The first recorded usage of “SEO” dates back to 1977. Although this was before Google or other search engines we now use on the web, this was a form of SEO. Prior "search engines" were more like directories or indexes. You might have seen these for malls or larger stores and companies. Some owners of companies noticed that they were ranking higher or lower in the directories or indexes depending on their store. Basically, the Yellow Pages were created as a way for larger companies to pay for ads within these directories. They could pay to have half of a page dedicated to their service, even though every company was listed. More people would pay attention to the larger ads and the company would get more customers. This is a simpler, more focused form of SEO.