get search rankings, but the content was not always clear. By using a keyword the writers were told to use only that keyword, not the plural form if it was singular or vice versa. You could have a 500 word article with one keyword in it 50 times to get rankings.

Google and other search engines have realised the error in thinking that exists. They are seeing too many articles designed only for rankings rather than the consumer. To get websites back to the key point of serving consumers Google has changed their outlook regarding keyword SEO. They no longer want 1 to 10 percent keyword density. Instead an article that uses the primary keyword twice, then synonyms, the plural form, and keyword phrases will get more play. The rankings are structured for quality content with relevant information. It is imperative to adapt your content to fit these new needs to survive.